Ron Johnson Ducks TPM Questions On His $10 Million Payday: ‘It’s A Private Company’http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/06/ron-johnson-ducks-tpm-questions-on-his-10-million-payday-its-a-private-company.php?ref=fpblgLegal experts say that whether Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-WI) $10 million parting gift from his company potentially violates campaign laws depends on when it was negotiated. But asked by TPM to directly address the timing, Johnson repeatedly ducked the question.
Johnson's collected $10 million in deferred compensation from his former company, Pacur, a figure that Wisconsin papers have noted lines up conveniently with the $9 million he spent on his Senate campaign in 2010 against incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold. The freshman lawmaker has offered few details on how or when the company worked out the $10 million number, but legal experts told TPM that if the package was negotiated after his Senate run it could potentially count as an illegal corporate donation to his campaign.
Asked by TPM before a Senate vote on Tuesday to clarify whether he worked out the agreement before or after his 2010 campaign, Johnson did not give a direct answer.
"It's a private company," he said. "We fully complied, fully disclosed (and) followed the law, complied with the spirit and letter of the law, and again it's a private company. Those financial matters end up being more complex."
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
