On Sunday RNC Chairman Reince Priebus called on Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, and the Democratic National Committee to return political contributions made to their political campaign committees by Joseph Caramadre, a friend and business associate of Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.
Breitbart News reported on Wednesday that Caramadre, who recently pled guilty to stealing the identities of terminally ill people, donated $25,000 to McAuliffe’s 2009 gubernatorial campaign and that McAuliffe had invested $47,000 in his illegal business venture.
Also on Wednesday, McAuliffe said he would donate the $25,000 he received in contributions from Caramadre and the $47,000 he invested in Caramadre’s business venture–offered and managed by Estate Planning Resources, Caramadre’s Rhode Island-based business–to charity.
Priebus told Breitbart News exclusively on Sunday that “Terry McAuliffe has already given back part of his ill-gotten gains from Joseph Caramadre. It is now up to Democrats, including Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, and the DNC, to decide where they stand.”
Priebus called on Clinton and Reid to return the substantial contributions they have received from Caramadre. “Will they continue to keep the hundreds of thousands of dollars they received from a convicted fraudster who illegally profited off terminally ill patients?” he asked.
Federal Election Commission records confirm that Caramadre and his wife Paula have donated a total of $58,800 to the political campaign committees of Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid, and the Democratic National Committee. They donated $17,600 to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, $9,200 to Harry Reid, $15,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $12,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and $5,000 to the Democratic National Committee.
Politico recently reported that Ms. Clinton, who hosted a fundraising event for McAuliffe last month in Virginia, will host an exclusive second fundraising event for McAuliffe in New York City on Tuesday. It “will cost $25,000 per couple” to attend the private reception.
Priebus also called on McAuliffe to return not only donations from Caramadre but the profits he made on his investment in Caramadre’s venture. “And will Terry McAuliffe donate the personal profits he made from this scheme?” he asked. “Voters will be waiting to see how long it take Democrats to do the right thing,” he concluded.
McAuliffe has acknowledged that he put $47,000 into the investment vehicle, which eventually was revealed to have preyed on terminally ill people. The candidate has not, however, made any public statements on whether or not he made a profit on this investment.
Breitbart News has asked the McAuliffe campaign for information on the amount of profit, if any, McAuliffe made on this $47,000 investment. The Providence Journal reported that Caramadre “made millions” in this same investment vehicle. As of the time of the publication of this story, the McAuliffe campaign has not responded.
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