Report: Bachmann used taxpayer funds for tea party rally

Posted at 7:36 AM on June 20, 2011 by Brett Neely (15 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, Michele Bachmann

WASHINGTON - Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann spent $3,407 of taxpayer funds allotted to her congressional office to help rent a sound system for a tea party-backed rally against President Obama's health care bill in 2009, according to a report this morning from Roll Call.

House rules say taxpayer money cannot be used for strictly political events, although the funds can be used for press conferences, which is how the event was described.

However, the newspaper reports that no questions were asked during the Nov. 9, 2009 event which, "opened with a prayer, the national anthem and a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance."

Fellow Reps. Steve King (R-IA) and Todd Akin (R-MO) also contributed $3,407 toward the rental of the sound system at the same event.

Roll Call says the rally is not the only questionable use of taxpayer funds by Bachmann's congressional office.

Last year, her office briefly hired Guy Short as a "senior advisor." Short had served as chief of staff to former Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) before she was defeated in 2008.

Short was paid $5,000 for one month. He then went on to found a firm called C&M Strategies, which has been paid about $150,000 to provide fundraising consulting services for Bachmann's campaign and political action committee.

Bachmann spokesman Doug Sachtleben told the paper the expenses were legitimate.

"The expenditures you've highlighted were all consistent with the official responsibilities of the Congresswoman and her staff on behalf of the people of Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District," Sachtleben said.

Comments (15)

I've been reporting on Michele Bachmann's abuse of her State Senate office and her double-dipping Congressional office for years. Nice to see the national media is finally catching up to what the local media has been ignoring.

http://t.co/b1STzxc

http://bit.ly/dcmD7Q

Posted by Karl | June 20, 2011 9:48 AM

Ah, Bachmann, the eternal hypocrite.....

Posted by Rev | June 20, 2011 10:28 AM

I live in the 6th district ....on behalf of me...how?

Posted by Lee Ann Overman | June 20, 2011 10:34 AM

Move over Sarah. The hatemongers need fresh meat. Michelle appears to be rational and persuasive enough to qualify to be their new target! Stay strong Michelle!

Posted by Bud | June 20, 2011 12:11 PM

so what. obama gave almost 800 hundred billion tax dollars to the biggest crooks in america. what is 3 grand.

Posted by ran | June 20, 2011 12:25 PM

She would be better suited in a career where she asks people: "would you like fries with that"?

Posted by F16 Major | June 20, 2011 12:26 PM

Right, know that you can do whatever sly trick you like and your adoring fans will support you.

Posted by Emeritus | June 20, 2011 12:26 PM

You guys are low life liberals!!!!!!!!!

Posted by jIm Bruffett | June 20, 2011 1:55 PM

This is what you get when you cut education funding you get dig bats like Bachmann & Palin who don't know history or geography and they want to be President???? And the Right Wingers think they are great. some thing is very wrong with our education system.

Posted by lee | June 20, 2011 6:44 PM

I live in the 6th Congressional Dist. in MN and think that Michele Bachmann is a total joke. All she does is "blast" President Obama, and she has NO solutions to this country's problems. I, too, am glad the national media picked up on this story!

Posted by Sylvia | June 20, 2011 6:53 PM

It was bad enough for the radical right wing cracked teapot nutcase Michelle (never tells the truth ) Bachmann to rob the taxpayers (just like Bush Bin Lyin and his criminal gang did) but to use that money to further brainwash her evangelical crackpot sheep into believing her lies is unforgiveable. She is no different than the priests and pastors who bilk the same sheep into filling their collection pots every Sunday by telling them that Christ will be here soon to save them. Jesus is dead and has been dead for over 2000 years and no how many times these sheep are told that he is coming back, he isn't.

The only chance these sheep have to be saved from the likes of Santorum, Bachmann and others who brainwash them is go meet the man oin the sky on the next voyage there with Harold Camping on Oct 21.

Posted by Life2 | June 20, 2011 7:14 PM

I don't remember her running as a TP candidate. It would appear that she's going against the ticket she ran on and using tax money, dare I say, "liberally" to do it. What's a few thousand between friends, right? I wonder if she calls herself a fiscal conservative. Typical politician. Heaven forbid she should ever be in charge of more money than she already is.

Posted by Amber | June 21, 2011 4:14 PM

Ran: what is 3 grand? 3 grand proves that there are obviously things more important to you than honesty - more important than using the money given you for what it was intended, as you promised.

3 grand proves you are a crook. no more, no less.

Posted by Jacobus | June 21, 2011 5:27 PM

Remember that both party's nominating conventions and all of their primaries are taxpayer funded as well. Third parties don't get this special treatment.

Posted by jigger | June 21, 2011 5:32 PM

DID LITTLE ALICE IN WONDERLAND GET HER CRUMPETS AT THE TEA-PARTY? DID THAT NASTY RED QUEEN SCREAM.OFF WITH THEIR HEADS"? I ONCE HAD A DREAM LIKE THIS-THE GOOD THING WAS, I WOKE UP! AMERICA AIN'T GONNA LIKE WHAT IT SEES WHEN IT WAKES UP-IF IT DOES AT ALL----!

Posted by RANDRAND | June 22, 2011 12:17 AM

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories