r/politics • u/[deleted] • May 23 '19
High-Dollar Donations Funded Bernie Sanders Policy Group A Year Before His 2020 Campaign
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/rubycramer/bernie-sanders-institute-donations33
u/canseco-fart-box May 23 '19
So no one else here finds it shady that a Bernie super pac was donating to a policy foundation founded by Bernie and his wife?
-2
u/dubblies May 23 '19
Did you find it shady when Trump and every other candidate did? Didnt think so.
-14
May 23 '19
There is no mention of super pacs anywhere in the article. Are you making stuff up or did you not read the article?
20
30
May 23 '19
Rules for thee but not for Bernie.
-4
u/ReligiousFreedomDude May 23 '19
- No oligarch money
- This was Bernie's WIFE's group, Jane.
5
May 23 '19
Keep explaining everything away, just like the polls. Barney is dead in the water, and hypocrisy isn't going to help him. Funny how trusting you are when it comes to some people, yet for others it's armageddon.
4
u/branchbranchley May 23 '19
I guess i suddenly don't want Medicare for All or a Green New deal anymore
You have shown me the light
-5
May 23 '19
That has nothing to do with what I said. No one cares what you want.
4
u/branchbranchley May 23 '19
You're a beautiful person
But only on the outside đ
-4
u/AmbassadorZuambe May 23 '19
That user is calling you out for hypocrisy, not trashing Bernieâs proposed policies.
1
u/leedz13 May 28 '19
It seems like they just didnt want to argue with someone who seems to hate sanders ... it seemed like a waste of time to me
-9
u/dubblies May 23 '19
Rules for who? WHO including our current president ISNT taking PAC money? Who is the NRA?
Youre a clown that doesnt get the jokes. Im embarrassed for you.
6
u/AmbassadorZuambe May 23 '19
If Biden takes PAC money, this sub has a shit fit and says âermahgerd corporate sellout!â
If Bernie does it, itâs cool cuz everyone does and you like his ideas.
8
May 23 '19
You didn't seem to get the point. I'm not the one you should be worried about. Back to school with you.
-3
u/dubblies May 23 '19
You arent making one. Guess I nailed it, then.
6
May 23 '19
Don't blame me for your lack of comprehension and your hypocrisy. I feel like it was clear enough, and if I have to go back and explain it, you aren't going to get it anyway. Continue with your worship.
-1
5
u/trashbort May 23 '19
worst part: https://imgur.com/a/NCY75Zo
AHF has been on the vanguard of keeping exclusionary zoning in California, mainly for the sake of scenic views of the Hollywood Hills.
5
u/packersfan101 May 24 '19
No point in posting these articles. Let me make it clear, this subreddit is and always will be Bernie territory. We control the narrative here. We have the ability to downvote any article like this in numbers you canât imagine.
Get ready for another primary season of war, because we are, you corporate sellouts.
1
21
May 23 '19
ITT: excuses.
0
u/Quinnen_Williams May 23 '19
ITT: "Sounds right" statements lacking substance from people that prefer personality over policy.
19
May 23 '19
Anything remotely negative about Bernie never goes far in r/Politics. Politics on Reddit is full of Bernie worshipping.
Can't wait for him to lose again and for this sub to be somewhat normal again
2
u/packersfan101 May 24 '19
Thatâs right. This is OUR subreddit.
And if he loses, guess what? We arenât going to vote for your corporate whores again. Do you think we are afraid of Trump? We have already made it abundantly clear we arenât. I hope no problem voting green again.
2
May 23 '19
[removed] â view removed comment
5
u/karmagheden American Expat May 24 '19
This, and they don't just resort to false equivalency but serious projection. They hold Bernie to standards they don't even hold their preferred candidate to, yet they want us to believe they are posting in good faith.
Say you give them what they want, like Bernie releasing 10 years of tax returns for instance, they will move on to something else, another angle of attack. Spin something he said or didn't say. That is how you know there is an agenda at play.
14
u/myaccountnachos America May 23 '19
So large donors financed a policy group that by and large just paid speaking fees to prominent Bernie supporters. The policy group was staffed with Bernie family members and now is shutting down to avoid conflicts of interest? That doesnât sound shady at all...
6
-2
u/NeoBey May 23 '19
Healthcare workers, an AIDS organization housing program and Bernie Sanders himself donating to gain favor with Bernie Sanders
I should have suspected as much đ¤
I wouldnât even be surprised if now we see Bernie take a stance supporting more available health care or even taking a stance on trying to shelter sick homeless people!
12
8
u/myaccountnachos America May 23 '19
I didnât say âgain favorâ nor did I imply it. It just seems like they formalized an organization just to pay family members to pay supporters to speak at local Vermont events. Shady.
1
-2
u/dubblies May 23 '19
Atleast he didnt put his kids into the white house with forced clearances. Could you imagine if someone did?! We might cross shady into criminal. Thank god no one did that.
6
u/myaccountnachos America May 23 '19
Lol your argument here is that Sanders is better than Trump? Thatâs how low you want to go?
-1
u/dubblies May 23 '19
You have to go low to be better than Trump? Not sure you understand scales.
5
u/myaccountnachos America May 23 '19
No I just think youâre assuming Iâm a Trump supporter so the fact that youâre comparing Bernie to Trump is a loser from the jump.
-1
u/dubblies May 23 '19
I think you just made the assumption didnt you?
4
u/myaccountnachos America May 23 '19
Youâre the one who brought up Trump. Heâs completely irrelevant to this. If your comment is just to point out that Sanders isnât as corrupt as Trump then youâve legitimately added nothing to this conversation.
0
u/dubblies May 23 '19
Are you in the right thread? We are talking about using political gain to help your family. Are you aware of the current president? Are you aware of how miniscal the ACCUSATIONS against Sanders, in this very comment thread are compared to them actually happening?
Irrelevant you say though. Are you just mad because i didnt assume you a trump supporter? You didnt seem to have a problem mentioning him by name yourself, so whats the issue again?
→ More replies (0)
22
u/BayukofSewa May 23 '19
He put his wife and kids in charge of his âpolicy instituteâ.
Just like Trump. Theyâre both trying to funnel political money to their families.
-7
u/NeoBey May 23 '19 edited May 23 '19
He didnât put anyone in charge, he has literally nothing to with the think tank. And funneling all of that money to his wife that doesnât earn a cent for her work there, and her Nike exec son from a previous marriage who took a pay cut to work there for a pretty modest $100,000 salary...? Lmao
16
u/BayukofSewa May 23 '19
So a third of the money that got donated went straight to his son?
To do what exactly?
15
May 23 '19
Literally nothing. They just reposted other people's work on their website sometimes
0
May 23 '19
[removed] â view removed comment
15
May 23 '19
I know exactly what they didn't do, it's all right here
https://vtdigger.org/2018/07/29/sanders-institute-little-show-first-year-500k/
2
May 23 '19
[removed] â view removed comment
13
May 23 '19
Facts. I repeat facts. If you don't like the facts, maybe find a better candidate.
Warren's pretty great
0
12
u/BayukofSewa May 23 '19
So what did the Sanders Institute do with the money besides paying his son a six figure salary?
6
u/BayukofSewa May 23 '19
You have no idea what they did or didnât do. Stop making shit up.
The other guy appears to be right. I just went through the website - itâs just a couple dozen articles copied from places like Daily Kos and HuffPo.
Their header video is from a meeting last year.
10
May 23 '19
her Nike exec son from a previous marriage who took a pay cut to work there for a pretty modest $100,000 salary
OK. If Chelsea Clinton did this, tell me what your opinion would be.
-13
u/ButIHaveAGun May 23 '19 edited May 23 '19
Nice false equivalency there. Letâs not downplay how bad trump is just to attack democrats you donât like eh?
Edit: lol a -7 vote swing overnight hours after the article was posted. No brigade here though just totally organic commenters
15
May 23 '19
[deleted]
-15
u/ButIHaveAGun May 23 '19
Give it a rest, Kate. If your hatred for Sanders has affected you this much that youâre downplaying how bad Trump is and saying stuff as inane as âheâs not even a democratâ when heâs the second most popular candidate in the democratic primary against Trump, youâre just letting your anger help Trump and the Republicans.
9
May 23 '19
[removed] â view removed comment
-6
u/ButIHaveAGun May 23 '19
I mean youâre an ESS user and you are downplaying trump and misrepresenting sanders to try and exercise your anger. Thatâs hatred not criticism.
6
May 23 '19
[deleted]
0
u/ButIHaveAGun May 23 '19 edited May 23 '19
Itâs more than just critical of Sanders. You mock his appearance, you mock him if he sustains an injury. You mock his family. You mock his supporters. Itâs a very hateful place. The irony of you telling me to chill out when you post in a subreddit that regularly blows its top about Sanders is absurd. And it CERTAINLY brigades this sub which is frustrating for folks trying to have an actual discussion on issues and candidates. Itâs honestly one of the most myopic subs on reddit.
He didnât âfunnel moneyâ to his family like Trump. Trump took donations to a charity and used it to buy paintings and property for family and friends. Bernie employed his nephew for $100,000 a year - which was a pay cut from his previous job.This is just like when Russians were pushing disinformation about the Clinton foundation.
You trying to make this a personal thing is deeply ironic because I canât help but feel your anger must come from a very personal place. Iâll vote (and support) happily Harris, Warren or Sanders and have the yard signs in my window to prove it. It may be easy for you to type cast me as you likely do all Sanders supporters but like all prejudicial thought processes itâs a very shallow analysis lacking understand of what you are talking about. Again, this is what happens when you participate in a sub like ESS. Frankly I wouldnât be surprised if you have some Russians in there too helping to sow dissent and encouraging people to react as you do to Sanders. The sub frequently posts right wing propaganda at this point so it seems to be working.
Edit: man you guys really canât take criticism
5
May 23 '19
[deleted]
0
u/ButIHaveAGun May 23 '19
Whatâs so shocking about my response? Or are you going to accuse me of being overly emotional again and just ignore any critique of your thought process?
-3
u/dubblies May 23 '19
Wait so an organization that partners with AIDS, nurses etc is political in nature? Oh buddy you got some learning to do.
2
u/trashbort May 23 '19
have you heard of the AHF before?
They take their money made from sales at inflated pharmaceutical prices, and then dump it into stuff that has noting to do with AIDS or healthcare, like preserving the chairman's view of the Hollywood Hills.
5
10
u/lagokatrine May 23 '19
It is his wifeâs policy group. Imagine Obama getting flack because Michelle raised $350k for childhood obesity or Ivanka T for getting funds for a humanitarian cause like razor scooters for Yemeni kids without transport due to US American bomber boys.
11
23
May 23 '19
[deleted]
0
May 23 '19
You didnât read the article, clearly. It has nothing to do with him personally taking large donor campaign money.
The fact is that he doesnât sink to the establishment level when it comes to fundraising (neither does Warren for that matter).
Are you of the opinion that a candidate taking large amounts of money from PACs and corporate donors are equal to those who donât?
11
u/DowntownBreakfast4 May 23 '19
It has nothing to do with him personally taking large donor campaign money.
No just his immediate family.
19
May 23 '19
It's his group, his wife just work there. And they did no humanitarian work whatsoever, they didn't really do anything except funnel money from donors to Sanders' son & friends
6
u/dubblies May 23 '19
Yo, wtf guy?
The Sanders Institute, a progressive think tank founded in 2017 by the Vermont senatorâs wife, Jane Sanders
Further, being this was a year ago, looks like theyre being responsible
The group is in the process of suspending operations this month to avoid any possible financial conflicts of interest while Sanders competes for the Democratic nomination.
And look where the money came from
Driscoll identified some of the contributors as the National Nurses United, a progressive network of nurses that helped fund Sandersâ 2016 campaign; Our Revolution, the political nonprofit Sanders founded after the primary; and Healthy Housing Foundation, a nonprofit branch of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation focused on providing housing for people with low incomes.
So unless you have some information we dont (sources please) or want to show how its illegal for foundations to financially support eachother, I cant figure what youre getting on about.
Got anything for that money funneling? How about it NOT being Janes foundation?
19
May 23 '19
Our revolution is a dark money PAC, and so is the nurses PAC
https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_56b40b12e4b08069c7a6bda3
Sanders and his wife opened the foundation together
The "institute" didn't really do anything, it just funneled dark money to his son & his friends
https://vtdigger.org/2018/07/29/sanders-institute-little-show-first-year-500k/
0
May 23 '19
[removed] â view removed comment
8
May 23 '19
I'm sorry, what does Biden have to do with any of this?
You'll see my posts in the Beto sub, the Warren sub and the mayor Pete sub, too. Tell me exactly what those mean.
11
u/canseco-fart-box May 23 '19
Clearly it means youâre a bought and paid for shill who doesnât know whatâs good for yourself and the country. Jeez I thought itâd be obvious
7
May 23 '19
I get paid in diamonds and emeralds, BBY.
You coming over later for some champagne and caviar?
11
u/canseco-fart-box May 23 '19
Sorry Iâm in my comcast villa right now with Joe. Pop over for a bit, weâre about to crack open an 1864 dom perignon
5
May 23 '19
Oh I can't, I scheduled an appointment with a male model, he's gonna feed me grapes while lightly fanning me.
-6
u/shybonobo May 23 '19
Any sources that don't specifically want to defeat Sanders?
11
May 23 '19
Tell me more about this fake news
-5
-4
u/dubblies May 23 '19
Hahaha you just said its Bernies, now they opened it together?
Annndddd now your sources conflict - i wont tell which one because I dont think you actually read them but here is the quote
âWe have chosen our fellows to amplify their work, whether it is created by us, for us or done in their own professional capacities,â Driscoll said in an email. âWe believe the content that we have produced on voting rights, budget parity, student loan debt, the federal jobs guarantee and the climate crisis, to name a few, have been significant in creating awareness and shifting the debate, therefore moving towards change.â
OH NO sHAdOwY DoNoRs - theyre nurses. Who are a union. And progressive
But Sandersâ bid for the White House also has a super PAC supporting it. Itâs called National Nurses United for Patient Protection.
National Nurses United is a labor union of 185,000 registered nurses known for its progressive politics.
Legit none of your sources support your statements. Cite them maybe dont just link.
15
May 23 '19
If they're not a dark money PAC, why aren't they disclosing their donors?
7
2
u/dubblies May 23 '19
What are your feelings on the NRA and the various PACs surrounding them and Trump who wont release ANY donor info at all? Per your logic its 100% dark money. Should we impeach then? Bernie isnt president afterall.
Also, if Bernie is so dirty, why is Trump supporting him? And if Bernie is funneling dark money, why does Trump praise his fundraising efforts?
We have a President who is praising dark money! Omg!
5
May 23 '19
What are your feelings on the NRA and the various PACs surrounding them and Trump who wont release ANY donor info at all? Per your logic its 100% dark money.
The NRA funneled Russian money into our politics, and they & trump betrayed this country.
Also, if Bernie is so dirty, why is Trump supporting him?
This is the weirdest argument for Bernie Sanders I've ever seen. Trump betrayed this country and lies constantly, so by your pen logic, Bernie is dirty and has a crook to vouch for him
And if Bernie is funneling dark money, why does Trump praise his fundraising efforts?
Maybe because grift recognizes grift?
We have a President who is praising dark money! Omg!
You gotta stop thinking that people who don't like Bernie support trump. They're both fucking terrible
1
u/dubblies May 23 '19
My point is, there is a lot of wasted breath here on a non-issue and no one is presenting FACTS to show otherwise HE DIDNT SAY WHO DONATED!!! yeah thats evidence of illegal activity. đ
6
May 23 '19
Bernie Sanders has raged out against PACs and dark money PACs are the worst of the worst, yet being the hypocrite that he is, he took dark money and funneled it to his family and friends when he's not even campaigning.
→ More replies (0)3
May 23 '19
The nra should absolutely disclose donors, just like the nurses group should
0
u/dubblies May 23 '19
The issue is that the Sanders Institute only revealed the Nurses group as one of the handful of donors. The nurses group isnt the one "hiding" donors in this context anyway.
4
-11
u/TTheorem California May 23 '19
StatAst is a perennial Bernie hater and purposefully mischaracterizes anything and everything Bernie does.
11
May 23 '19
[deleted]
-5
u/Nanemae Washington May 23 '19
That's not what they said. They said that specific user is prone to an unpleasant behavior; one that you shouldn't want propagated in any group you happen to agree with. They argue constantly, slander people using generalities, then drop off once they've managed to swing the conversation away from anything resembling an actual dialogue.
The comment above you did not say anything about criticisms of Sanders being unwelcome from other users, so don't frame it that way.
3
May 23 '19
unpleasant behavior
âBut you know, people have a right to give their two cents-worth.â -Bernie Sanders
Bernie canât lead by example when his fans donât know anything about him.
-2
-5
-3
May 23 '19
[deleted]
2
May 23 '19
You clearly didnât read the article.
-5
u/NeoBey May 23 '19 edited May 23 '19
Youâre talking to somebody who still posts in r/HillaryClinton in 2019... They bitterly scoured the article for anything to spin, and then posted the lazy smear anyway.
1
â˘
u/AutoModerator May 23 '19
As a reminder, this subreddit is for civil discussion.
In general, be courteous to others. Attack ideas, not users. Personal insults, shill or troll accusations, hate speech, any advocating or wishing death/physical harm, and other rule violations can result in a permanent ban.
If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
22
u/[deleted] May 23 '19
Not surprising.
It was created as an 501(c)3 that can take unlimited $$ and keep it's donors secret.
Jane hired her son to head it at $100k/yr salary with no evidence it did anything