Mitt Romney

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In April 2011, Hollywood stars and D.C. VIPs gathered at Ford's Theatre in Washington for a movie premiere, the first film screening at the theater in 20 years. Kevin Kline, Evan Rachel Wood, Robin Wright, and Tom Wilkinson were there. So were Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Attorney General Eric Holder, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The film was "The Conspirator," the story of the only woman charged in the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. It had been directed by Robert Redford. And it had been bankrolled by Joe Ricketts.

On Thursday, Ricketts was hit by a different kind of limelight, after The New York Times published a report suggesting he might pay for a $10 million ad campaign focused on President Obama's relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. Ricketts' super PAC, Ending Spending Action Fund, released a statement later in the day repudiating the proposal, saying it "reflects an approach to politics that Mr. Ricketts rejects." But even if Ricketts won't spend his money on Jeremiah Wright ads, he clearly has an interest in spending it -- he recently dropped $200,000 on the Nebraska Republican Senate primary.

So who is the man who cuts a check for liberal darling Robert Redford one day, then comes close to lighting the fuse of Republican dynamite the next? Meet Joe Ricketts, a man with a thumb in many pies, a man who loves his family, his iPhone, and his motorcycle, and yet another super-rich political donor taking advantage of the post-Citizens United environment to let his money do the talking.

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Topics: Barack Obama, Jeremiah Wright, Joe Ricketts, Mitt Romney, TD Ameritrade

MEK

Romney Advisor Mitchell Reiss Backs 'Terrorist' Group, Jokes About Being 'Potential Criminal'

Ryan J. Reilly | April 6, 2012, 4:56PM

Mitchell Reiss, a foreign policy adviser to Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, on Friday once again spoke out on behalf of an Iranian opposition group the U.S. considers a terrorist organization.

Reiss, a former State Department official, appeared alongside other former U.S. officials like former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and Attorney General Michael Mukasey at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington D.C. to support removing the People's Muhajedin Organization of Iran, or MEK, from the U.S. list of designated terrorist organizations. Reiss, who served as moderator of the panel, opened his remarks with a joke about the ongoing Treasury Department investigation into the speaking fees paid to officials like him who have appeared at previous events.

"Up here on the dais this morning, we have some of America's most distinguished public servants, most decorated military officers, and most respected diplomats -- a true collection of outstanding American leaders," Reiss said. "Or, as the Treasury Department would prefer to call us for our supporting the delisting of the MEK, potential criminals."

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Topics: MEK, Marc Mukasey, Mitchell Reiss, Mitt Romney

Super PAC

Romney Super PAC Accepts Legally Dubious Contributions From Federal Contractors

Ryan J. Reilly | March 19, 2012, 12:45PM

Restore Our Future, the "super PAC" supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, doesn't have language on its website warning federal contractors not to make donations but has accepted $890,000 from companies that receive taxpayer money, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The U.S. has had a prohibition on donations from individuals and corporations with federal contracts since 1940, but the question of whether such a ban is constitutional has been up in the air since the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. The Los Angeles Times reports that other "super PACs" like American Crossroads and Priorities USA Action (which supports President Obama) have warnings on their websites that say federal contractors cannot make donations.

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Topics: FEC, Federal Election Commission, Mitt Romney, Restore Our Future, Super PAC

Super PAC

The $100K Club: Presidential Super PACs Almost Entirely Funded By Six Figure Contributions (CHART)

Ryan J. Reilly | February 2, 2012, 5:47AM

Mitt Romney

Six major "super PACs" backing former and current Republican presidential candidates were almost entirely funded by massive contributions from individuals and corporations of at least $100,000, according to a TPM analysis of campaign finance data.

Take Restore Our Future, the super PAC supporting but totally not coordinating with Mitt Romney: 58 donations of over $100,000 given to the super PAC made up 82.59 percent of its intake during the second half of 2011.

It shouldn't come as much of a shock that big donations as opposed to a large number of small or medium-sized donations are really what matter most to independent expenditure-only political action committees. But the numbers really demonstrate just how little moderate donations -- the kind typically touted by political campaigns proud of their grassroots support -- are playing a part in the new age of unlimited campaign cash.

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Topics: Campaign Contributions, Campaign Donations, Campaign Finance, Mitt Romney, Super PAC

Tax Questions Tripped Up Romney's Run For Governor

Nick R. Martin | January 24, 2012, 2:16PM

Presidential Candidate And Former Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA)

It may be a touch of deja vu that Mitt Romney's campaign is being weighed down by questions about his taxes. A similar issue tripped him up during his 2002 run for governor of Massachusetts.

Romney was the Republican gubernatorial frontrunner that year when state elections officials investigated the fact that he received a major tax break on his $3.8 million mansion in Park City, Utah.

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Topics: 2012 elections, GOP, Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, Property Taxes, Republicans, Taxes, Utah

Mitt Romney

Romney Staff Spent Nearly $100,000 To Hide Records

December 5, 2011, 10:58PM

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Topics: FOIA, Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Report: Romney Investment Firm Partnered With Execs From Firm Accused Of Ponzi Scheme

Jillian Rayfield | November 1, 2011, 6:04PM

Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney, his son and his chief fundraiser have extensive ties to three men from a firm accused of running an $8.5 billion Ponzi scheme, according to a report by ThinkProgress.

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Topics: Mitt Romney, Ponzi Scheme

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney Ditches Mitt.ly After Libya Shuts Down Sex-Positive .ly Site

Rachel Slajda | October 6, 2010, 2:56PM

Mitt Romney

After the Libyan government shut down a "sex-positive" .ly site, probable presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R) says he is switching his PAC web site to more friendly domains.

"We're learning about this for the first time and taking steps to change the domain for our site," a spokesman told Politico's Ben Smith.

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Topics: LIbya, Mitt Romney, Sharia

American Family Association

Top Social Conservative: 'No More Mosques, Period'

Jillian Rayfield | August 11, 2010, 1:02PM

Bryan Fischer

Bryan Fischer, the "Director of Issues Analysis" for the American Family Association, wrote a blog post yesterday on the AFA's site arguing that the United States should have "no more mosques, period."

"This is for one simple reason," he writes. "Each Islamic mosque is dedicated to the overthrow of the American government."

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Topics: American Family Association, Bryan Fischer, Michele Bachmann, Mitch McConnell, Mitt Romney, Muslims, Religion, Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin

Only Dead Fish: In Handling Finances, Palin Appears To Be Looking Out For Number One

Zachary Roth | April 15, 2010, 5:56PM

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin

It looks like the guiding principle behind Sarah Palin's handling of her finances is: Look out for number one.

The former TV sportscaster has been raking in the bucks since stepping down as the Alaska governor. At the same time, her political action committee hasn't exactly been spreading the wealth.

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Topics: Fundraising, Mitt Romney, Randy Scheunemann, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty

Mitt Romney

Globe: GOP Prez Hopeful Used Illegal Workers

Paul Kiel | December 1, 2006, 10:47AM

Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's (R) presidential ambitions take a hit in The Boston Globe today:

Even as Romney travels the country, vowing to curb the flood of low-skilled illegal immigrants into the United States, some of those workers maintain his own yard, cutting grass, pruning shrubs, and mulching trees.

For "a decade," the paper found, "the governor has used a landscaping company that relies heavily on workers like these, illegal Guatemalan immigrants, to maintain the grounds surrounding his pink Colonial house on Marsh Street in Belmont."

Romney -- who speaks frequently on immigration -- never inquired about the workers' status, the Globe reports, only offering up the occasional "buenos dias" to the toiling workers. There's no direct evidence that Romney knew they were illegal.

Any comment, Mr. Romney?

Asked by a reporter yesterday about his use of Community Lawn Service with a Heart [the lawncare company], Romney, who was hosting the Republican Governors Association conference in Miami, said, "Aw, geez," and walked away.
Several hours later, his spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, provided the Globe with a statement saying that the governor knows nothing about the immigration status of the landscaping workers, and that his dealings were with [Ricardo] Saenz [the owner of the company], who is a legal immigrant from Colombia.

Perhaps even worse is Saenz's reaction to the Globe's inquiries:

Saenz said he met Romney through the Mormon Church and said Romney has used his company's services for a decade. Saenz said Romney never asked him if his workers are legal immigrants.
"He doesn't have to ask," Saenz said. "I'm a company."

Saenz asserted that all the workers he used were in the United States legally. Told by reporters that his employees said they were in this country illegally, Saenz responded: "What you've heard is not my problem."