PHOENIX, AZ – U.S. Senator John McCain’s re-election campaign today released a new web video, called “Storm Rising,” in the wake of today’s front-page article in The Arizona Republic chronicling ex-Congressman J.D. Hayworth’s continued refusal to disclose the donors to his FIT Trust, the trust set up to pay his legal bills stemming from his involvement with the convicted felon lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
John McCain 2010 campaign Communications Director Brian Rogers issued the following statement on today’s Arizona Republic report and the release of the new web video:
“Mr. Hayworth desperately needs to take a dose of his own advice from 2001, when he said on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives that ‘the simplest way to handle this would be to heed the words of Mr. Justice Brandeis, who said that sunlight is the best disinfectant.’ It’s past-time for Mr. Hayworth to come clean with the people of Arizona and release the donors to his secret Abramoff trust fund.”
-- McCain 2010 Communications Director Brian
Rogers
FROM THE FRONT PAGE OF THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC TODAY:
McCain wants Hayworth to reveal donors for legal bills
By Dan Nowicki
The Arizona Republic
March 8, 2010
In an increasingly bitter Republican primary fight, Sen. John McCain is pressuring rival J.D. Hayworth to release the names of the benefactors who are helping Hayworth settle legal bills accumulated while preparing for a possible Justice Department investigation in connection with corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
In response, Hayworth's campaign brought up political scandal in McCain's own past, further evidence that the race promises to be a fierce, all-out slugfest.
Former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley, a McCain ally, said the McCain campaign is not alleging any wrongdoing with regard to the Freedom in Truth Trust set up to pay off $142,500 that Hayworth owed the law firm of Foley & Lardner.
But he said Hayworth has an urgent obligation to let voters know exactly who gave cash to retire his debt.
"It's all absolutely legal, but you're now a candidate for the United States Senate, and who contributes money to you is something that the public has an absolute right to know," Romley said.
A hard-hitting McCain campaign Web video released Wednesday calls on Hayworth to "come clean on your secret Abramoff trust fund."
Hayworth's campaign in turn is accusing McCain, R-Ariz., and his allies of trying to smear the former six-term congressman by highlighting his links to Abramoff under the ruse of calling for transparency.
Hayworth indicated late last year that he intended to release the donor names if he eventually got into the Senate race.
Spokesman Jason Rose said that is still the case but the goal now is to disclose the donor details in conjunction with Hayworth's first-quarter campaign fundraising report, which is due to the Federal Election Commission by April 15.
The GOP Senate primary is Aug. 24.
Hayworth was never charged in the Abramoff influence-peddling scandal. He says he fully cooperated with the Justice Department and wasn't ever the target of an investigation. However, Democrats emphasized Hayworth's relationship with Abramoff in the race that led to his 2006 election loss to Rep. Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz.
Hayworth gave to charity all of the $2,250 that Abramoff contributed to Hayworth's campaigns and leadership political-action committee between 1996 and 1999.
Hayworth also drew criticism for using, and initially not reporting as "in-kind" contributions, Abramoff's sports skyboxes for five fundraisers between 1999 and 2001. He also kept money contributed by Indian tribes connected at one time or another to Abramoff. According to
Hayworth, the Indian contributors didn't want the money back.
Rose pointed to McCain's involvement in the "Keating Five" scandal of the 1980s. The Senate Ethics Committee in 1991 determined that McCain displayed "poor judgment" in intervening with federal thrift regulators on behalf of disgraced financier Charles Keating, a campaign contributor.
"Cooperating with the (Justice Department) isn't cheap, and the fact that John McCain has sought to make an issue of the legal defense fund of an innocent man is appalling and, as far as I'm concerned, disqualifies him from being a U.S. senator," Rose said in an e-mail. "J.D.'s family is of modest means. His family does not own multiple homes. He is not worth many millions."
After losing the House race, Hayworth was unable to pay the entire amount he owed his lawyers. His attorneys agreed to cut his outstanding debt of $285,000 in half, as long as he paid the remaining $142,500 by Jan. 31, 2010.
Hayworth announced the establishment of the Freedom in Truth Trust in March 2008. A Dec. 5, 2009, benefit headlined by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio at Rose's Paradise Valley home brought in more than $120,000, Rose said at the time.
The Freedom in Truth Trust's Web site is still accepting online contributions, which "continue to come in because of the injustice many feel this was," Rose said. But the process appears to be winding down. Trust regulations require the money to be held for 30 days before being forwarded to the law firm, he said.
Romley said he was skeptical that any legal constraints are preventing Hayworth from releasing details about the trust and its donors sooner rather than later.
"He continues to say he will, but he doesn't do it. He puts it off," Romley said. "Before you know it, it will be after the primary."
Melanie Sloan, executive director of the nonpartisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said legal-defense funds are not uncommon but usually are established by sitting senators or representatives who must comply with Senate or House ethics rules.
Because Hayworth is out of office, he has no legal obligation to release any information, she said.
However, "the public should know who's paying the bills," Sloan said.
Two high-profile Arizona givers to Hayworth's trust fund are known. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., gave $2,500 in November. Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., disclosed a $1,000 contribution to the trust from his Leadership for America's Future PAC in 2008. Both Franks and Shadegg have endorsed McCain over Hayworth in the Senate primary.
In a written statement, Shadegg said Hayworth asked him for a contribution.
"At the time, he had lost his seat, presumably making it difficult for him to raise money to pay off his debt," Shadegg said. "I responded to his request as a matter of courtesy to a former colleague."Franks in an interview said he considers Hayworth "a dear friend" who did nothing wrong and found himself in an unfair legal situation. At the time Franks gave, it still was not clear that Hayworth would run for the Senate.
But Sloan of the ethics watchdog group countered that Hayworth's record with regard to Abramoff remains fair game in the Senate race.
Certain conduct can still be unethical even if it is not criminal and is relevant to voters as they determine who they want to represent them in the Senate, she said.
3 comments:
Exactly! JD needs to come clean about this - we have a right to know who's funding this.
JD is a LIAR and a CROOK. It's almost insulting that a person like that would try to run for office - does he think we're that morally devoid to actually elect him?!?!
JD just needs to drop out of the race already. Does he really think we want him representing us? VOTE MCCAIN if you want someone morally sound in office!
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