Smoking Gun: Sex / Financial PAC Scandal! (Questions for Ted Cruz!)

You're right, there should be links. So we're tasked with doing his work. A pox on him.

I did some quick research (hours actually) to prove or disprove the claims. The research is incomplete but I think there's enough to say "maybe". I'll provide updates, motivation and time permitting.

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Claim: The ($500K, excerpted) money from the Fiorina campaign was laundered through a company called MLJ Consulting. Nearly half of the money spent on ads, over $251,795, was paid to MLJ Consulting. On top of that, MLJ Consulting received an additional $271,152 for services described in FEC reports as “Political Strategy Consulting/Staff Management” or “Political Strategy Consulting/Travel.” (The FEC is currently requesting coordinating information on the payments and deposits left out in the filing by the Fiorina campaign.)

So: 252K + 271K = aprx $523K From Fiorina to MLJ.

Supporting documentation:

Payer                     Payee                       Amount   Reference
-----------------------   -----------------------   --------   -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep the Promise          Carly for America         $500,000   http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/144/201507319000522144/201507319000522144.pdf  
Carly for America         Unlocking Potential PAC   $104,000   https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pac2pac.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C00564534  
Carly for President       Unlocking Potential PAC    $30,000   http://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/contrib.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C00564534and    
Unlocking Potential PAC   MLJ Consulting            $100,500   https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Mlj+Consulting
Carly for President       MLJ Consulting              $5,724   https://www.opensecrets.org/expends/vendor.php?year=2016&vendor=Mlj+Consulting

MLJ has received aprx $106,000 from Fiorina and affialtes. This is far less than the $523,000 claimed.

Conclusion: Maybe. More research is needed.

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Claim: The payments to MLJ from the PAC Unlocking Potential have continued into the current campaign cycle. Nearly half of the $210,656 the super PAC has spent has been paid to MLJ Consulting, mostly for “Political Strategy Consulting/Staff Management.”

Supporting documentation: http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00564534/1019819/sb/ALL

Conclusion: True, Unlocking Potential PAC paid MLJ Consulting aprx $100,000 in the first quarter of 2015

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Claim: Sarah Isgur Flores received a one-time payroll check of $3,582 from Unlocking Potential PAC, which she joined in February 2015 after leaving the Republican National Committee.

Supporting documentation: http://docquery.fec.gov/pdf/432/201507319000510432/201507319000510432.pdf http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/carly-fiorina-2016-campaign-staff-power-players-117606

Conclusion: True, Flores did receive a payroll check from Unlocking Potential PAC in the amount of $3,582. She did work at the RNC as deputy communications director.

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Claim: Two months later, she was paid $148,375 by Carly for America, the super PAC. (Note: Carly for America was previously named Conservative, Authentic, Responsive Leadership for You and For America, sometimes referred to as C.A.R.L.Y. for America)

Supporting documentation: http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00573154/1019958/sb/ALL

Conclusion: Not proven. Flores was paid by Carly For America the amount of $48,375 not $148,375. Where is the $100,000 difference, is the claim false or is my research deficient? Did Carly For President pay Flores? ** More research is needed **

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Claim: And one week after that, Flores received an in-kind payment of $12,700 from the Fiorina campaign.

Supporting documentation: http://docquery.fec.gov/pres/2015/YE/C00577312/B_PAYEE_C00577312.html

Conclusion: Plausible, Flores is listed has having received payments from the Fiorina campaign in 2015: $24,321 and $91, more than what is claimed.

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Claim: She then began receiving biweekly payroll checks of $10,052 as the deputy director of Fiorina’s campaign.

Supporting documentation: http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00577312/1015551/sb/ALL http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00577312/1029240/sb/ALL http://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/C00577312/1046958/sb/ALL http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/carly-fiorina-2016-campaign-staff-power-players-117606

Conclusion: False. Flores received biweekly payroll checks from Carly For President in the amount of $4053, not $10,052. Was she on the payroll of an affiliated committee (Carly For America? ** More research is needed **), does that account for the difference? She was deputy campaign manager for the Fiorina campaign.

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Claim: This is the most reasonable manner that the 'Hush Money' was paid by Keep the Promise I. (The Ted Cruz Super PAC Operation!)

Supporting documentation: see above

Conclusion: Maybe the claim of money being funneled from Cruz to Flores via Keep the Promise and various Fiorina groups is true. The research is inconclusive. One thing I think we can say is that it's not out of the question. There's enough here to warrant further investigation.

Keep the Promise paid Carly for America $500,000.

Carly for President payroll paid at least $61,000 to Flores and Carly and affiliated groups together paid a total of aprx $75,000 non-payroll. All together that totals $136,000. (Did MLJ also make payments to Flores? Another topic to research.)

All this may or may not mean a thing.

I weary of looking at this and now pass the baton to others.

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