Monday, September 19, 2011

Maryland Republicans Respond to Criticism of GOP Chair Alex Mooney // Senator Garagiola's Opponent Attacks

10 days ago, Maryland Juice highlighted Maryland Republican Party Chair Alex Mooney's miserable fundraising job in 2011. After promising to bank hundreds of thousands of dollars for GOP candidates, Maryland's biggest marriage equality opponent has the State's GOP struggling to pay the bills and still fund campaigns. We also highlighted a fishy entry in Mr. Mooney's last expense report that describes a payment from the GOP to himself with the simple note "Chairman's Expenses."

Below we publish a spirited response to Maryland Juice's article from Dwight Patel of the Western Maryland Republican Club. Mr. Patel was State Senator Rob Garagiola's General Election opponent in 2010. Mr. Garagiola won the seat for Democrats, beating Mr. Patel 2 to 1 and earning 63.6%  of the vote to Mr. Patel's 36.4%.

But first, Maryland Juice would like to remind readers about the content of the article that prompted Mr. Patel's response. We previously analyzed every entry in Mr. Mooney's most recent expense report to the Federal Elections Commission. One entry in particular stood out as improperly recorded:




The problem with Mr. Mooney's FEC report is that the purpose of the reporting requirements is to provide public accountability for campaign finance activity. Above, Mr. Mooney masks the nature of a $776.43 by simply re-writing his name in the "purpose of disbursement" field. Writing down "Chairman's Expenses" when you are being asked what you spent the money on is the same as saying the check to Alex Mooney was for "Alex Mooney's Expenses." So in my estimation, Mr. Mooney didn't properly disclose what he spent hundreds of dollars on.

Don't believe that this is an issue? Let me engage you in a thought experiment. Imagine what the GOP would say if President Obama filled out an expense report the way Mr. Mooney has:




I can only imagine the endless Fox News coverage and Internet conspiracy theories. Maryland Juice does not go so far. We assume Mr. Mooney's expenses were proper, so why won't he simply disclose them (as he should have in the first place)? In any case, our last Mooney article has apparently got the Maryland GOP on edge.

Here is a letter Maryland Juice received from Western Maryland Republican and former State Senate Candidate Dwight Patel (I did him the favor of fixing typos):
Since you don't let people respond on your blog... you need to get your facts straight.

Maryland Juice this is really none of your business. Go worry about your own party how your party has lost 2500 jobs just this past month!

As a matter of fact Alex is one of the best Chairmen we have had in a while. Also for the record Alex didn’t edge out Mary Kane, he clobbered her. As for the fundraising, it isn't what it could be however it is more of an indictment on the Obama-Biden-O'Malley-Brown-Gansler economy. We don’t have drones from SEIU, and other Government Unions to line our coffers.

Why is unemployment 9.8% and the real unemployment around 16%?  You can't blame Republicans for the first two years you had a supermajority in both houses. While the State’s running shortfalls, state pensions are in trouble, schools are failing Maryland youth, the only thing the legislature finds important is Gay marriage and Dream Act for Illegal Aliens and most recently going after a private club for inviting Harvard educated Rep. Fred Grandy.

So MD Juice you guys even without Sen. Mooney couldn’t get Gay Marriage through, looks like many Dems believe marriage should be between one man one woman. News FLASH Marylanders aren’t crazy liberals as MOCO Dems are.

So, please mind your own business about the workings of the Maryland GOP.  I think you need to worry about the waste, fraud and abuse perpertrated by members of your party Jack Johnson, Kumar "Mr. DUI" Barve.  (you sure his name isn't Kumar Kennedy)?

- DP.
WMCGOP Club
www.wmcgop.org
For the record, Maryland Juice does allow reader comments, even anonymously (for now). There are handy links beneath every post. In fact, in this weekend's update on the Fred Grandy controversy, we challenged the GOP and Tea Party to accept an invitation to debate Democrats next Sunday. Numerous people have commented. Mr. Patel, you can volunteer to be Mr. Grandy's stand-in. Will you attend?

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