Candidates Profiting Off Of Government Spending That They Campaign Against
In his quest for West Virginia's Senate seat, Republican John Raese frequently attacks "professional politicians' out-of-control spending spree" as he promises voters that he'll rein in the federal budget. What the businessman-turned-politician leaves unspoken is that his own company has benefited from taxpayer spending. Greer Industries Inc. sold $2.7 million of products to the federal government and $29 million in raw materials to the state in the last five years.
In Appleton, Wis., Republican House candidate Reid Ribble bashed the stimulus even though a construction firm owned by members of his family won a contract for $130,000 in stimulus funds to repair the roof of a local elementary school, the candidate's nephew and new owner of the company, Troy Ribble, confirmed.
Republican businessman Tom Ganley, running a well-funded campaign for Ohio's 13th District, south of Cleveland, is one of several auto dealers seeking congressional seats who now denounce the "cash for clunkers" program but earlier took advantage of part of it.
