Written on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 3:20pm by Alan Bedenko | 13 Comments

What is a Bribe?

Erie County Independence Party Chairman Tony Orsini asks Glenn Gramigna something of a rhetorical question:

McCarthy, and others have done it again, let me ask you and your readers what is a bribe? Jack Davis paid my wife for help in a Democratic Primary, and contacts in the I.P. his name was not put up for consideration by the Chairman of Munroe County or Erie County we had an Indpendence candidate, in the race. Bribe ?Brian Higgins campaign gave the Working Familys Party $25,000.00 and received the indorsment Bribe? Chairman Tony Orsini

Setting the creative spelling aside for a moment, when Orsini was first asked about this a few weeks ago, he said:

Rafael Colon did not return a call to comment. But Anthony Orsini said his wife’s company, incorporated in Florida earlier this year, has earned the money by providing names of friendly Democrats to the Davis campaign.

“She gives him names of contacts; that’s what he wanted her to do,” Orsini said. “It’s got nothing to do with the endorsement.”

Costal Consulting South gives names to Davis of “people who are players — Democrats who have worked with the Independence Party in the past and who could be helpful,” Orsini said.

He later said,

“She gives [Davis] names of contacts; that’s what he wanted her to do,” Orsini said. “It’s got nothing to do with the endorsement.”

Why would a very well-funded (self-funded) Democratic candidate need the help of the wife of the Independence Party’s chairman to get the names of Democratic “players”? The names of big donors are readily available by getting some intern to hunt and peck through past campaign finance disclosures. The names of organizers and activists is also pretty easy to ascertain without paying Orsini’s wife’s Florida-based company $5,000. Can we see the work product that $5,000 bought?

At least the Working Families Party has a set of principles it promotes and believes in. It’s even running ads right now against Paterson’s proposed tax freeze. The Independence Party is a rudderless endorsement mill and nothing more.

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13 Comments

  1. Russell says:
    August 19, 2008 at 3:34 pm

    BP, it’s illegal to use FEC filings to get donor information for the purposes of soliciting donations. It’s difficult to prove, but occasionally the FEC puts in fake donors in an attempt to track this.

    I hope you’re not implying this is what Jonny’s campaign has done.

  2. Buffalopundit says:
    August 19, 2008 at 3:37 pm

    I have no idea what Jon’s campaign has done, since I don’t work on his campaign. Does the same prohibition apply to state BOE filings?

  3. Russell says:
    August 19, 2008 at 3:51 pm

    I haven’t worked much with state regulations, but I think so. It’s a way for politicians to protect their campaign income streams when full disclosure is more important.

  4. Peter Crotty says:
    August 19, 2008 at 4:39 pm

    Curious that it is illegal to use the FEC filings for the purposes of soliciting campaign contributions, while it is legal to pay the local party boss for the same info. That’s pretty effed up.

  5. WNYDEM says:
    August 19, 2008 at 4:57 pm

    OMG, AB actually cited Illuzzi as some sort of credible source?

  6. Dan Meyer says:
    August 19, 2008 at 5:57 pm

    Illuzzi and Gramigna are both a bit tough to believe/trust/respect when it comes to their respective online “payola” pet projects.

    But again, as long as the local political gang keeps giving ‘em money, God Bless them both.

    My personal thoughts and special request to the local pols who keep forking $$$ over to Joe and Glenn.

    Read the last three paragraphs in the column found via this link:

    http://www.thesunnews.net/editorial.php3?idkey=866

  7. Mike Hudson's fan says:
    August 19, 2008 at 6:46 pm

    Russell Says:
    August 19th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
    BP, it’s illegal to use FEC filings to get donor information for the purposes of soliciting donations. It’s difficult to prove, but occasionally the FEC puts in fake donors in an attempt to track this.

    Russell- I don’t think you are correct. What do you base this on? How can reviewing public information be illegal?

  8. Clearly, Michael Phelps is a box of Paper crayons. says:
    August 19, 2008 at 7:10 pm

    END FUSION VOTING.

    FOR GODS SAKE!

  9. Wayne's World Party Time says:
    August 19, 2008 at 7:18 pm

    It is illegal to use FEC records for fundraising solicitations, to combat this, campaigns are allowed to “salt” their lists with fake donors. However it is legal to use the data for informational purposes. There is no such restriction on NYS data.

  10. Jon Splett says:
    August 19, 2008 at 8:24 pm

    So wait.

    Let’s say I’m a citizen concerned with where a candidates money comes from. Let’s say I pull the FEC records and see Douchey McMoneybags is a huge democratic supporter.

    Now, let’s say the democratic candidate I was going vote for gets caught with a transexual underage hooker. I’m so disgusted I decide to run for office myself.

    It would be illegal for me to call Douchy McMoneybags and ask for a donation?

    If so, that is one of the stupidest laws I’ve ever heard. You can’t make information like that free and available then put restrictions on how people are allowed to use it.

  11. distresing says:
    August 19, 2008 at 9:51 pm

    “I hope you’re not implying this is what Jonny’s campaign has done.”

    Ok, I resisted but I have to ask: Do you fully understand what a ‘tard you present yourself as when you resort to “Jonny”? Its the schoolyard equivalent of calling someone a “poopyhead”. Honest to fuckin’ god, is this your best? Your hack Jack is doing everything short of tugging up his Depends as he hollers at the kids to get off his lawn and “Jonny” is the best you can rub out?

    And this:

    WNYDEM Says:
    August 19th, 2008 at 4:57 pm

    OMG, AB actually cited Illuzzi as some sort of credible source?

    Dude, you’re not getting any traction with this shit in any of the numerous blogs where you’re frantically attempting damage control for your guy. Illuzzi has a Goliath beetle up his ass about Powers, yet he comes out and buss’es Davis for trying to buy blog bombs. You guys really need to come up with something to explain the gap the Davis campaign is gonna leave in your resumes.

  12. Russell says:
    August 20, 2008 at 8:20 am

    Why is everyone so caught up with the “Jonny” stuff? I’ve referred to Jack Davis as Jackie Jacko numerous times and no one’s objected to that. I also called the EC Republican Chairman Chubby Jimmy and that got a chuckle out of some people, but calling Powers “Jonny” makes me look like a “‘tard”? Why?

    And just stop and think for one second. If you were running for office and had a pool of donors, would you want to provide everyone that wants to bring you down with a list of people they can solicite for funds to do this? It is of utmost importance that we have full disclosure and transparency, but at the same time, people do want to protect their sources. Wouldn’t you? It is precisely for the reason that this information must be made available that they also have to protect its use like that.

  13. Buffalo News Employee says:
    August 20, 2008 at 9:45 am

    [EDIT] I’m not in the mood to get sued by the Buffalo News, and I can’t verify that this is a Buffalo News employee. KTHXBAI.

 

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