Jason Saine: No primary or general election opposition. Over $122K in “campaign expenses.”
Politicians like to talk tough on ethics — banning gifts from lobbyists, limiting contribution amounts, that kind of thing. But what does all that matter when people with interests before a particular legislative body simply donate to a pol’s “campaign fund” which is then used as a slush fund for living expenses by said politicians?
For example, let’s look at state Rep. Jason Saine (R) of Lincoln County. We all know about his taste in clothes. The guy has no primary or general election opposition. Yet, his latest campaign finance disclosure report shows $122,598.04 in “campaign expenditures.”
What is there to spend money on when you have NO OPPONENTS? There was a “volunteer dinner” at Lincoln Country Club in January to the tune of $167.17. Interesting. What are those folks volunteering FOR when there is no campaign to run?
Anyway, he took the “volunteers” to dinner again. This time, it was in Charlotte in February at “The Open Kitchen” for $80.72. Charlotte is well outside his legislative district. And ANOTHER “dinner with volunteers” in February at Raleigh’s “Village Draft House” to the tune of $103.27. *Boy, he’s making those “volunteers” drive all over the state for, um, “dinner.”*
For the record, Saine — like other legislators — gets $104 per day that the legislature is in session to cover room and board expenses. That’s in addition to the $13,951 per year salary.
Where is the state board of elections on stuff like this? Folks like this are really stretching the definition of “campaigning.” You have numerous legislators who are clearly LIVING off of their campaign funds — which are predominantly stocked (and-re-stocked) by lobbyists and other special interests seeking stuff from Jones Street. What is the point of campaign finance laws if stuff like this is winked and nodded at?
Maybe these were expenses as North Carolina Co-Chair for Marco Rubio’s Presidential Campaign?
This, along with his previous mentions, is called “being a crook”.
– He should be in jail.
– It should be an embarrassment to the people of his district that he doesnt have an opponent.
– That his fellow legislators dont step up and (1) ostracize him, and (2) put in place legislation that addresses his ability to apparently legally accept and live off bribes, is also quite telling about them and their level of character.
Jason Saine is a huge embarrassment to the Republican Party. He needs to go. While I strongly disagree with the posters who suggest that conservatives should switch to Unaffiliated, this is one place where they could do some good work and find a conservative to run against Saine as an Unaffiliated, and then join the GOP caucus when they get to Raleigh. Saine is nothing but a disgusting rent boy for the special interests and cares nothing for the principles of the Republican Party.
That’s “State Chairman Rent Boy”, to you.
Sorry to be a broken record on this, but if you don’t start to insist that your representatives acknowledge and then renounce their ALEC ties, ALEC State Chairman Jason Saine will continue to be the concierge at the trough, with all the power and perks that go with it.