Scott “Bring Home The Pork” Brown Has Zero Earmark Credibility

This week, Senator Scott Brown has launched a number of attacks on Elizabeth Warren regarding earmarks. Overlooking the fact that Warren has never actually sponsored an earmark, Brown has - and bragged about it. “Listening to Scott Brown talk about earmarks is like listening to Gisele Bundchen talk about football,” said Matt Thornton, spokesman for American Bridge 21st Century. “The fact is, he has gladly and proudly asked for government pork, and his new-found hatred for earmarks is nothing more than an election year gimmick.”

As A State Representative, Scott Brown Boasted Of Pork Prowess

Brown: “I’m Going To Continue to Bring Home The Pork.” When discussing the upcoming 2009 legislative session, the Boston Globe reported that Brown vowed to continue to bring home the pork. “‘The first battle is to protect’ local aid payments to his communities, he said. ‘I’m going to continue to bring home the pork because it offsets what’s being cut. The second battle is to try to be part of the solution to the economic mess.’” [Boston Globe, 1/4/09]

Bloomberg: Private-Equity Lobbying Helped Protect Romney’s Tax Benefits

On February 7, 2012, Bloomberg  reported:

The largest U.S. private-equity funds and venture capital firms have relied on a five-year, multimillion-dollar lobbying campaign to protect the carried interest tax break that helped drive presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s 2010 effective tax rate below 14 percent.

NY Times: Romney’s Returns Revive Scrutiny Of Lawful Offshore Tax Shelters

On February 7, 2012, the New York Times reported:

Mitt Romney’s tax returns have drawn political scrutiny on multiple fronts, like his relatively low tax rates and the money parked in a Swiss bank account. But on Capitol Hill, his returns have caught the eyes of members of both parties for what appears to be his use of a type of complex shelter that has been debated for years in battles over evasion and fairness in the tax code.

TPM: GOP Senate Candidate’s Solar Company Took Stimulus Cash

On February 6, 2012, Talking Points Memo reported:

Former Rep. Mark Neumann (R-WI), who is running in a three-way primary for the state’s open Senate seat on a platform of cutting government, has in fact taken government spending from a particular Obama administration initiative: stimulus grants. What’s more, the money was for his solar energy company.

POLITICO: Mitt's Solyndra? He Handed Out Renewable Energy Subsidies, Too

On February 6, 2012, POLITICO reported:

Just under three weeks into his term as governor, Romney brought a $1.5 million check to Konarka, a well-connected solar startup in Lowell, Mass., itching to buy a new pilot production assembly line. Four other companies also scored renewable energy subsidy awards that same day, including Evergreen Solar, which won $2.5 million for a major expansion and to cover operating losses as it tried to become profitable. Also that day, Romney announced plans to take $15 million from Massachusetts' Renewable Energy Trust Fund — a pot of more than $150 million collected from electricity customers following passage of a 1998 energy deregulation law — and start up a new private venture capital outfit that would back green-minded state businesses with equity, loans and management advice.

AP Investigation: Rehberg Underreports Lobbyist Donations

On February 5, 2012, the Associated Press reported:

But an Associated Press analysis of campaign finance disclosure reports through October turned up nearly three dozen lobbyists, who donated a total of about $20,000 to Rehberg's campaign, with their employment left blank on disclosure forms.

Washington Post: On Campaign Trail, Romney Skips Questions In Taking Up Mantle Of Likely GOP Nominee

On February 5, 2012, the Washington Post  reported:

Mitt Romney answered his last question from a voter three weeks ago, and just about every day since then, he has swept through towns across America like a whistling train conductor proclaiming, “All aboard.” [...] Although Romney’s avoidance of questions from voters helps prevent him from making unforced errors, it does pose a risk that voters may see him as too cautious, calculating and detached.

Springfield News-Leader: Brunner Has As Much As $108 Million In Assets

On February 3, 2012, the Springfield News-Leader reported:

But a significant portion of his holdings are in investments related to precious metals. American Bridge, a Democratic political action committee (PAC), noted that of the investments in his personal trust, about 90 percent are related to gold, silver or other metals. For example, Brunner has between $1 million and $5 million in the Tocqueville Gold Fund, which invests in companies that mine or process gold. And he has between $100,000 to $250,000 in the Hecla Mining Company, which is engaged in the silver, gold, lead and zinc markets.

POLITICO: Brown Pays Own Daughter To Sing

On February 3, 2012, POLITICO reported:

he Brown campaign made three payments to Ambient Entertainment, the company that represents Ayla Brown, since the end of 2010 — $5,000 on Dec. 3, 2010, $500 on Oct. 5, 2011 and $4,000 on Dec. 7, 2011, for a grand total of $9,500, according to 2010 and 2011 FEC filings.

Boston Globe: Scott Brown’s Daughter Was Paid $9,500 To Sing At Campaign Events

On February 3, 2012, the Boston Globe reported:

Family members often help out on campaigns, stuffing envelopes, making phone calls, and smiling on stage. Usually, it’s for free. Senator Scott Brown’s campaign has spent $9,500 since December 2010 to pay his daughter to sing at three campaign events, including a pair of Christmas parties.