Posted by Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ron Sparks tells Paul Finebaum yesterday how Sparks loaned his campaign half a million dollars.
First of all they looked at an ethics report, that’s not a financial statement. An ethics report says, ‘Where are you making your money?’
I am making my money as a Commissioner of Agriculture at the Department of Agriculture, but also I have land in north Alabama that sits on the brow. I have a home in Montgomery that’s worth anywhere from 300 to 350 thousand dollars. I don’t know which newspaper editor appraised my home, but there hasn’t been one in that subdivision sell for what they said, and not only that, no one is going to sell their home for what they pay taxes on it.
I’ve been very fortunate to build a retirement system up that I’ve got, and I only owe $60,000 to my name. So I’ve had the ability and the access to borrow money to lend my campaign, and as I raise money we will pay this money back and that’s the truth. But they have insinuated that I borrowed this money from the gambling interests which is absolutely totally false and, you know, I’ve had the ability, I’m a good credit risk. I’ve never bounced a check. I’ve never been late on a payment. I’m very conservative and everything I have is basically paid for. And I serve the state of Alabama as an executive and CEO of one of the largest agencies in the state and make $78,000 a year.
Some people care more about public service than they do self service, and I think I’m one of those individuals that have served the state well, and I had the ability to borrow this money from my bank, and I don’t know what the big deal is.
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The entire interview with Sparks can be found at this link at Finebaum’s website.
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The whole thing doesn’t hang together yet — maybe it will after he files a 2009 Statement of Economic Interests, but his 2008 form shows no debt whatsoever. The 60,000 should be indicated unless it’s owed on his home.
I understand Sparks was going to release some additional documents to clear this up. Any word on those?
Well, I’m confused. I look at the campaign finance report and it shows the loan from Sparks. But on the same line, there’s a space to liar who loaned HIM the money he loaned to his campaign. And that space is blank.
So the campaign finance report makes it look as though he had $500k in cash sitting around and loaned it to his campaign. Now he’s saying he borrowed the money. Does that mean he filled out his campaign finance report improperly and will be amending it?
There’s no shame in making an error on a report; just admit it and move on. But the dance of “I have the money and it’s nobody’s business where I got it” looks pretty suspicious. It’s pretty stupid of the campaign to let this go on for so long.
Sounds to me like Ole Ronnie just got caught lying on one or the other of his reports, and he’s still trying to dance around the issue! If you’ll notice he says “and that’s the truth”, as to say he doesn’t usually tell the truth. I have found that in most cases, someone who has to tell you they are telling the truth, usually isn’t.
So, what county is his “brow property” located? Maybe the reporters can check this out also!
Sparks is stating that in effect he has stretched himself to the limit to get this loan.
Now why would he do that unless he knew somoebody was going to pay it off.
ah!! keep digging..there has to be underhandedness going on here somewhere…the guy borrowed some money…and 500 grand damn sure ain’t what she used to be…
btw, why didn’t ya’ll worry about this??
“Robert Riley, Jr., and Bob Riley for Congress (AL/03) paid a $10,000 civil penalty for making and accepting, respectively, an excessive contribution.”
CC, get a life.
Business is probably down at the Pawn Shop. CC is closed, and no one has pawned their wedding rings for gas money.
Why not provide a link to the 2008 FEC press release on the Riley matter? However, that is a diversion from the issue at hand, a glimpse at how a candidate will behave in office.
why ya wanna pick on my business, anonymous?? yes business is down and has been for some time..i may even have to go try to borrow money from the bank to put into my business for the first time ever…you see, my money flys out the door and noone is buying much of anything except for guns, which btw, i make very little profit off of…i could go on and on telling you how bad business is if it would make you feel better..come down here and see me one day and i’ll show you my books..i can assure you we are not like “pawn stars” in las vegas..but i still do have a life, 2010..just ain’t quite as good as it used to be..come see me on the bingo threads..if you can find em..
waltm
February 26th, 2010 at 7:14 am
Why not provide a link to the 2008 FEC press release on the Riley matter?
i thought i did, walt..i see now that i slipped up..thank you for doing it..
According to http://www.emapsplus.com/aldekalb/maps/ he owns one lot in Dekalb County my guess when he said the Brow I am guessing he is talking about the Little River Canyon. It shows his one lot there is appraised at $6000 and its in Mountain Top Estates. And just as a thought I checked Cherokee too here http://www.alabamagis.com/Cherokee/disclaimer.cfm and I didn’t find any listing for him there.
Is there another county on the brow of the LRC?