Many of you have heard of the recent vote by concerned conservatives such as myself to require that the 6th Congressional District appropriate the amount of $30,000 to pay for the defense of Scott Sayre, Hud McWilliams, Al Tucker, and the Committee itself. This is being portrayed as an attack on Ben Cline and on the party itself. Nothing could be further from the truth. In my role as Vice Chair of the 6th District Congressional Committee, I supported the motion put forth by Ken Adams to allocate the $30,000.  And let me explain why I support this motion.
In mid December of 2015, my company received a letter from the IRS, stating that they wanted to do an audit of our books. Â For those of you who have ever received one of these letters, they send a chill up and down your spine. Either I or my company has been audited by the IRS 3 times. 1997, 1999, and 2015. Â Interestingly enough, these are the same 3 years in which I ran for public office. I have never gotten past these, and the concept of ever receiving another letter from the IRS is enough to scare most anyone away from running for office or for being involved in American politics. Â
In 1997 and 1999, I was running against a Democrat – but in 2015, it was very different.  I was running against a former member of the Republican party in Shenandoah County for the Board of Supervisors.  Meaning that in all likelihood, it was a former Republican Committee member (I can’t prove this but most likely a previous chair of the Committee) who reported my company to the IRS.   See, we tend to think that this was something that only Democrats do to Republicans, but the fact is that weaponizing an arm of the federal government happens with both parties. In 1974, Article 2 Section 1 of Richard Nixon’s Impeachment states and I quote: He has, acting personally and through his subordinates and agents, endeavored to obtain from the Internal Revenue Service, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, confidential information contained in income tax returns for purposes not authorized by law, and to cause, in violation of the constitutional rights of citizens, income tax audits or other income tax investigations to be initiated or conducted in a discriminatory manner.  Aka Richard Nixon was forced to resign from office for weaponizing the IRS against his political enemies. Â
For the record, the IRS gave to us a clean bill of health – but the cost in accountant’s fees was tremendous (over $20,000).  Not to mention the angst that anyone goes through when receiving audit papers from the IRS. All of this because I helped orchestrate the removal of a liberal Republican from the party because he repeatedly advocated tax increases on working families. Â
We need to be the party of law and order. Â Not of using the government as a weapon against our political opponents or those who we are campaigning against. Â
During this past 6th District GOP Convention, there were multiple allegations hurled at then Chairman Scott Sayre, by supporters of his opponent.  These allegations were all filed with the FEC during the last 2 weeks leading up to the convention. I have not looked at these allegations personally, other than I have a vague idea as to what they are about.  Allegations which were filed within 2 weeks of a nominating deadline are often found to be specious. We cannot say for certain this is the case – maybe there is some truth to these allegations, maybe not.
But the fact is these allegations were brought by Republicans against a duly elected Republican, 6th District Chairman Scott Sayre. Â And not only were these allegations brought against Scott Sayre, they were brought against 2 other members of the District Committee and the Committee as a whole. Â
There is no guarantee that RPV will pay for the legal costs necessary to defend both the Committee or the members of the Committee named in the lawsuit. Â However you felt about Sayre vs Jennifer Brown, the fact is that we need to come together as a Committee, and the fact is that we need good people to both run for office and work on campaigns. Â Republicans should not be filing federal allegations against other Republicans, and to make sure we have a fresh supply of volunteers, it is imperative that those people who are on the Committee and the Committee itself be defended properly. Â The sum of $30,000 for a retainer may seem high, but the fact is that election law is very complex and you need a specialist. For the record, these allegations may be factually based. And if they are, I will be highly disappointed in my friends. Â But the fact is that the timing of the FEC filings is suspicious at best. This was a prudent vote taken by 2/3 of the 6th District Committee. Â
There has been a lot of misinformation about the Committee paying for legal fees for Cynthia Dunbar.  For the record, yes it is true that Cynthia Dunbar did retain this law firm. But seeing as this firm has many attorneys who practice Federal Election Campaign law, the rest is meaningless.  For the record, the motion which passed by the Committee specifically bars the Committee from having or even being allowed to pay for any legal expenses incurred by Cynthia Dunbar. There have been many wild claims stating that the Committee is trying to pay for Mrs. Dunbar’s legal bills.  No way ever that I or most of the people who voted for the allocation of the $30,000 would have ever voted to pay for a congressional candidate’s legal fees – whether they supported that person in the nominating process or not. The motion put forth by Ken Adams strictly prohibits any non member of the Committee from having Committee money going towards their representation. Â
It is my hope and the hope of most everyone who voted for the motion to allocate $30,000 to retain a law firm to defend the 6th District Committee that this matter can be dealt with quickly and judiciously, and that we can get go onto the matter at hand – which is to get Ben Cline and Corey Stewart elected.  But the people who filed the FEC claims must remember that they also named the Committee in the ethics claim. The Committee must be allowed to defend itself. There is no guarantee that RPV will defend the Committee in any legal action.  We need good people to serve, and people who serve must not be afraid that they will be handed legal papers just because they have a different political point of view than others.
People who oppose this faction of the GOP say that we should be made to “own our votesâ€.  My name is John Massoud, I am the Vice Chair of the 6th District GOP Congressional Committee.  I am proud of my vote to protect my fellow Republicans.  I would take these actions again to protect anyone who wishes to serve the cause of liberty.  I would vote this way again – to even serve those who would prefer someone else have won my seat on the Committee.  I own this vote, and will wear it as a badge of honor for the rest of my natural life. I will also own my vote this coming November to elect Ben Cline to Congress and Corey Stewart to the US Senate and I will wear those as a badge of honor for the rest of my life. Â
24 comments
Dear readers:
This business is registered in VA. This business does not own the name tho.
It is not registered ANYWHERE in the 6th, but in Stafford VA. Go check. YOU are, like idiots, following a fake news outlet from far far away, that doesn’t even reside in our District.
So please quit reading, listening and following a medium that doesn’t even pay taxes in the district.
Ok Hillary… You are sound like her. “Boo-hoo I got audited”. Well, you bid for gov contracts, what did you expect.
“The party must pay the legal fees for my investigation for violating the law”. Very Hillary too, she made democrats pay for her email investigation lawyers and now you voted to make republicans pay legal fees for those investigated for violating the law.
Please leave the Republican party, your antics are very Hillary and we don’t like that.
If prior leaders screwed up and are under investigation, that IS law and order. You seem to think it only applies to others but that’s how it works. Btw, Hillary said the same over the emails. So you sound like Hillary 4 times.
Also,
It was wrong and reprehensible for Team Hillary, it’s equally wrong and reprehensible for Team 6th (as well the out-of-statists.)
The local district treasury is not your nor anyone else’s legal defense fund.
That money was given to elect Republicans, how much of it was raised before Mr. Sayre and Ms. Dunbar?
If you wanted to raise money to help protect committee members, have a fundraiser for that purpose.
To me it looks like you betrayed the donors and the fundraising that created the surplus.
I’m sorry I see it as looting the party treasury, same as when Brat won, same as Frederick.
If I was a Republican donor in the 6th, I wouldn’t give money to the 6th — I’d give it to Cline, Stewart, and hell, even Whitbeck and RPV.
Color me disappointed.
We are now living in a world in which party Elites unabashedly have declared war upon the rank and file of their parties, especially if those rank and file members are bucking The Program, so to speak. In this increasingly lawless world, the Elites will do anything to target, to freeze and to destroy anyone who dares step out of line. It is not only character assassination and dirty tricks that are the weapons of choice, but also ever increasingly, it is the full use of the instruments of the government apparatus (the IRS, or any of the various government agencies and commissions, court actions, etc.) which is brought to bear upon the hapless ‘citizens’ who dare to resist Leviathan.
Given that party Elites and their cronies these days are acting more like crime syndicates than not, just maybe it is time to rethink things … things like the means to collective security. In effect, when we give to our committees maybe we ought to begin to think that occasionally we might have to use some of our funds in unconventional ways.
Unusual times give birth to unusual solutions.
So much BS… incredible.
If you are accused of violating the law, but did no wrong, you don’t need a,lawyer. Only those that screw up need lawyers.
Same way this bull talker Yousof Massoud needed accountants to correct his books during the audits.
Only guilty people hire lawyers
“If you are accused of violating the law, but did no wrong, you don’t need a,[sic] lawyer.”
Sure … only the guilty end up in jail. Really a brilliant statement! Somebody ought to give you an award for this one!
You cannot be serious. Anyone charged with a crime needs a lawyer, whether they are guilty or innocent. Do you assume no innocent people are ever charge with any crime?
And it doesn’t hurt to have a gaggle in your pocket.
In today’s litigious world, hiring a ‘law-talker’ unfortunately is like the right to bear arms, then having one on retainer is open carry.
IF the district was to be fined or sued, the most they could get is the full treasury, and/or then go after the RPV parent organization.
Did the people accused of complaints directly benefit from this largesse? Did they vote for it? Did they propose it?
At least one thing the 6th committee IS guilty of is THIS poor judgement.
Don’t do the time if you can’t throw a dime. (HT to Baretta)
You are absolutely right, the party elite claiming the hard fought and hard won treasure from the rank and file is the epitome of a declaration of war upon the grassroots.
What other unusual solutions could have been visited by and upon the tyrannical elites of the 6th?
The 6th district is being sued. What should they do? Plead guilty and accept a fine?
Yes, if they are, but not from committee funds raised to elect Republicans.
What does the lawsuit say? What was the filed FEC Complaint?
‘The sky is falling, someone might have caught some of us doing something sketchy, we just elected a new Chairman, let’s drain the entire treasury!’
Wrong things are now ok for a tyranny of the majority?
Which subcommittees were empowered to look into this issue for alternatives, which charges were reviewed, which legal firms were evaluated?
Start a legal defense fund, crowdsource and gofundme, put some thought into it.
You can’t throw a dime across a gathering of Republicans without hitting a lawyer, I refuse to believe that none of these would help you get a discount or find a VIRGINIA lawyer in this field.
Was the district guilty of anything? Were the officers? Is a fine deserved? Seek the truth. Determine that THEN raise the money.
Seems awfully convenient that this entire ‘scheme’ spontaneously burst into being at this meeting and the ensuing rush to justice moved a buttload of party money into out of state coffers that ultimately would cover the actions of a few that may or may not have done sketchy things deserving of explanation and penalization, what’s wrong with this picture?
I hope the party leadership looks into this and condemns and corrects those who would damage our processes, our brand, and our reputation.
As usual, those who scream the loudest are either directly apart of or are supportive of that infamous army, and what should we call them? Perhaps they are the Grand Old Army, the Engineers of the Status Quo? Maybe a bit long winded, but nonetheless, this still would be the same crowd which has been in the business of killing off anything good in America for all my living memory. Such types, of course, are the same ones who conspicuously run about the countryside waving pocket Constitutions in the air — but only for as long as it takes to get the party’s nomination and/or get elected to office. After that, it’s bye, bye everything and anything that counts.
Now that I got that off my my chest, here’s the big question. While the Party Globalist Elites have managed to wrest control of the 6th District chair, what do they really rule over? So far, Jennifer Brown is beginning to look to be a party of one and at odd with her would be fellow patriots.
My real vote of thanks go out to those patriots who give heed to and care for those whom the powerful ruthlessly would like to destroy, and all in the course of a sad, and indeed very, very sad quest for power.
As I said. Tons of bull-crap.
Only guilty people hire lawyers. If you really did nothing wrong, they will find nothing to accuse you of.
And the party money is not to pay lawyers for people or candidates, unless you are crooked Hillary.
And this Yousof Massoud is crooked Hillary. He voted for it. He should leave the party because he is a Demicrat. Sure acts like one, all Hillary.
Folks! I may have just found a reason to stop posting on TBE.
Do you think that imposter commenter speaks for TBE? Please. You’re smarter than that…I’ve seen it many times.
Well, he seems to have the inside skinny on the REAL ownership of TBE behind the hidden shell corporations and interlocking boards of directors. Me and Big Ed will not rest until we discover the links to Soros!!!
I don’t blame you.
He’s a lawyer just trying to get a rise out of people he dislikes with these silly statements. I’m sure he has defended many innocent people.
Good luck with that, I’m still trying to find a 12 Step program that works, seem to have plenty of sponsors here though.
Again, seriously? No innocent person has EVER been charged with a crime? Wow, just wow.
Mr. Justo, please stick with one name when you comment here. And please refrain from name calling and insulting our posters. Consider this a warning.
BTW, aren’t YOU a lawyer? You’ve never defended an innocent client?
I think lawyers represent their client to their best ability, innocence is left to the jury.
Still, the first thing to do is kill them all. (HT to Shakespeare)