Posted on 11/24/2023 2:02:08 PM PST by conservative98
By ABC News December 23, 2011
ABC News' Shushannah Walshe and Michael Falcone report:
DAVENPORT, Iowa - An Iowa Christian conservative leader who bestowed his highly sought-after endorsement on presidential candidate Rick Santorum this week is now at the center of a controversy over whether he asked for cash in exchange for his public support.
Less than 48-hours after receiving the backing of Bob Vander Plaats, the head of the prominent evangelical group The Family Leader, Santorum disclosed that the prominent Iowan told him he needed money to make the most out of the endorsement.
And sources familiar with talks between the conservative heavyweight and representatives from several of the Republican presidential campaigns went a step further, describing Vander Plaats' tactics as corrupt.
"Clearly the endorsement was for sale - without a doubt," one source said.
[cut]
Though Santorum did not specify the dollar amount he and Vander Plaats discussed, multiple sources said he was soliciting as much as $1 million from Santorum and other candidates.
In an interview with the Des Moines Register this week, Vander Plaats said that it was his "ethical responsibility" to essentially put some money where his mouth is.
"You can't say, 'We endorsed you. Now see you later,'" Vander Plaats told the Iowa newspaper. "That's not going to do a lot in the long run."
But one long-time Iowa conservative activist told ABC News, "There is no way he could buy enough ad space in Iowa for a million dollars - couldn't buy that much advertising in a week and a half in Iowa."
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
"He wanted to be paid," the former staffer said. "He was clearly looking for a paycheck. There was a conversation about him getting a title, but being a paid consultant was much more important."
Bobby, Your endorsement has never been for sale? This report from 2011 says otherwise. You tried to shake down Santorum for $1m in 2011, Romney in 2008 and also Trump in 2016. All of them refused.
A Rod Blagojevich without the class.
This doesn’t look too good!
All things hidden shall be revealed. God at work.
What a bunch of BS. You’re now actually giving the liberal media credibility (which they do not deserve) becaue it fits your narrative?
Total BS.
lol… Vivek n Haley paid 96 thousand in advertising and catering this year too… but that doesn’t fit the narrative.
Ron DeSantis and his backers paid $95,000 to an Iowa religious leader’s group
August 12, 2023
Excerpt:
“The DeSantis campaign, a super PAC linked to him and a nonprofit group supporting him together paid $95,000 in recent months to the Family Leader Foundation, an Iowa-based nonprofit led by evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats, according to campaign finance reports and a document prepared by an Iowa state lawmaker who was helping the Vander Plaats organization raise money for a July 14 presidential candidate forum.”
Come on, this Vanderpants is a shady and greedy weasel.
You didn’t want Bob’s endorsement anyway.
A serious future for America: DeSantis for President!
Trump wingman Vivek and deep state Trump UN pick Nimradda both paid 95k as well as RDS for 3 pages of ads in a booklet. They also pay for ads on TV and radio. That’s how advertising works. The only free advertising Ron De Santis gets is whenever Trump obsessively rants into the early morning hours about DeSantis not dropping out. Trump’s desperation for DeSantis to drop out speaks volumes as to the actual state of Trump’s campaign.
Vivek n Haley paid 96 thousand in advertising and catering this year too…
Or you’re lying again...
Since the reuter’s article says....
“Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and a group allied with Senator Tim Scott, another Republican candidate, spent $25,000 each on ads in the commemorative booklet, campaign finance reports and the document show.”
$25k, not 96k you claim
Come on, even you don’t believe that.
Actually, I do believe he is a greedy little weasel. If he were not he should quit asking for money for his support.
Sorry that is pretty trashy.
Didn’t realize you knew him so well. That’s fine, I think Trump will appreciate the name you chose to make fun of him. TDS works both ways everyone. But that’s OK; let’s review the pastors that endorsed Trump in 2016 - now THAT is a respectable group!
I’m beginning to think all this crap being thrown around is to destroy opposition unity to the communists. Not to mention (as was done so well previously), NOW we are to believe what the left wing media says is the Truth!
Amen.
I don’t have to know him. I can see what he does and I think it is a shady bad practice that makes him look bad.
That is my opinion and to be quite frank I don’t see that it has anything to do with destroying opposition to the communists.
Seems some people use that excuse to try and shut other people down. I don’t care for that.
(Which, come to think of it, if it were true, would mean his opponent could carry out his policies better than he can.)
He isn’t. If he were, he’d be endorsing Trump.
And there you go, lying again...
But then again, that seems to be what can be expected from you...
image from
from post
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111452698159601486
It appears Trump DID NOT seek an endorsement from him, and has stayed away from any family leader foundation event.
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