Business
Crapo Campaign Finance Debacle Handled Like Wayward Catholic Priests
May 13, 2013 
The scandal evolving over the quarter million dollars reportedly bilked from Idaho Senior Sen Mike Crapo’s campaign fund sounds like the Catholic Church and its abusive priests: “shuffle the offenders and keep mum unless someone squawks.”
Lost in all the revelations reported by both the STATESMAN and ASSOCIATED PRESS is the ethical issue of keeping silent for at least three years and passing off the errant staffer to work for Representative Raul Labrador.
Any way you cut it, Crapo and his minion were using the money paid to him by corporations, political action committees, and individuals as speculative seed money for dubious investments in Las Vegas. The money is gone which is at least some poetic justice, but Crapo is spinning the deal as though he were the victim.
Back in 2008 former Crapo campaign manager Jake Ball put the $250,000 into a loan deal with a guy named Gavin McCaleb. McCaleb ran a now-defunct Idaho corp. called Blueberry Guru. He then invested in something called Pyramid Global Resources. McCaleb is bankrupt, Pyramid is defunct, and Ball resigned from Labrador’s staff “coincidentally” last Thursday on the eve of the scandal being revealed by AP. Crapo said he learned details of the matter in 2010 from the FBI.
Meanwhile, Sen Sen Crapo continues to make decisions and vote on laws which determine the financial fate of the United States of America. He still has $3 million in that campaign fund paid by folks who presumably “want nothing in return for their cash.” And that’s exactly what they got for at least $250,000 of their payments.
To insure more advertising-free Boise Guardian news, please consider financial support.
Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
May 14, 2013, 2:19 am
Suppose these decisions were made while under the influence of vodka?
May 14, 2013, 4:12 am
Conservatives continue to fight against campaign finance reform with any teeth in it. Any wonder why? It would bring the lobbyists to their knees, and begin to change how Washington operates, requiring senators to speak to their constituents and not to their pocketbooks.
May 14, 2013, 9:26 am
It’s time for Mr. Crapo to go to work directly for the bankers, rather than continuing to process his payments through his campaign chest.
May 14, 2013, 11:24 am
Cronyism. The rich taking care of each other. White-collar crime being ignored, again. This is REALLY getting old.
May 14, 2013, 3:22 pm
Typical religious Senator from Idaho!
May 15, 2013, 9:09 am
I know the guy has resigned from Labrador’s staff.. but if I were Raul, I would be plenty ticked that Crapo didn’t tell me about this when I hired the guy. Or maybe Crapo did and Raul was dumb enough to hire him anyway.
May 15, 2013, 2:03 pm
When Crapo ran for reelection. I remember all his campaign signs along State St. Some one crossed out the O. Guess they were right.
Grap!
May 15, 2013, 9:59 pm
Since this is his campaign money, I guess I don’t really care a whole bunch. It appears that it is okay to loan campaign money, since that is not the issue. The issue is apparently that the money has not been repaid. Sounds like Crapo needs a much more accountable system for his campaign funds. A loan should require the highest level of approval. Some young campaign hack or staffer should not be making those calls.