Posted on 07/06/2006 6:45:05 AM PDT by Ebenezer
(English-language translation)
New Progressive Party (PNP) Electoral Commissioner Thomas Rivera Schatz asked the State Elections Commission (CEE) yesterday to conduct an investigation on the suits the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) paid for Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, based on federal statutes that prohibit [such action].
The argument is included in a document submitted yesterday to CEE President Ramón Gómez Colón in "reply to a contesting of the investigation request by the PPD Electoral Commissioner".
The nine-page document quotes newspaper articles that appeared following the revelation that the PPD spent almost $41,000 in suits for Acevedo and the acknowledgement of such by the Governor and by PPD Commissioner Gerardo Cruz.
Rivera alleged that "for decades, it has been resolved that a political candidate's personal expenses are neither campaign nor political-party expenses, based on electoral laws," and that, to that effect, the United States Code, Title 2, Section 439a, Paragraph 2 prohibits a candidate to elective office from using contributions and donations he receives for political-campaign activities as personal expenses.
"Personal expenses are defined as those obligations, commitments, and expenses that the candidate would always have, or may incur, even when he was not a candidate to elective office....mortgage, rent, utility, clothes, etc. are described as personal expenses."
According to the document, therefore, the purchase of dress clothes are personal expenses that Acevedo has to incur always even if he is not Governor, since he is a lawyer.
[Rivera] maintains that the expenses the PPD incurred for the suits are illegal and detailed a number of states where the purchase of clothes for a candidate's personal use is prohibited.
But, according to the PNP, the case goes beyond that, since both Acevedo and Cruz have assured that public monies were not used in the suit purchases. However, Rivera argued that one of the purchases, [specifically] for $5,204, was made in August 2004 and, since July 1, 2004, the $3 million Voluntary Fund for the Financing of Election Campaigns, which consists mostly of public funds, was available to the PPD.
"The $5,204 that the PPD paid in August 2004 for the Brioni Jack suit and accessories for Acevedo had to come from the Voluntary Fund. This fund, in turn, may be used 'exclusively to satisfy campaign expenses for a political party and its candidate for Governor.'"
At a minimum, this purchase must be illegal, without considering the other purchases, Rivera argued.
The PPD expenses constitute an illegal expense that, reasonably, could involve violations of the Electoral Law, the Internal Revenue Code, the Government Ethics Law, and the Penal Code, according to the PNP Commissioner.
ping
It goes without saying, but PNP is the statehood party, mostly made up of Republicans. PDP is the territorial status quo party, mostly made up of DemocRATs.
"...spent almost $41,000 in suits..."
Talk about *tuna* excess! (Always wanted to use that adjective somewhere...)
He must have learned from Kerry. Perhaps he has a $700 hair cut too.
Both parties are dominated by scumbags (in terms of their leadership at least). PR is VERY corrupt.
I say this as an inhabitant of Sopranostan.
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