Campaign 2010

Oct 10, 2010

Another NRCC Young Gun Under Fire…This Time the NRCC Promotes a Nazi Enthusiast

On Friday night it was revealed that John Boehner and House Republican Leadership recruit Richard Iott, a member of the NRCC Young Guns program, is a Nazi enthusiast. This revelation comes on the heels of NRCC recruit Tom Ganley (OH-13) being investigated for attempted rape and sexual assault of  a potential campaign volunteer and other top Republican recruits’ have had a role in the strip search of teenage girls, lawsuits, tax cheating, assault and negligent behavior.  

“It sends a chilling message to all Americans, especially to our veterans and to those of the Jewish faith that John Boehner and the Republican leadership in Washington would promote and  embrace a candidate that wears the Nazi uniform,” said Ryan Rudominer, National Press Secretary of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. “The extremist and fatally flawed candidates promoted by House Republicans that wear Nazi uniforms, had a role in the strip search of teenage girls, are investigated for attempted rape and sexual assault, cheat on their taxes, run trucks off the road, and more do not share the values of hardworking voters trying to make it through these tough economic times.”

Iott is running against Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-09).  Iott is a member of the NRCC’s Young Guns program [NRCC Young Guns Site, 10/3/10]. The NRCC has since tried to scrub him from their site at the same time they have refused comment [NRCC Young Guns Site, 10/9/10]

BACKGROUND

 “An election year already notable for its menagerie of extreme and unusual candidates can add another one: Rich Iott, the Republican nominee for Congress from Ohio's 9th District, and a Tea Party favorite, who for years donned a German Waffen SS uniform and participated in Nazi re-enactments.” [The Toledo Blade, 10/9/10]

TROUBLED REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

Tom Ganley (OH-13)

  • NRCC Ganley Sued for Attempted Rape and Sexual Assault. Last week we learned that a woman has filed a suit against Ganley for sexual assault and attempted rape. Ganley allegedly met with the woman, who was interested in volunteering for his U.S. Senate campaign and talking about her car payments, when he propositioned and sexually assaulted her in his private office. [Plain Dealer, 9/30/10], [WKYC – (NBC) – Cleveland, OH, 10/1/10]

Jeff Perry (MA-10)

  • As a Wareham police sergeant in the early 1990’s, Jeff Perry had a role in two disturbing strip search scandals that involved teenage girls. According to the Boston Globe, “In one case, Perry was the supervisor at the scene when the officer stuck his hand in a 14-year-old girl’s underwear, ostensibly searching for drugs. In the other, Perry accompanied the same officer to the house of a 16-year-old girl to tell her parents that she had voluntarily pulled down her pants to show she did not have any drugs.” [Boston Globe, 5/15/10]

Brad Zaun (IA-03)

  • Zaun Ordered to Stay Away. In 2001, Zaun had to be told by West Des Moines police to stay away from a former girlfriend who had accused him of harassing her. The woman called police to complain that Zaun showed up in the early morning hours and pounded on her windows. “Brad yelled from outside calling her slut and other names,” the police report states. [Des Moines Register, 8/19/10]

David Rivera (FL-25)

  • NRCC Young Gun David Rivera Drove a Truck Off the Road and then Caught Lying About It. In August, CBS4’s investigative team reported on a 2002 incident where Rivera allegedly drove a truck off the road that contained mailers produced by his opponent. Rivera’s version of the story, told to CBS4, did not match up with the incident report or the truck driver’s and printing company’s stories. [CBS4, 8/17/10]

Tom Marino (PA-10)

  • Marino Served as Reference for a Convicted Felon…Tom Marino long held that he had permission from the Department of Justice to serve as a reference for DeNaples’ slot-machine casino application.  Marino’s reference came while the attorney’s office was investigating DeNaples, possibly as part of an investigation into organized crime. [Pocono Record, 10/01/10]
  • Marino Admitted He Never Had Permission. This week Marino admitted that he never had permission to serve as a reference for DeNaples after an FBI source said they had no paperwork to substantiate the allegations. [Scranton Times-Tribune, 9/29/10] 

Jim Renacci (OH-16)

  • Renacci Placed Profits Before Safety. In 2001, a woman died in a nursing home operated by Renacci after another patient with a history of verbal and physical abuse attacked her. The woman died two days later. In a deposition, the nursing home administrator testified that the center did not have sufficient trained staff to control aggressive patients but that Renacci opposed any attempt to remove those patients because it would adversely affect the income of the center. [Stark County Clerk of Courts, 2001CV00598]
  • Renacci Sheltered $14 Million from Taxes. In 2006, Renacci was assessed nearly $1.4 million in unpaid state taxes, interest and fees after trying to shelter some $14 million in income. For years, Renacci fought the assessment after ignoring warnings from the Tax Commissioner of Ohio that it would impose fraud penalties on taxpayers who did not file amended returns and pay the taxes due. Politifact.com found “mostly true” the statements that Renacci “cheated on his income taxes” and was a “deadbeat.” [Associated Press, 4/13/10; Politifact.com, 8/27/10]

Dan Benishek (MI-01)

  • Benishek Underestimated His Income To Lower Child-Support Payments. Court records from Dickinson County show that Benishek underestimated his income by $100,000 during legal arguments over child support with his ex-wife. When Benishek requested lowering his child-support payments by $2,550 per month, he owned four homes and three vehicles and had an estimated income of $250,000 per year. His ex-wife, a registered nurse, was making $23,000 a year.
  • Judge: “Extremely Significant” Discrepancy. In 1995, a circuit court judge determined that Benishek failed to claim $100,000 income from a land management and marketing firm and called the discrepancy “extremely significant.” [Michigan Messenger, 9/27/10]

Scott DesJarlais (TN-04)

  • DesJarlais’ Violent, Threatening Behavior. According to Roll Call, “Susan DesJarlais accused her former husband of “dry firing a gun outside the Plaintiff’s locked bedroom door, admission of suicidal ideation, holding a gun in his mouth for three hours, an incident of physical intimidation at the hospital; and previous threatening behavior ... i.e. shoving, tripping, pushing down, etc.”  [Roll Call, 9/16/10]

Andy Barr (KY-06)

  • Barr Convicted of False ID, Charged with Public Drinking. In 1993, Barr was charged with possession of a fake Mississippi driver’s license. In 1999, he was charged with public drinking in front a liquor store.
  • Barr Lied on State Job Application. Barr declined to explain the circumstances behind these charges and then lied on applications for state jobs, claiming he had never “been convicted of violating any law” other than “minor traffic violations.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 4/11/10]
  • Documents Mysteriously Disappeared Under Barr. While he was counsel to Fletcher, “critical documents mysteriously disappeared” and he was cited for subverting the state’s open records law. [Roll Call, 7/30/10]
  • Barr has received $17,500 from GOP Leadership. Barr has received at least $17,500 in contributions from GOP leadership. [CQ Moneyline]

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