BETO O’ROURKE PAID HIS AND HIS WIFE’S COMPANY $110,000 IN CAMPAIGN FUNDS

Daily Caller ^

[TigerClaws]

EL PASO, Texas — Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke paid roughly $110,000 in campaign funds to a web development company while either he or his wife owned it, public records show.

Beto for Texas paid Stanton Street Technology Group $58,544 during the 2011-12 election cycle, $39,060 during the 2013-14 cycle, $9,290 in the 2015-16 cycle and $32,778 during the 2017-18 cycle, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Either O’Rourke or his wife owned Stanton Street — a small web development firm that O’Rourke founded in 1998 — during the vast majority of those payments. Such payments are legal, so long as the campaign is charged for the actual cost of the services, but ethics watchdogs have criticized the practice as a form of self-dealing.

O’Rourke’s wife, Amy Sanders O’Rourke, took over Stanton Street as the Texas Democrat entered Congress in January 2013. She controlled it until early 2017.

Amy O’Rourke sold her stake in the company on March 31, 2017, according to Beto O’Rourke’s 2017 year-end financial disclosure report. He listed the sale value in the $100,001 to $1 million range.

Stanton Street publicly announced the sale more than two months after the fact in a June 2017 blog post that listed CEO Brian Wancho as Amy O’Rourke’s buyer.

“Amy will continue to be involved with the company during the transition,” read the blog post. “She plans to spend more time on local initiatives in addition to joining her husband, Senate Candidate and current U.S. Representative Beto O’Rourke, on the campaign trail.”

Beto O’Rourke doubled as both candidate and treasurer during his first congressional campaign in 2011 and 2012, according to FEC records.

Beto for Texas paid the candidate’s own business for services including “consulting” and “social media” during that time, FEC records show.

Stanton Street declined to make Wancho available for an interview, but Wancho agreed to answer questions via email.

[Bob434]

I’m sure the democrats will demand a years long investigation by meuller into this

[Army Air Corps]

Bobby the Grifter

[Singermom]

I am sure the dems will want to see his taxes. s/o

[NoLibZone]

This is why many run.

They know that can’t win.

But they can enrich themselves.

[17th Miss Regt]

Maybe they were posting his speeches in both English and his native Spanish language!

[17th Miss Regt]

Maybe they were posting his speeches in both English and his native Spanish language!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks TigerClaws.

[CatOwner]

Those silly first-time DEM politicians! Such cards!!

[Sarah Barracuda]

I’m sure the new York slimes and CNN will have wall to wall coverage of this sarc

[MNDude]

Damn those Democrats are dirty! Every last one.

[Vendome]

So?

If I owned a web development company, damn straight I’d make sure we used my resources as well

Nothing burger...

[eaglestar]

[eaglestar]

[luvie]

Dirty Little Bobby Ping!

[eaglestar]

[Truthoverpower]

For many many losers especially demon cats running for president is just a fundraising vehicle

[caww]

BETO has 'a thing' about grand-standing on tables, bars, cars, whatever......

[CurlyDave]

Since Beto’s father-in-law is worth something north of $500 million, I somehow doubt that he would get involved in stealing $100k from his campaign. The consequences are not worth the gain.

I suspect that if his wife’s company does work for the campaign, which is legit, he has to pay them for it or it will be considered a contribution in kind...

[Secret Agent Man]

Bobby Nepotism

Bobby Kickback