The Deepening Mystery of who will pay Mike Pence's Lawyer

 

Mike Pence fretting over how to pay his attorney fees

Over the weekend we had reported on the rumors that Vice President Pence was going to use funds from his Great America Committee to pay for legal representation. Now word on the street is Pence's PAC may not be used to pay Pence's lawyer Richard Cullen.

Peter Nicholas and Rebecca Ballhaus wrote an article today for the Wall Street Journal "Pence Won't Pay Legal Fees with PAC funds".

Nicholas and Ballhaus's piece as their self explanatory title claims that the rumors of PAC funds being used to pay Pence's legal fees are greatly exaggerated.

Nicholas and Ballhaus write:

Vice President Mike Pence has chosen not to use an allied political committee to pay for the private attorney he retained last week to represent him in the special counsel probe of Trump associates’ ties to Russia, two people close to Mr. Pence said Wednesday.

Last week, a person familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that the vice president would most likely use funds raisedthrough a leadership PAC created earlier this year to pay for his legal bills.

At that point, Mr. Pence had not been presented with the options for paying his legal bills, another person said. When he reviewed them, he decided he would not use the leadership PAC, called the Great America Committee.

It is not clear how Mr. Pence will pay his legal fees, which can be a daunting expense, especially for public officials of relatively limited means.

A financial disclosure Mr. Pence released last year appeared to show a negative net worth, not counting his state pension or his residence. He reported no significant savings accounts, mutual funds or 401(k) accounts from before he entered elected office. As Indiana’s governor, he was paid $173,860 over the previous year, the disclosure showed.

According to Nicholas and Ballhaus Pence's staff hasn't helped to clear up the question of how Pence will pay his legal fees:

The vice president’s office declined to comment on whether Mr. Pence will pay for his attorney out of his own pocket. Mr. Pence won’t use taxpayer funds to cover the fees incurred by his lawyer, Richard Cullen of McGuireWoods, a spokesman for his office said.

Indy Republican is wondering if taxpayers aren't going to pay Cullen, and PAC donations won't. Then how in the hell is Cullen going to be paid?

Using PAC donations to pay Cullen is legal. But perhaps there is another reason why Pence would be wary of using PAC money.

Nicholas and Ballhaus state:

It would be legal to pay for a personal attorney with funds raised by a leadership PAC. Yet such an action would potentially expose the vice president to criticism that he is tapping well-heeled donors to pay for his legal team.

This would not be the first time that "Pampered" Pence would have faced criticism of his use of donors money. Back in 1990 during a failed congressional campaign against democratic congressman Phil Sharp. It was revealed that Pence had used campaign money to pay many of his personal expenses.

The New York Daily News reported on this back in July. Rosalind Helderman, Tom Hamburger, and Alice Crites writing for the New York Daily News on July 15, 2016 reported:

Mike Pence was a young lawyer on the rise, challenging a longtime Democratic congressman in a Republican-leaning Indiana district.

And then, scandal.

Campaign finance records from the 1990 effort showed that Pence, then 31, had been using political donations to pay the mortgage on his house, his personal credit card bill, groceries, golf tournament fees and car payments for his wife.

The spending had not been illegal at the time. But it stunned voters — and undermined Pence’s strategy to portray the incumbent, Rep. Philip R. Sharp, as tainted by donations from special-interest political action committees.

“It was a brazen act of hypocrisy,” said Billy Linville, who was Sharp’s campaign manager. “It was a bombshell, for sure. . . . Without question, he may well have won the election if it had not been for that.”

Pence’s early stumble proved to be a defining moment, prompting a period of public remorse that helped create the wholesome image many Republicans now say makes him an ideal running mate to counterbalance the bombastic Donald Trump.

In the months after that 1990 defeat, Pence waged a statewide apology tour and disavowed negative campaigning. He told a local reporter that using campaign funds for personal expenses had been “an exercise in naivete.”

Pence’s 1990 race also led to key changes in campaign finance policies. Experts say that subsequent rules passed by the Federal Election Commission barring the use of campaign funds for personal needs were the direct result of ethics concerns raised by Pence’s actions.

Well it appears Mike Pence has at least one accomplishment to his name. His missteps in his 1990 campaign helped change federal election law!

It appears that Mike Pence is scared about being put under intense scrutiny. Pence has also been in the news lately because of the delays in finishing the extension of I-69. Click here and here for more information on the I-69 debacle. Pence may also start to face questions about whether he accurately reported the address of his residence when he ran for Governor of Indiana in 2012. See below his 2011 1040 tax return where he states that he and his wife lived in Arlington, Virginia:

 

Which if true means that he should have been deemed ineligible to run for Governor in 2012. Since Indiana law states that you must be a resident of Indiana for the five years preceding the election for governor. Which obviously would not be true if he was living in Arlington, Virginia in 2011! 

So all this has us all wondering how in the world can Mike Pence have served a decade in congress and four years as governor and have so little in the way of assets to show for it? It just seems as if he should have more to his name by now. Also if the Vice President is doing everything above board. Why not simply say how he is going to pay his lawyer? It's a fair question. We thought we would leave you all with a little mailer that Pence did for his unsuccessful run for congress in 1988. It appears that Pence's wholesome image is as phony as he is judging by this mailer:

 

Update: We have resized the picture of Pence's 1988 mailer. Hat tip to Chas Navarra for pointing out.

I-69 Extension Delayed Again! Let's See If The Fourth Time is the Charm! w/update

 

Mike Pence realizing he is everybody's whipping boy

How do you solve a problem like Mike Pence? At the risk of being a broken record. We have decided that Mike Pence's shenanigans once again warrant IR's personal attention. Seriously Mikey! How much more nonsense are you going to trouble us with? If you aren't doing your best to imitate Hillary Clinton, Rod Blagojevich, or an untrained seal. Being disingenuous and hypocritical about your residency when you ran for Governor in 2012, entering into a stupid deal with Agile Networks to fund projects for Indiana's Bicentennial last year and then putting the

taxpayers on the hook when the deal went south. Or you are carrying water for your Washington paymasters and getting chewed out by even Establishment hacks for it. You just can't help but keep tripping over your own feet.

Now Kaitlin Lange and Mark Alesia reported in yesterday's issue of the Indianapolis Star or as we mockingly call it "Pravda Indianapolis". They have reported that there is yet another delay in the fabled I-69 extension from Bloomington to Martinsville! Lange and Alesia write:

The state of Indiana intends to take control of the troubled I-69 project from Bloomington to Martinsville as the public-private partnership used to finance and build the highway crumbles.

Bond analysts told IndyStar that terminating the deal could drive up project costs, but it is uncertain how much.

State officials confirmed Monday that the project's new completion date would be pushed back from May 2018 to August 31, 2018.

That's the fourth time the opening has been pushed back as the state's design-build contractor struggles to pay subcontractors and meet deadlines. The original completion date was October 2016.

I-69 Development Partners originally bid $325 million to win the project, which started in 2014. 

With the project about half finished, the state notified bondholders on Friday of its intention to take over.

The statement said it would take nearly $237 million to complete the project, and that $72 million was available. That means $164 million is needed to "complete construction and resolve claims."

But the extra cost to taxpayers is unclear.

Understandably the Star wanted to find out what additional costs will be burdening us taxpayers but was unable to find out because as the article reports:

State officials declined to tell IndyStar whether taxpayers would have to foot the bill for the $164 million that is needed. Stephanie McFarland, a spokeswoman for the Indiana Finance Authority, said the "official authority" who could answer IndyStar's question is off until Wednesday.

Translation we need to buy ourselves time until we can come up with some bullshit reason to give to you rubes as to why you all should pay for the state's screw ups! 

It doesn't appear much of anyone else connected to this "road to nowhere" was eager to talk either.

As reported:

The IFA issued a statement from Director Dan Huge on Monday, but it also did not address the issue of cost and where the money will come from. Huge has declined numerous interview requests.

Cherian George, managing director of the Fitch ratings agency, earlier told IndyStar that if a project is terminated for cause, the cost of completion typically would rise.

"As a result, there will be additional cost, because now the state has to take it back and actually deliver the project and fill in the gaps," George said. "It may be more than they thought they were going to pay, but it may not be an exorbitantly higher amount."

There will also be money available from the project's performance bond — insurance that it will be completed. But the state only required a bond covering 25 percent of the project's value,which bond analysts said was on the low end of what would typically be required. And getting money from that bond could also be held up by litigation.

As if possible lawsuits weren't enough to drive up the costs to Hoosiers. The Star also reports that other contractors will probably be more expensive:

What's more, the winning bid was $73 million lower than the next lowest bid, suggesting other contractors might demand more.

The project was originally touted by the state as an innovative public-private partnership that would take advantage of private sector expertise, innovation and efficiency to save taxpayers money.

I-69 Development Partners won a bid to design, construct and maintain the highway for decades after completion. But in March the Spanish company Isolux Corsan — which initially comprised more than 80 percent of I-69 Development Partners — entered insolvency proceedings in Spain.

It had four months to reach an agreement with creditors and avoid potential bankruptcy.

The state's negotiations to buy out the bonds for the project have been unsuccessful so far, but Huge's statement said "the state is moving forward with the goal of assuming control." The state has not, however, declared the developer to be in default.

When asked about the deal, I-69 Development Partners issued the following statement: "I-69 Development Partners and the IFA continue to participate in confidential discussions with the aim of ensuring the successful completion of the project. We are confident that we can reach an agreement with the IFA."

Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, said the protracted construction has not only frustrated people but also created safety issues.

"I think they should have been willing to declare the company in default a long time ago," he said.

What is so idiotic about this whole I-69 Development problem. Is that way back in 2014 the late great Gary Welsh reported concerns about I-69 Development Partners over at Advance Indiana. 

Gary Welsh writing in 2014 said:

In a separate report this past weekend by the Evansville Courier & Press, questions were raised about the wisdom of Gov. Pence's plan to build the I-69 extension from Bloomington to Martinsville through the use of a public-private agreement. The Pence administration has awarded the project to a Netherlands-based company, Isolux Infrastructure, to upgrade the 21-mile stretch of State Road 37 as another connecting link for I-69. The state will kick in $80 million upfront, while the private contractor will provide $325 million in funding for the extension. In addition, Indiana will make annual payments of $21.8 million to the private consortium over the next 35 years, or a total of $763 million, in exchange for the private consortium agreeing to maintain the highway.

By comparison, $700 million in Major Moves funding was provided for construction of the the nearly 100-mile stretch of new highway from Evansville to Bloomington. State Road 37 between Martinsville and Bloomington is already a 4-lane interstate quality highway absent the interchanges. It looks like Pence is just relying on a public-private agreement for the sake of privatization without any regard to the the extra cost future generations of taxpayers will bear to pay for this small stretch of highway. I hate to see the tab for the final leg between Martinsville and Indianapolis.

Even in death Gary Welsh is still looking out for the taxpayers. Gary was more right than he knew in his concerns about what the tab will wind up being for this section of I-69. 

Democrats and republican rivals of Mike Pence have no doubt long ago gathered this and other such stories on Pence to cause him trouble if he decides to ever run for the White House. Buckle up folks it's going to take awhile until Mike Pence is out of elected office. We are all looking forward to sending old Mikey Pence out to pasture! Let's do this people!

UPDATE:  As if wasting taxpayers money and patience wasn't bad enough. Now CBS 4 is reporting that the continued delay of the I-69 extension is a safety concern in Bloomington:

BLOOMINGTON, Ind-- Safety concerns over an I-69 roadway project are growing in Monroe County.

Residents and officials are expressing the concern after it was announced the project on the new section of interstate between Martinsville and Bloomington will not be finished until August of 2018.

While the delay is certainly cause for annoyance for people who live in the area, residents say they’re equally fed up with accidents and close calls along the stretch of highway.

“Just pulling out onto here, there have been a few accidents already,” said Julie Aubin.

City officials in Bloomington have also called the project a “safety concern,” citing numerous accidents and injuries amassed on the stretch over the years.

“There are often lane realignments that happen day to day. Even if you drive the road frequently, you can be surprised from one day to the next. We’ve had some real tragedies in the area and are very saddened by that,” said director of communications for the City of Bloomington Mary Catherine Carmichael.

A recent study by the Federal Highway Administration stated that most fatal crashes and injuries in work zones most often occur in the summer and fall months.

Bloomington officials like Carmichael say those are the exact issues they’re hoping to avoid for the remainder of the project’s construction.

Now IR understands that there are difficulties and dangers involved in any road project. But we don't think that it is to much to ask that traffic lanes not be completely realigned on a daily basis! The state must be stopped before it causes more damage!