UYGUR: All Washington is a buzz over the Anthony Weiner`s scandal. But he hasn`t been charged with doing anything illegal. Simply a scandal that involves his personal life. Meanwhile, there are accusations of serious corruptions against other law makers that gets virtually ignored. For example, Florida Congressman Vern Buchanan who is considered a rising star in the GOP. He is vice chairman of finance for the national republican congressional committee. In other words, he is a big fund- raiser for his fellow Republicans. And hence, probably why he is considered a rising star. He is said to be eyeing a Senate run against Democrat Bill Nelson. But there are troubling questions about him. The FEC has just filed a complaint accusing the car dealership Buchanan once owned of illegally funneling tens of thousands of dollars to his campaign which then helped him to get elected of course.
The FEC said, dealership employees and their relatives were pressured into giving Buchanan nearly $68,000 for his first two election campaigns. The dealership then illegally reimbursed to donors for all that money according to those claims. The scheme allowed Buchanan`s company to give him cash well above the legal limit. The FEC says, quote, “The lawbreaking was not a mere error or lapse in judgment. It was an extensive and ongoing scheme that spanned two election cycles, three calendar years and dozens of secret, illegal contributions.” Buchanan sold the dealership in 2008 after he received all those donations. He claims he did nothing wrong and he is trying to pin the blame on his former business partner.
But this chicanery along with similar other alleged schemes, several other dealership, he once own has made Buchanan a poster child for corruption. In fact, the watch dog group crew has named Buchanan one of the most corrupt lawmakers in Washington. What is that? There he is on a cover of their latest report. So, where is the outrage about our friend, Vern? Where are the calls for his resignation? We are not hearing a damn thing about that from Republicans or Democrats. Where is my friend Tim Kaine? I thought he loved criticizing scandals. Why won`t he go after a republican charged with things far more serious than anything Weiner did? Then, those are good questions. If Washington took these scandals seriously, this is a real scandal, not some crotch shots of a congressman.
