How Gullible Are You?

Here is an interesting riddle: How can a middle class couple consisting of an office manager in a New York company and an Amtrak foreman afford to donate over $61,000 to John McCain and the Republican National Committee?

The couple drive a 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier and live in an apartment in Queens. They SWEAR that the money that they contributed came solely from their own personal funds. They joined a group of Hess Oil executives at a posh New York fund raiser in which the group donated more than $300,000. Oh, did I forget to mention that the Office Manager Alice Rocchio works at the headquarters of Hess Oil? Might that be significant? Coincidentally, the contribution happened only days after McCain switched his stance to support off-shore drilling. Surely just a coincidence, right?

The Campaign Money Watch group uncovered the contribution and suggested to the Federal Elections Commission that it may be evidence of a corrupt and illegal scheme to funnel campaign contributions. The FEC, while stating that the donation could theoretically have come from the Rocchio's own assets, acknowledged that it was concerned about the potential circumvention of campaign contribution laws by Corporate executives routing the funds through employees. If the investigation into the matter reveals that the funds actually came from Hess Oil, there will be a long list of possible criminal charges.

Perhaps more significant is that the climate of corruption fostered by the current administration has encouraged such action with the promise that there will be no serious consequences or accountability for the misconduct. The scheme is so transparent that it could be considered a taunt to campaign funding regulators. When they engaged in behavior so obvious and transparent they almost dared the FEC to catch them, and perhaps also daring the FEC to do anything about it.

In a climate of economic decline, significant inflation and job losses all around, what rational family would donate an amount that must have been equal to half their annual income for a GOP fund raiser. This is just one example that was discovered. Hess is by no means the biggest player in the oil industry, although they may be the most reckless and audacious. An examination of all contributors is not feasible. But an examination is ppossible of large contributions that are 1) disproportionate to thye donors income and assets and 2) are employed by a company related to a major policy issue. Regardless of party affiliation, such practices are illegal and undermine the fairness of elections.