The DL Challenge

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Let’s see if DL readers can raise $1,000 for Coons in the next 6 hours.

If DL readers contribute a total of $500 to Chris Coons by 10:00 pm – and anonymous reader will match that amount dollar for dollar.

Go to:   https://secure.democratsenators.org/o/59/donate_page/odonnell and add  five cents  ($0.05) to your contribution to designate it as part of the DL challenge.    We will check with the Coons campaign at 10:00 pm and if the challenge has been met, the anonymous DL reader will match it with a $500 donation.  Personally, I think we can do better than that!  Care to prove me right?

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Hey, why are you still reading instead of donating?  Do you need more incentive?  Okay… Did you know?

NATIONAL REPUBLICANS SEND $42,000 TO O’DONNELL – HOW WILL SHE SPEND IT?

Big Spending Christine O’Donnell Knows No Limits When It Comes To Spending Campaign Funds On Personal Expenses

List Includes $1,500 On Sunscreen And $550 At Mattress Store

After initially telling reporters that they were not going to fund extremist Christine O’Donnell’s Senate campaign, national Republicans reversed themselves yesterday, with the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee sending the O’Donnell campaign a $42,000 check.  According to Politico, O’Donnell’s former campaign manager disclosed that O’Donnell used a campaign debit card to pay for personal items, and was only running for office “so she can pay her rent, [and] pay her electricity bill.”  With this in mind, the Delaware Democratic Party has some suggestions for the ways Christine O’Donnell can spend this new influx of cash from national Republicans, who has a well documented history of spending campaign money on personal expenses.

·         Maybe O’Donnell can use the money to buy sheets and pillows to complement the $550 in campaign cash she spent at the Mattress Giant earlier this year?

·         Or perhaps she can buy some flip-flops to wear on the beach to go with the $1,500 in campaign cash she spent on sunscreen and sunblock packets?

·         Or maybe she can just use the money to pay the rent on her town home, since it’s been reported that O’Donnell pays half her rent with campaign donations, which the FEC frowns on

“Now that national Republicans have changed their tune and sent $42,000 to Christine O’Donnell, we put together a few suggestions for ways she can spend her new campaign funds,” said Katie Ellis. “Already on record having spent campaign funds on such personal items as sunscreen, sunblock, mattresses, and even her own rent, we can only guess what Christine O’Donnell will spend money on next.”

NRSC Donated $42,000 To O’Donnell Campaign After Primary Win. In September 2010, The Hill reported “Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, spoke to O’Donnell Wednesday and told her she would have the NRSC’s backing like any other Republican Senate candidate.  ‘Let there be no mistake: The National Republican Senatorial Committee — and I personally as the committee’s chairman — strongly stand by all of our Republican nominees, including Christine O’Donnell in Delaware,’ Cornyn said in a statement.  That support includes a $42,000 check, the maximum allowable direct donation to a campaign, Cornyn said.” [The Hill, 9/15/10]

Former O’Donnell Campaign Manager: O’Donnell Used Campaign Debit Card for Personal Expenses. As reported by Politico, “Kristin Murray, a Republican who served two months as O’Donnell’s campaign manager in 2008, called the candidate a “complete fraud.” Murray said she quit working for O’Donnell in 2008 after discovering that she didn’t have a college degree, had failed to make payments on her mortgage and was using the campaign debit card for personal expenses.” [Politico, 9/15/10]

Former O’Donnell Campaign Manager: O’Donnell Only Running So She Can Pay Her Rent, Pay Her Electricity Bill. As reported by Politico, “Murray said she quit working for O’Donnell in 2008 after discovering that she didn’t have a college degree, had failed to make payments on her mortgage and was using the campaign debit card for personal expenses. ‘It just amounted to too much,’ Murray said. ‘The reason she’s running is so she can pay her rent, pay her electricity bill. If it was popular to be really liberal now, maybe she’d do that.’” [Politico, 9/15/10]

O’Donnell Uses Campaign Headquarters as Residence, Shares Residence With Campaign Staffer. As reported by the Wilmington News Journal, “On Jan. 12, 2010, O’Donnell changed her Delaware address in the voter registration, according to Elections Commissioner Elaine Manlove. She shares her new residence, a three-bedroom, two-bath town home in Greenville Place, with David Hust, a campaign staffer who is originally from Houston, Texas. Hust promotes himself on his Web site as a Christian rock music singer. Greenville Place lists the prices of a town house rental between $1,645 and $2,020 a month, depending on the number of bedrooms and square feet. O’Donnell said she pays half of her rent with campaign donations because she also uses the town home as her Senate campaign headquarters. ‘I’m splitting it, legally splitting it and paying part of it,’ she said. ‘This is our technical headquarters.’” [Wilmington News Journal, 3/20/10]

·         O’Donnell Pays Half of Rent With Campaign Donations. As reported by the Wilmington News Journal, “O’Donnell said she pays half of her rent with campaign donations because she also uses the town home as her Senate campaign headquarters. ‘I’m splitting it, legally splitting it and paying part of it,’ she said. ‘This is our technical headquarters.’” [Wilmington News Journal, 3/20/10]

·         O’Donnell Said Staffers Live In Other Parts of Home, “I Am Renting From Campaign.” As reported by the Wilmington News Journal, “O’Donnell said she has separate, private quarters and that staffers, like Hust, live in the other portion of the home. ‘I am renting from the campaign,’ she said. ‘I’m an unconventional candidate because I believe that we have to make sacrifices.’” [Wilmington News Journal, 3/20/10]

·         FEC Spokesperson Said FEC Frowns on Mixing Campaign Funds With Living Expenses. As reported by the Wilmington News Journal, “While the Federal Election Commission frowns on mixing campaign funds with living expenses, Judith Ingram, an FEC spokeswoman, said the commission will consider approving unusual rental arrangements.” [Wilmington News Journal, 3/20/10]

O’Donnell Spent $550 At Mattress Giant – Listed As “Staffing Expense.” In September 2010, Roll Call reported “Typical expenses for Congressional campaigns: BlackBerrys. Computers. A mattress?  Much-buzzed-about Delaware Republican Senate candidate Christine O’Donnell lists a rather odd $545.98 purchase from Mattress Giant on her Sept. 2 pre-primary filings with the Federal Election Commission. The purpose of the disbursement is listed as a “staffing expense” and was made July 1, according to the report.” [Roll Call, 9/16/10; FEC reports]

O’Donnell Has Spent Almost $900 On Car Repairs. According to FEC reports, O’Donnell’s campaign has three expenditures to Integrity Custom Collision, totaling $885.10 on “car repairs.”  [FEC Reports]

O’Donnell Has Spent $1,500 On Sunscreen And Sunblock Packets. According to FEC reports, the O’Donnell campaign has three expenditures, totaling $1,536.54, for “printed sunscreen packets” and “campaign materials/sublock pa.”  [FEC Reports]

O’Donnell Has Spent Over $1,600 On Utilities For Her Townhouse/Campaign Office. According to FEC reports, O’Donnell lists $1,632.32 in utility expenses to Delmarva Power in 2010. [FEC Reports]

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