Chris Shays living a 'nightmare'

I actually feel sort of sorry for him. Sure he was a repuke. but he was a moderate and devoted to public service far more than party. Not sad that he got beat last November,, but this stuff happening since is sad for anyone.

"Five months after voters ended his 22-year congressional career, Connecticut Republican Chris Shays is living what he calls a post-election “nightmare.”

He’s out of the job he loved and — worse — stuck with at least $200,000 in debt that his campaign says is the result of wrongdoing by a trusted longtime adviser.

Shays has been forced to hire law firms in Washington and Connecticut to help unravel his campaign accounts, and he owes $100,000 in legal bills to those attorneys, according to his most recent disclosure report filed with the Federal Election Commission. By law, Shays cannot shut down his campaign while it still reports a debt.

In the end, Shays is likely to spend far more figuring out what happened, and when, than he says he’s lost through any alleged wrongdoing.

“The legal bills are now outstripping the debt,” Shays said in an interview. “The campaign fraud and deficit and legal fees will be well over $300,000.”

<smip>

“I had one promise more than any other promise to my wife in my 34 years of public service: It was — cross my heart, on bended knee — I will never, ever run a deficit to win a campaign. Never,” Shays said.

“I first lost the election. Then my property taxes went up $15,000. Then, the day before Thanksgiving, I learned I had a deficit, and the day after Thanksgiving, I learned it was caused by embezzlement by my, really, most trusted employee. November is the month I’ll never forget.”


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0409/21484.html

Why doesn't he run again? Win or lose, he'll cover that money.

property taxes but he lives in Bridgeport, fer cryin out loud, not Greenwich or New Canaan.

I feel sorry for him, too. Is there any way he can sue his former employee and make him or her pay him back?

so, a $15,000 increase on a property worth several million is not big percentage-wise?

I can only surmise that once he was done in Congress, he stopped wanting to live in Bridgeport and moved to a leafier suburb. Fifteen grand is a lot for one property. Maybe he owns more than one. I really don't know.

Shays was not the worst of the worst of Repugs that have ever been in our state but still, he did back Bush up on many things. I am trying to be sympathetic because the embezzlement can happen to anyone and that sucks.

following there. I wonder what he's doing now...lots of times voted-out congressmen just stay in Washington and become lobbyists...

in Bridgeport. Apparently its in the Black Rock section, which is a better area by long island sound. It was a nice house...he is selling it for over a million! Sounds like he needs some cash pretty badly. He wants to do something with the Peace Corp and go work in Washington. Sounds reasonable enough. He is not sounding like a total scumbag jerk. I can think of worse in Congress. http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/shays-chalet-lets-chip-in/

And if it is waterfront property the taxes could well have been pretty high. But that house is special. Most of B'port is in sad shape...I feel sorry for it.

would be Bridgeport if it weren't for Yale...

Welcome to the rat race, Chris. I don't feel sorry for him a bit; he can file for bankruptcy under the same anti-consumer "reform" bill
he voted for while he was Senator. Then he can collect UI and be happy Democrats prevailed in extending benefits for 13 weeks. And
if he's really interested in public service instead of the public trough -- which is highly doubtful -- he can join Pres. Obama's new
National Service program.

He could call Katherine Harris for some tips on coping. I'm sure she would have some compassionate conservatism to share.

:thumbsup:

I can't seem to work up much compassion for him.

what goes around comes around?

Mama D a liar and told her to stop speaking in tongues.

I watched that hearing and his conduct was reprehensible.

We work hard to elect Democrats, any Democrats, even ones who are anti choice and anti gays, and we work to defeat decent moderate Republicans like Shays and Chafee. And now it appears that a rabid RWer is going to run against Specter. No doubt we would have loved to replace Snowe and Collins, even though they gave a hint of bi-partisan support of Obama's stimulus bill. Chafee would have supported it, too.