Does This Warrant Watching?

rieleyandcalabro   Earlier this year Republicans in Sussex County were treated to quite the show of how not to raise funds.  Some of you may remember how the newly elected Chairman of the Sussex County GOP Executive Committee, Vince Calabro, was involved in a fundraiser that drew quite a lot of attention.

Mr. Calabro and other members of the Sussex GOP put on a fundraiser under the name of an unfiled PAC, they then made any number of excuses, and blamed everyone but themselves, for not knowing the rules. There is still approximately $1,000.00 cash that was collected, that has never been accounted for, also the current “ACTING” Chairman Fred Silva,fred silva has not fully explained the blurring of the lines between the PAC and the Sussex GOP, and about the Sussex GOP’s involvement in this potentially illegal fundraiser(that’s Fred playing bartender at the fundraiser by the way). Vince Calabro has since resigned with no explanation as to why, or to his involvement in the fundraiser.

So just a few short months since the dust settled on that fiasco, we have the announcement of another fundraiser being held in the private home of former Sussex Chairman, John Rieley.

Now, one would hope that lessons were learned during the previous blunders, but time will tell. Here is an announcement posted on Mr. Rieley’s  Facebook page.

Rieley Fund raiser   Rieley Fund raiser  This has been edited only to remove Mr. Rieley’s home address.

So as you can see, the former Chairman is hosting a fundraiser at his home to raise money for the Sussex County Republican Committee.

Well, considering that the Sussex Republican Committee never raised any funds during Mr. Rieley’s tenure as Chairman, other than filing fees, and some small donations from members of the Committee, this is quite the surprise. We wish him luck.

We will also be watching to see, if as I said earlier, were lessons learned, or will Mr. Rieley make the same mistakes as Mr. Calabro, or possibly make some new ones?

Since he has stated that the fundraiser is to benefit the Sussex Republican Committee, we would expect this time, that Mr. Rieley would ask for checks to be made out directly to that committee, rather than a third-party, as was the case with the Calabro folly, and would shy away from cash donations. We would also expect clear and accurate reporting of all monies raised according to the law, again, unlike the previous attempt at fund-raising.

And before I write this last part, and before someone says how inappropriate it is, let me just say, if you don’t want your business talked about in the street, then don’t be putting your business out in the street.

While it is commendable for Mr. Rieley to host a fund-raiser at his home, one does have to wonder if it is a good idea, considering that just five months ago his children created a Go Fund Me account, and were sharing it around Facebook, asking people to donate to help their parents out of financial difficulties.

Rieley go fund me

If this account could only raise $2,000.00 in five months, will they be able to raise enough in one night to even cover the cost of the refreshments? Let alone actually raising money for the party?

July 18th is after the next scheduled monthly meeting of the Sussex GOP, so we will have to wait until the August meeting and the Treasurer’s report, I am sure we will all be anxiously awaiting that report. One can only hope that this time things will be kept above-board and open and transparent, after all, as Republicans, that is our hue and cry.

 

17 Comments on "Does This Warrant Watching?"

  1. Shaun Rieley says:

    Actually, Frank, that $2000 was raised in about 3 days. The account was created five months ago, but we opted to hold off on making it public, because we were concerned about the optics (or, as you say, “putting our business on the street”). Then, a few months later, there was a minor emergency in my parent’s house — a leak flooded the kitchen — and so we decided to go ahead and make it public and ask people to help them out.

    The reason only $2000 was raised was that it quickly became clear that some were using it for I’ll purposes — such as the way it is being used in this post — so we stopped promoting it, thinking that it might do more harm than good to our father.

  2. fightingbluehen says:

    “While it is commendable for Mr. Rieley to host a fund-raiser at his home, one does have to wonder if it is a good idea, considering that just five months ago his children created a Go Fund Me account, and were sharing it around Facebook, asking people to donate to help their parents out of financial difficulties.”

    I don’t know the story behind the “Go Fund Me account” ,but generally speaking, if you’re at a point financially where your children are out panhandling for you, I would think that there could be more responsible things to do with your time than messing around with party politics.

  3. fightingbluehen says:

    I guess on the other hand we could be impressed that the Rieley children would care enough to do that for their parents.

  4. *COUGH* says:

    While it is commendable for Mr. Rieley to host a fund-raiser at his home, one does have to wonder if it is a good idea, considering that just five months ago his children created a Go Fund Me account, and were sharing it around Facebook, asking people to donate to help their parents out of financial difficulties.

    This is where I point out that in 2010, you, Frank Knotts, thought it was a “good idea” to back a candidate for US Senate whose financial problems were so overwhelming they made international news and turned the DEGOP into a worldwide joke. Rieley looks like the love child of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett next to that train wreck.

  5. Frank Knotts says:

    And Cough, I point again to lessons learned.

  6. David W. Long says:

    “One can only hope that this time things will be kept above-board and open and transparent, after all, as Republicans, that is our hue and cry.”

    When did the Republicans suddenly get so high and mighty, Frank? They constantly bicker, they don’t support anything except themselves, and they do just as much damage to America as the Democrats! I think Sussex County is tired of their “go along to get along” garbage, and the Dems’ handouts. Wake up and smell the coffee: Republicans and Democrats are just two sides of the same coin. Supporting either, is supporting both.

  7. JS says:

    Since the failed fund raiser was ostensibly to celebrate and thank Mr. Rieley, the “Go Fund” me effort may explain the missing $1000. Of course, i’m sure that Vince left John enough “wiggle room” to provide cover.

  8. Shaun Rieley says:

    Given that my father is a good, honest man who has never had enemies before, we, his children, thought nothing of asking friends to help him out in a time of need. But, we underestimated the venom and back-biting of supposed political allies represented on this blog.

    No good deed goes unpunished, I guess. That goes double when Frank Knotts has a platform to spread his vitriol.

    What was begun as a campaign by my siblings to ask friends to help my family has ended in libel and slander, represented in the comment above. Disgusting.

    No wonder people stay out of politics in Delaware — and this is coming from someone who working national politics in DC.

  9. Dave says:

    Just an observation that broadcasting Mr. Rieley’s financial hardships cannot be very helpful to his new profession. Since he has so many children who should have some means now that they have reached adulthood, I wonder if some of them could not provide assistance and keep it in the family?

  10. Lou Ann Rieley says:

    Shaun, Don’t be personally dismayed at the unfortunate need Frank has to destroy everyone he can. You see the power struggles on a national level every day. Good men and women are maligned with false accusations that would attempt to silence their voices. As I have watched Frank’s
    antics for some time now, I have had to come to the conclusion that his only goal is to tear down anyone, except liberals and Democrats, for his own personal gain and fame. For a long time I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was trying to just bring a level of accountability and a different perspective to the process, but it has become increasingly clear that is not the case. I have yet to see or hear of anything constructive he has done since he helped Christine O’Donnell.
    I can only conclude he is trying to silence with fear and intimidation anyone who do have the best interest of our communities and state in their heart and are willing to serve as best as they can but, I do believe he may yet serve some positive function. If good men and women who step up to help in any capacity, whether have a fundraiser, run for office, volunteer to help a candidate, serve in the party structure, are intimidated into silence and inaction, by someone as insignificant as Frank Knotts, how are we going to be able to stand in the times of real persecution? The barbs that Frank throws should embolden us to continue to do the right things to the best of our ability and know that we are being tempered for greater responsibility in the turbulent political and cultural battles ahead.

  11. Long Time Observer says:

    I agree with Mrs. Rieley that I have yet to see Frank have a positive impact on the GOP at any meeting. I would go a bit further than Mrs. Rieley in that, Frank Knotts has maliciously slandered and libeled many people in his fabricated tirades. I am surprised that he and this blog hasn’t been sued yet.
    I’ve heard rumors and can’t tie them down that Frank will soon be served with papers from several people containing a lawsuit. However, nobody is talking and that’s probably the right thing to do. I wouldn’t be saying anything either. I wish I were a fly on the wall in the room. when he is served.

  12. Shaun Rieley says:

    I fail to see what a fundraising effort conducted on the part of my siblings and I amongst our friends has to do with party fundraising.

    And, for the record, the reason that it raised so relatively little was in large part because of Frank’s use of it to cause harm.

  13. Geezer says:

    ” I am surprised that he and this blog hasn’t been sued yet.”

    Give up, anonymous person who almost certainly is Don Ayotte. You have sung this sorry tune for years, mainly because you don’t understand the libel laws and you lack the skills to argue against Frank effectively.

    Frank couldn’t destroy anything if you people weren’t ripe for destruction.

  14. Long Time Observer says:

    Geezer the Libtard finally crawl out from under a rock at Delaware Liberal to accuse yet another person of being Ayotte. Wrong again but not far off. By the way Geezer your show still sucks.
    Nice to see the Libtards are supporting Frank, because they’re the only ones.

  15. mouse says:

    Well, at least 1 Republican isn’t a bitter clinger full of misinformed talk radio rage and

  16. Little Frankie says:

    Wolf! Wolf! Wolf! Does anyone believe me yet?

  17. Rick says:

    Give up, anonymous person who almost certainly is Don Ayotte. You have sung this sorry tune for years, mainly because you don’t understand the libel laws and you lack the skills to argue against Frank effectively.

    Frank couldn’t destroy anything if you people weren’t ripe for destruction.

    Give up anonymous “Geezer” who is not a lawyer and almost certainly is WDEL’s Al Mashitty…Frank hasn’t destroyed anything but his own reputation.

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