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For McCain, Another Problem Fundraiser
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ShareJuly 09, 2008 12:32 PM
A former investment banker who admitted to "loaning" himself millions from his client's accounts without their knowledge is a fundraiser and donor for John McCain's presidential campaign and the Republican party.
In a 2006 interview with the Willamette Week newspaper, onetime Oregon venture capitalist Craig Berkman said that between 1998 and 2001 he borrowed $5 million from the investors whose funds he controlled, and failed to tell "most" of them what he had done.
Still, "I was a good steward of investors' funds," Berkman told the paper's reporter.
A two-year suit against Berkman was decided last month when a jury found he had defrauded investors and ordered him to pay them $28 million.
Berkman, a former chairman of the Oregon GOP, co-hosted a $1,000-a-plate fundraising luncheon for McCain in January, and has donated $4,600 to McCain’s campaign, the maximum allowable by law, the paper reported today.
In a March filing in his trial, Berkman said he owed debts of $12.5 million beyond what he was actually worth. Two months later, Berkman gave the Republican National Committee $23,900.
Berkman's attorney, Paul George, said the contributions came from "moneys he is entitled to donate. The matters he was sued for involve moneys almost nine years ago."
Neither the McCain campaign nor the RNC immediately responded to a request for comment.
July 9, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (30)
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McBUSH and BUSH birds of a feather..Both of them are so crooked they could hide behind a cork screw.. BUSH belongs in handcuffs and an orange jump suit. And McBUSH will be right behind him..We are a nation of WHINERS...Well we will see who the WHINERS are in November wont we McBUSH???
Posted by: Repubsout | Jul 11, 2008 7:24:29 AM
How absolutely wonderful McCain's associates are turning out to be. Such pillars of society. And I just loved Bush's comments when leaving the G-8 Summit in Japan - "goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." How presidential. Not just an idiot - a goofy idiot. We should be so proud of him - and McCain - ready to take his place. Talk about adding insult to injury!!
Posted by: geecee | Jul 11, 2008 3:09:56 PM
whats with the upside down stars on the gop logo??????
Posted by: bil | Jul 11, 2008 7:39:29 PM
Typical republican. Scandal after scandal bits these corrupt republican elitists. Republican crooks every where you look. Looks like McCain may find himself all alone soon with all the corrupt lobbyists and crooks leaving hurriedly.
Posted by: Vicki | Jul 15, 2008 10:52:29 PM
i guess this is what is ment i will win----BY HOOK OR BY CROOK-----mccains shoes fit well.
Posted by: rodney | Jul 16, 2008 7:54:54 AM
When will McCain learn - you get your donations in $1,000 increments from Chinatown waiters and busboys funneled through concerned citizens like Hillary's Norman Hsu.
Republicans, that's why they are called "the Stupid Party."
A millionaire here in Oregon? With these taxes? I don't believe it!
Posted by: Jack in the Woods | Aug 21, 2008 11:10:56 AM
The Republicans of 2008 have lost all sense of shame. The entire party flip flopped on the issue of experience. They continue to pursue shameful issues across the board. ........
Posted by: Ohg Rea Tone | Sep 3, 2008 8:33:45 PM
huh just adds to an already dishonest Mcain/Palin campaign ticket....Republicans lying and using the sytem to thier benifit sounds like "Change" to me......lets hope we dont get 4 more years of this crap
Posted by: Solo189 | Sep 9, 2008 10:10:33 PM
So lemme see if I got this right...some of you here are wondering what kind of company McCain keeps YET not a single one of you have problems with the kinds of people Obama keeps as friends (terrorist, race hate preachers, corrupt politicians, sleazy slum lords).
Yeah, double standards and all that!
Mailman
Posted by: Mailman | Oct 1, 2008 11:52:41 AM
You're (deliberately) missing the point. It was McCain and his surrogates that raised the "company you keep" meme, apparently forgetting all the Keatings, Liddys, and Berkmans in his own past. Keating alone caused SUBSTANTIALLY more damage to this country than the entire Weather Underground (and the Ohio National Guard has more innocent blood on their hands than either, but I digress).
The double standard is to pillory Obama for the alleged crimes of his associates but then expect that McCain's past associations (which are even more, shall we say, colorful) should not be brought into the spotlight. Sauce for the goose.
Posted by: Yukon Sam | Oct 31, 2008 10:14:31 AM
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