NRCC Weekly Rundown: Taddeo campaign implosion, Bera admits role in donor swapping scheme, and more!

And here’s this week’s edition of the NRCC Weekly Rundown:

National: In the latest blow to FBI target Hillary Clinton’s credibility, her defense to her email practices, that what she did was “allowed” under State Department rules, was called “False” by Politifact.

 CA-07: In the latest development in the ongoing Ami Bera campaign finance scandal, Bera admitted that he was personally involved in the “donor swapping” scheme between his campaign, and those of other Democrat candidates.

FL-26: Just weeks after her own internal poll showed her losing to crook Joe Garcia in the Democrat primary, perennial losing candidate Annette Taddeo responded by firing her senior campaign staff. Perhaps this will fix the problems that led to her losing every single election she has ever run in?

PA-08: The NRCC launched a new fact check website for Steve Santarsiero. After his boasts about his legislative “record” were called false, by Politifact, this handy website tracks the number of days Santarsiero has been in office and the number of bills he has had signed into law (zero).

VA-10: Since DC resident and tax evader Luann Bennett is sticking by her story that she lived on her palatial rural Virginia estate and commuted 104 miles daily to her office in Washington, DC – and certainly didn’t live in the luxury condominium she owns just blocks from the office –  the NRCC asked what her strategy was for dealing with the HOV restrictions on Interstate 66.

NEWS AND NOTES:

NRCC Hits Santarsiero on Legislative Record

The National Republican Congressional Committee is launching a website aimed at PA-8 Democratic nominee Steve Santarsiero. The website, entitled 7yearsoffailure.com, prominently displays the number of days the State Rep. has been in office, currently over 2700, and the number of bills the state representative has signed into law, which is currently none. READ

Free-Falling Annette Taddeo Gets a DCCC-Engineered Staff Shakeup

National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Chris Pack had this to say: “We congratulate Annette Taddeo’s campaign manager and communications director on recently being freed from Annette Taddeo’s political incompetence. But if Annette Taddeo really wants to make a difference for her campaign, she should stand in front of a mirror and fire the person looking back at her.” READ

Watchdog Group Accuses Virginia Congressional Candidate of Evading D.C. Taxes

The NRCC noted that if she lived on the farm during the period she claimed she would have driven over 50 miles during rush hour traffic to get to and from work. READ

Ami Bera encouraged family to give to Democrats supporting him

Democratic Rep. Ami Bera said Wednesday that a complex series of campaign donations involving his parents and the families of other Democrats often were arranged by the candidates themselves. The Bee last month reported that Bera and his family, beginning six years ago, wrote large checks to other Democrats, and that those candidates or their families gave similar amounts to Bera, with the contributions often occurring within days of one another. Campaign finance experts said the contributions generally do not violate federal law, but are a way to avoid individual donation limit. READ

Veterans’ at top of Coffman agenda

“This hearing follows up on those revelations by looking at VA’s internal procedures,” Coffman continued. “Once again, this hearing demonstrated a disgraceful lack of accountability at the VA. In one instance of drug theft in VA, an employee was prosecuted by the Department of Justice and in a second instance, a VA nurse was indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing narcotics—neither one of these employees was fired by VA.” READ

Members of Long Island Congressional Delegation Call On V.A. Secretary to Address Deteriorating Conditions at Northport V.A.

The Department of Veterans Affairs needs to immediately fix whatever issues exist that are keeping the Operating Rooms closed at the Northport VA.,” said Congressman Lee Zeldin (NY-01), member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. “Failure is not an option. It’s also completely inexcusable that the VA never came to the Long Island congressional delegation to inform us of this situation and ask for assistance over the course of these past few months while these issues have lingered. This is an inexcusable failure for Long Island veterans. The entire Long Island delegation agrees that our veterans deserve better, which is why we look forward to a quick response from the VA and an aggressive achievement of an immediate and long term solution.” READ

VA: Bureaucratic lunacy and lack of accountability

I believe Secretary McDonald’s biggest accomplishment at the VA is to cover up scandals and to deny how deep the problems are at the VA. Not long ago, Secretary McDonald appeared before the House Veterans Affairs Committee. He said, “Congressman Coffman, we can’t fire our way to excellence,” to which I replied, “getting rid of incompetent bureaucrats would be a good start.” READ