The current head of Kentucky Sen.
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Not surprisingly the Rand Paul campaign was not impressed with the timing of the release of the indictment from the Justice Department.
“Federal campaign finance laws are intended to ensure the integrity and transparency of the federal election process”, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Leslie Caldwell said, reports USA Today.
“When political operatives make under-the-table payments to buy an elected official’s political support, it undermines public confidence in our entire political system”, she said.
Benton is helming a super PAC for Rand Paul’s campaign.
In announcing the indictment, the Justice Department said that Dimitrios Kesari – another Republican operative charged in connection to the alleged payoff scheme – Benton and Tate paid over $70,000 to then-state Sen.
In Kentucky, Republican state auditor candidate Mike Harmon said Benton had stepped aside from his campaign until Benton resolves his legal trouble.
According to the indictment, the three were charged with conspiracy, falsifying records to obstruct a contemplated investigation, and causing submission of false campaign expenditure reports. Kent Sorenson to switch his endorsement from former Rep. Michele Bachmann, who was also running for president at the time.
Sen. Sorensen denied the claims at the time; Benton charged the Bachmann campaign with “slander”.
Neither the younger Paul or Benton’s camp have commented on the situation yet. The three men worked together on Ron Paul’s presidential campaign in 2012. According to the indictment, Benton agreed to pay Sorenson $73,000 and then funneled that money through two companies to hide payment.
The group has not detailed who would take charge of the PAC, leaving a leadership hole in a SuperPAC comprised of staffers from previous Paul family campaigns.
The idea that the evil Obama is trying to sink his campaign may help him raise a few more bucks with his next money bomb, but it is absolutely insane for anyone to suggest that Obama is trying to take down Rand Paul.
Benton also managed the re-election campaign of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, last year.
“I’m not splitting hairs”, Benton said, “Sorenson was not getting paid”. Rand Paul is Ron Paul’s son.
“I think that’s at least suspicious timed”, he told Charlie Rose.
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Hours before he was to participate in the first debate of the 2016 campaign for the White House, the younger Paul questioned the timing of the indictment, according to WBKO-TV of Bowling Green, Kentucky, Rand Paul’s hometown.
