Posted on 11/03/2007 7:46:24 PM PDT by RDTF
Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson has been crisscrossing the country since early this summer on a private jet lent to him by a businessman and close adviser who has a criminal record for drug dealing.
Thompson selected the businessman, Philip Martin, to raise seed money for his White House bid. Martin is one of four campaign co-chairmen and the head of a group called the "first day founders." Campaign aides jokingly began to refer to Martin, who has been friends with Thompson since the early 1990s, as the head of "Thompson's Airforce."
Thompson's frequent flights aboard Martin's twin-engine Cessna 560 Citation have saved him more than $100,000, because until the law changed in September, campaign-finance rules allowed presidential candidates to reimburse private jet owners for just a fraction of the true cost.
Martin entered a plea of guilty to the sale of 11 pounds of marijuana in 1979; the court withheld judgment pending completion of his probation. He was charged in 1983 with violating his probation and with multiple counts of felony bookmaking, cocaine trafficking and conspiracy. He pleaded no contest to the cocaine-trafficking and conspiracy charges, which stemmed from a plan to sell $30,000 worth of the drug, and was continued on probation.
Thompson's campaign said the candidate was not aware of the multiple criminal cases, for which Martin served no jail time. All are described in public court records.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
So what did fred do, the other clown isn't running for office. Who hired Livingston? Where is mitt's fake cop?
Could catch. I forgot that Mosk was the weasel in the middle of that melee. Obviously, Mosk is known to be a helpful weasel for anybody who has some dirt they want published.
I don’t know this guy Philip Martin and I don’t know if he’s a scumbag. But this isn’t about Martin. Its about Fred. You’re trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill. I doubt this is gonna blow up in Fred`s face.
“You’re trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill.”
No, I’m disappointed and angry that the only pubbie I thought might be a decent candidate would screw up like this.
Martin sold pounds of MJ and other drugs, and committed other crimes...and you don’t know he’s a scumbag?
Yep. Some here jumped to conclusions immediately and focused on what Fred should have done differently. Sounds much like the libs and what they say about America.
That's why you don't put people who lobbied for infanticide in high office. They don't care about the company they keep.
Huckabee continues to surge in Iowa.
I guess redemption is an old concept.
Your idiocy is showing....discretion is advised to maintain credibility....oh wait...too late...
So n ow Fred has screwed up. LOL You’re reaching a conclusion that Fred is guilty of something, simply because he has associated with Philip Martin. All based on a story from a liberal writer. You’re very quick to kick Fred to the gutter. I don’t see anything here. You should wait to see what transpires over the next few days before you get disappointed and angry with Fred.
Sometimes the closet is empty and the campaign personnel *still* get routed by the media. Bush had a fund-raiser up in Maine who got chased off because of his connection with a firearms manufacturer.
Guilty of allowing the appearance of impropriety, at a minimum, hopefully due to not being aware of the man's past. Does Fred Thompson want to be president, a Republican president ... really? If so, this sort of oversight is not going to help get him there. He needs to disassociate himself, quickly and decisively. Circling the wagons around a former drug dealer isn't going to impress Republican primary voters. Simple as that.
dsc wrote: “He is guilty of being a presidential candidate with a scumbag associate. That shows, at the very least, a lack of thoroughness. A presidential candidate should vet all his associates.”
And how does that make him any less “guilty” than the other candidates?
These charges go back to 1979 and 1983, 25 or more years ago. Whatever debt Martin owed to society, he paid a long time ago.
In contrast, three of Mitt Romney’s inner circle are under investigation and/or facing current criminal charges:
Sen. Larry Craig, who was caught in a Minneapolis bathroom sex sting this summer, was Romney’s Senate liaison.
Jay Garrity, who was director of operations for Romney and constantly at the ex-governor’s side, is under investigation in two states for impersonating a law enforcement officer.
One-time Romney national finance co-chairman Alan Fabian was charged in a 23-count(!) indictment alleging mail fraud, money laundering, bankruptcy fraud, perjury and obstruction of justice.
In addition, Robert Lichfield, Romney’s former Utah finance co-chairman, is the subject of lawsuits alleging abusive treatment at the boarding schools Lichfield founded for troubled youths.
All of these stories involving Romney associates hit the news, and, with the exception of Craig’s situation, faded off the radar screens. Crag keeps himself in the spotlight.
How about Rudy?
John Wren, the CEO of Omnicom and a member of Rudy Giuliani’s Republican presidential campaign finance team, is the subject of a class-action lawsuit involving allegations of fraud.
Then there’s Guiliani’s child-molesting staffer, his associate arrested for possessing kiddy porn and good old Bernie, who Rudy suggested to head homeland security with his own “issues.”
McCain? Can you say “Keating Five?” Heck, Martin’s troubles go back even earlier than that.
The Huckster must be clean, right? He was a by-God Baptist minister. Wrong! His ethical difficulties have been well documented.
Dang, maybe we need to go to the bottom tier of candidates. How about Duncan Hunter? Not so fast. If we’re going to play guilt by association here, Hunter’s best buddy Buzz Cunningham is sitting in a jail cell right now for influence-peddling.
But none of these Republicans can hold a candle to the King and Queen of sleaze, the Clintons!
Watch how the drive-by media will try to graft long legs onto this story. Much longer than the ones they gave to Garrity, Fabian and Lichfield, I’ll wager.
Fred may be worse than Hitler!!!
Okey dokey then..
If that's what you call an opinion, and you support Huckabee also...
Impropriety?! Supposedly, Martin committed drug crimes long before he had any dealings with Fred. Going as far back as 1973! That is 35 years ago. Another case is 22 years old.
Fred was never involved in any illegal dealings with Martin and should be given the benefit of the doubt.
Btw, who do you support?
“So n ow Fred has screwed up. LOL You’re reaching a conclusion that Fred is guilty of something, simply because he has associated with Philip Martin.”
Not at all. I’m reaching a conclusion that he is guilty of associating with Phillip Martin.
By the way, “LOL” is one of the most obnoxious things spawned by the Internet.
Bump to your post about Mosk.
Does this mean I cannot type LOL anymore? gee ;(
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