Lee Bright (SC-ALEC) - Double Dipping????

Ran into this ditty on the web and most people would skip over it because of the site that it is located on – but  …  here’s few snips.

S.C. Sen. Lee Bright

Not only does Bright still owe the taxpayers money (nearly $10,000, as of last month), but he also has reportedly been delinquent in paying his campaign debts as well.  That’s why it’s a little disheartening to see him posting pictures of his wife and daughter heading out for a shopping excursion on their campaign-funded vacation …

Taking his wife and daughter to Salt Lake City, Utah for a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – a group that he has frequently reimbursed with campaign funds in the past

People across the United States need to keep in mind that the right wing is always talking about fraud and I am convinced that the reason they are so knowledgeable about fraud, is because they have found all the loopholes and know how to play the system.

In the snip above, there are a couple of things worth noting:

Bright still owe the taxpayers money (nearly $10,000, as of last month),

he also has reportedly been delinquent in paying his campaign debts as well

American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – a group that he has frequently reimbursed with campaign funds

While all three bother me – the last one bothers me most – why?

Because going to ALEC meetings is FREE!  Not only is he receiving a full “scholarship” from ALEC Corporate Profit Sector members to go to the meeting,  it appears from this post (which I have no reason to question) he is reimbursing himself from his campaign funds for the same trips which were totally paid for by ALEC Corporate Profit Sector members directly to him – at his home address.

If you don’t believe me – take a look at the funding available for legislators for the ALEC annual meeting - from the by-laws of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC):

Notice what is reimbursed from the "scholarship" fund:
TRAVEL
ROOM & tax
REGISTRATION

I am seeing this story repeated across the web – news articles talking about state money being paid for the ALEC trips.

Taxpayer money pays the legislator to go to an ALEC meeting.

Then the legislators receive the money for the same trip from the ALEC scholarship fund.

When was the last time you reimbursed twice for going on a “business’ trip?

So the question becomes

NOT – how much does an ALEC meeting cost.

BUT

How much more do legislators earn by going to an ALEC meeting?