Sarah Palin: Meet Aníbal Acevedo Vilá
Oct. 22nd, 2008 09:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deirdreAníbal Acevedo Vilá, governor of Puerto Rico, was indicted in March by the Bush administration (note, link is to PDF of indictment) for, among other things:
Just to be clear, there's no association between the PDP and the continental US's Democratic party; the PDP is one of three historic political parties in Puerto Rico. The PDP is in favor of remaining a commonwealth, where there's another party favoring independence and a third favoring statehood.
So, you say, they weren't being falsely claimed as anything in Palin's case, the RNC bought them for Palin and they'd be donated later. There's a problem with that, as stated in this comment:
So if she'd gotten used clothing at a thrift shop, that might have been de minimis value, but I don't think anyone could argue that a $2500 Valentino silk jacket is.
I like fashion, but I think the RNC, McCain, and Palin should be nailed for this one, but I certainly wouldn't expect that to happen before the election.
For Republicans of times past, there's always Richard Nixon's famous Checkers speech:
Maybe not this, though:
During the years 2003 and 2004,defendant ACEVEDO VILA received approximately $57,000 worth of clothing purchased by persons associated with his campaigns at high-end clothing stores in Puerto Rico. [...] During that meeting, defendant INCLAN BIRD and others known and unknown to the Grand Jury agreed that the clothing purchases would be falsely claimed as a business expense of the Popular Democratic Party[...].
Just to be clear, there's no association between the PDP and the continental US's Democratic party; the PDP is one of three historic political parties in Puerto Rico. The PDP is in favor of remaining a commonwealth, where there's another party favoring independence and a third favoring statehood.
So, you say, they weren't being falsely claimed as anything in Palin's case, the RNC bought them for Palin and they'd be donated later. There's a problem with that, as stated in this comment:
As an election lawyer, let me say the FEC makes it pretty darned clear that political contributions can't be used to pay for a candidate's wardrobe. It specifically defines "personal use" to include "clothing, other than items of de minimis value that are used in the campaign, such as campaign 't-shirts' or caps with campaign slogans." 11 CFR 113.1(g)(1)(i)(C). A candidate can't convert political funds to personal use. The FEC doesn't make an exception for clothing that's only worn at campaign events and then is later donated to charity.
So if she'd gotten used clothing at a thrift shop, that might have been de minimis value, but I don't think anyone could argue that a $2500 Valentino silk jacket is.
I like fashion, but I think the RNC, McCain, and Palin should be nailed for this one, but I certainly wouldn't expect that to happen before the election.
For Republicans of times past, there's always Richard Nixon's famous Checkers speech:
I should say this, that Pat doesn't have a mink coat. But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat, and I always tell her she'd look good in anything.
Maybe not this, though: