Even before William Weld told Rachel Maddow’s MSNBC audience last night that “I’m here vouching for Mrs. Clinton,” Fox Business Network host and Reason contributor Kennedy, who had raised some eyebrows a month ago when she grilled Weld about his campaign behavior and motivations, gave Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson the what-for about his running mate[…]
“Please keep Bill Weld away from the Libertarian Party,” she pleaded with an awkwardly silent Johnson at the end of the interview (which you can view in full at this link). Libertarians of both the capital-L and small-l variety have treated Weld with suspicion ever since (and in fact a decade before) he converted to the party’s cause two weeks before this May’s nominating convention, at which the former Massachusetts squeaked by in a second ballot by the narrowest of margins on the bitterly divided convention floor. Five months of is he/is he not supporting Hillary Clinton later, many of those ideologically disposed to root for the Libertarian ticket have clearly had enough. Though it’s obviously anecdotal, I have never seen libertarian Twitter so nearly unanimous on a close-to-home political issue.
Chuck, Joe, and everyone:
I’m NOT providing a legal opinion on the campaign’s fundraising promises and expenditures in any way. I didn’t before. I won’t now. I won’t in the future.
I haven’t been receiving the donation emails. I don’t know the extent of promises or representations made by any of them this cycle. I couldn’t possibly opine on it because I am uninformed. I have zero involvement and intend to keep it that way.
If someone is a donor and feels aggrieved or misled, they have the option to seek legal advice about a civil action or to make a criminal complaint. I offer no opinion on the merits of any such actions.
Further, my opinion on how well Ron has spent money is based on publicly-available FEC reports and the attending results (polling, debates, etc.). I have no insider knowledge. I formed my opinion based on the available facts that all the money spent on “consulting” was not impactful in meeting the stated goals of the campaign.
LibertarianLeaks wrote:
Joe,
Ask Alicia whether she thinks it is actionable that the Johnson campaign has repeatedly lied in its fundraising emails claiming (falsely) that a 5% vote would directly result in nationwide ballot access in 2020.
William Weld is a FRAUD. He does not really believe in the principles of the Libertarian Party. He does not give a RAT’S ASS about the Libertarian Party, or libertarianism in general. He committed FRAUD when he signed the Libertarian Party’s statement of principles which is necessary to join the party. This is clearly evident by numerous statements he has made since becoming the LP’s VP nominee, and by the donations that he made to the big government Republican candidate for Governor of New Hampshire, who is running against a Libertarian in that race.
William Weld is a MEMBER OF THE CULT OF THE OMNIPOTENT STATE. He’s no friend of liberty. He is not one of us. He is the enemy.
“nthony Dlugos
November 3, 2016 at 12:31
lol.
Is there a conspiracy theory that Andy doesn’t buy? I mean, except for the ones he makes up and tries to sell?”
Alicia Dearn was an attorney for the Gary Johnson campaign in the 2012 election. It is not a stretch to say that she was doing the bidding of Gary Johnson in trying to shift delegate support to William Weld.
“Weld does not give a rat’s ass about the Libertarian Party, or liberty in general. He has just been using us.’
“Do we really have to explain to Andy how someone’s self-interest can redound to the benefit of an organization he or she is part of? You’d think a supporter of the free market would understand that.”
LOL! This has NOTHING to do with the free market. Anti-free market people hijacking the an organization that espouses free market principles, in the Libertarian Party, is NOT an example of the free market at work.
lol.
Is there a conspiracy theory that Andy doesn’t buy? I mean, except for the ones he makes up and tries to sell?
“Weld does not give a rat’s ass about the Libertarian Party, or liberty in general. He has just been using us.”
Do we really have to explain to Andy how someone’s self-interest can redound to the benefit of an organization he or she is part of? You’d think a supporter of the free market would understand that.
Apparently he’s a closet progressive that thinks anyone out for personal gain is suspect.
Of course, as Rand noted, the ones you really gotta worry about are the duplicitous lot who suggest they have a selfless calling.
“Bill Weld has brought more money (by the millions) into the LP’s presidential campaign and related interests than any other person in the party’s history, by a significant margin. That means he cared. He put his relationships and reputation on the line for our party.”
LOL!!!!!!!! Bill Weld does not give a rat’s ass about the Libertarian Party, or liberty in general. He has just been using us. The money that he has brought in has been squandered.
“Alicia Dearn: the evidence already shows that Ron paid himself millions. Very little was spent on advertising or other major needle movers.”
William Weld winning the LP VP nomination is in part Alicia Dearn’s fault. I think her bringing Weld up on stage at the convention was staged. Dearn was likely in the race for VP as a ringer, to help Weld get the nomination.
LL: Ron Nielson. And on what? Himself as a consultant (by the millions), his friends, and not on anything that got us any increases in the polls.
me: Can you be more specific? RN made more than $2MM on this campaign…are you sure?
Joseph Buchman forwards From Alicia Dearn’s Facebook Page: November 2nd (about 9PM)
Libertarians: since we are all sharpening our pitchforks, think about this.
Bill Weld has brought more money (by the millions) into the LP’s presidential campaign and related interests than any other person in the party’s history, by a significant margin. That means he cared. He put his relationships and reputation on the line for our party.
But who spent the money? Ron Nielson. And on what? Himself as a consultant (by the millions), his friends, and not on anything that got us any increases in the polls.
So who am I more mad at? The guy who stated on TV that he vouches for someone I don’t like?
Or the guy who took my money and time, and the money and time of all my friends and family, and misspent them, causing us to squander the single greatest opportunity that we’ve ever had as a party?
That’s not a close question for me. I’m mad at the guy who made me agree with George Phillies.
So when we do the post mortem, we should ask ourselves, who was the real snake in the grass? Who should never again come within 1000 feet of the party? The fundraiser or the profiteer? I know who I think was the true saboteur.
PS – Hillary Clinton still sucks.
Alicia Dearn: the evidence already shows that Ron paid himself millions. Very little was spent on advertising or other major needle movers.
Alicia Dearn: Donors may be able to take civil legal action or complain to their state AG. I wouldn’t be surprised to see either of those things happening as I believe a lot of donors and volunteers are really upset.
Joe Buchman VERY, VERY, VERY Glad to see you come out of the closet on this. Didn’t you once obliquely threaten to sue me for saying something very similar? 🙂
Alicia Dearn You saw it sooner than me.
Joe Buchman This is so sweet. THANKS.
Alicia Dearn Yeah. I’m sad and angry at the same time. I tried so hard to have a little control — as have so many people — but Ron is a petty dictator who squeezed out anyone who might question him. Such a disservice to all of us! And to the country! And to the good of humanity, too. I need to stop before I fully start to rant.
Kelburn Koontz Somebody should draw up charges. Now where can we find an attorney to do so? Hmm I wonder…
Alicia Dearn Election day won’t be the end of this, I predict.
D Frank Robinson Who peddled non-disclosure agreements to the LNC?
Alicia Dearn Yup. And made all the campaign volunteers sign a contract saying they wouldn’t criticize him.
Joe Buchman FUN reading here — from 20 years ago –http://www.deseretnews.com/…/Campaign-manager-is-suing…
Rep. Merrill Cook’s campaign manager is once again suing Cook for nearly $200,000. Ron Nielson says the freshman GOP congressman owes him the money for his work in the 1996 election.
Joe Buchman http://www.deseretnews.com/…/Greene-unlikely-witness-at…
Nielson said that he had torn ankle ligaments during a fall at her house, later the cause of an Industrial Commission lawsuit against her. During cross-examination, Cook’s attorneys questioned Nielson about another lawsuit he filed against Greene over allegedly unpaid fees. “When I left the campaign, she owed me some money, but that was not the basis for me leaving,” Nielson said. Rather, he left due to “insurmountable differences” over “how she was financing the campaign and spending the money.”
“I, in effect, fired him,” Greene said. Nielson “had drastically overspent a budget that we had agreed on, in a very short period of time. I dismissed him, and he turned around and sued me.” The personal injury lawsuit, which was settled in court, focused on whether Nielson was an employee or an independent contractor, Greene said. “The court concluded that he was an employee.” The other lawsuit was based on their understanding that if her campaign proved successful during the state Republican convention, that Nielson would get a bonus, she said.”I had to fire him a couple of months before that convention took place, but he turned around and said he was still entitled to that bonus,” Green said. “He and his lawyer were making demands at a sensitive time before the campaign.”
The lawsuit was settled for a “fairly minimal” amount under a confidentiality agreement after her attorneys advised her it would be less expensive and less damaging.
The fact that the LP took Wayne Allyn Root seriously for four years instead of laughing him out of the room well before the 2008 national convention doesn’t reflect poorly on Wayne Allyn Root, it reflects poorly on the LP. Root can’t be expected to be anything but what he is — an early QC fail in an attempt to fuse the DNA of Joe Isuzu, Soapy Smith and Greg Stillson.
Kevin Bjornson: Wayne Root … was hounded out by rude delusional fanatics.
I did my part!
At that time he was denying that he was. He claimed that “it’s gotta be Romney” was said as an oddsmaker, not as a statement of support, and that he was still supporting Johnson. He kept up this song and dance for a few months, but by the second LNC term he was already calling us “your party” etc. However, he did not openly, unambiguously endorse Romney until he resigned from LNC.
“I recall there having been talk of a vote to remove Wayne Root from the LNC after he started openly campaigning for Mitt Romney, so I think that when he resigned, it was a face saving move so he did not have to face the removal vote, much like when Richard Nixon resigned from office so he did not have to face impeachment.”
Root was openly supporting Romney. I made a motion regarding his actions, but no one seconded, so it died. I was extremely surprised to see him running for re-election and it stunned me to see Johnson stand up and endorse him in front of the convention.
Matt, you have a point, though my vague recollection was that he became clear later.
IMO Johnson’s endorsement of Weld in Orlando (and of Root in Las Vegas) is worse than Weld’s just-shy-of-an-endorsement of Clinton.
If Weld goes full Clinton this weekend/Monday, I might reverse that opinion. But for now, Johnson has done more damage.
Weld, or someone using his name, just put out a statement reaffirming his dedication to the Libertarian ticket.
I recall there having been talk of a vote to remove Wayne Root from the LNC after he started openly campaigning for Mitt Romney, so I think that when he resigned, it was a face saving move so he did not have to face the removal vote, much like when Richard Nixon resigned from office so he did not have to face impeachment.
” when he resigned from the LNC he was doing what an honorable man would have done.”
Unlike what he did when he ran for a second term, when he already basically supporting Romney but not clearly coming out in an unambiguous way about it, sort of like what Weld is doing now.
No Root decided to support Romney, got much criticism for it, but when he resigned from the LNC he was doing what an honorable man would have done.
If getting into the debates as a Hail Mary pass, someone should explain to the team that Hail Mary passes are usually not thrown backwards.
“Still believe Weld will vote for Hillary.”
No, he’ll vote for the LP ticket because he’s not voting in a swing state.
Where are the crew when you need them? Their outrage is selective.
Kevin said (re: Wayne Root): He was hounded out by rude delusional fanatics.
You’re welcome! I wish we had time to do this for Weld.
Wayne Root was already on the LNC when he resigned his post and left the LP. He was hounded out by rude delusional fanatics.
Concerning the Lp ticket, Johnson’s 23% national sales tax plan is very bad, but that can be explained by his ignorance. While Weld is smarter, so when, say, he says Hillary is the most qualified, he does so out of malevolence not stupidity.
Here is Johnson, showing him to be thin-skinned, temperamentally unsuited to the presidency, and unable to defend his tax proposal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvULsrjLdI4
Still believe Weld will vote for Hillary.
“If Gary Johnson was not in on this scam, then he must be as dumb as a doorknob. ”
Stupid is as stupid does. His accomplishments speak for themselves.
Are you a self-made millionaire
who can enjoy his twilight years doing whatever the hell he wants to do? Probably not.
I take your foresight for what it’s worth: zero.
“It disappointing to watch, but everything after missing the debates was like watching an opposing football team in the victory formation after our Hail Mary failed.”
Yep! Pretty much.
“Anthony Dlugos
November 2, 2016 at 16:33
I doubt Gary was in on it either.
I think he honestly saw Weld as his only possible way into the debates.”
If Gary Johnson was not in on this scam, then he must be as dumb as a doorknob. I saw this coming from a mile away, and I even talked about it at the convention.
Gary Johnson and Bill Weld are part of “the party leadership” in any formal way only to the extent that they are the presidential and vice-presidential nominees.
Once the votes are counted, that’s over. No need for “expungement.”
Informally, of course, they could play an outsize role in future party affairs if they chose.
But I doubt that Weld will let the door hit him in the ass. He’ll either be a mid-level appointee in a Clinton administration, or off to some other personal project. The Libertarian Party has nothing else that he wants (unless he wants to be the 2020 presidential nominee, and that sounds too stupid even for this party to fall for, or for him to think it would fall for).
Johnson? I don’t see him trying to play any role in shaping the party’s future. Maybe some speech gigs or a book or something, but probably not even that. Frankly he seems fairly uncomfortable in the spotlight.
“As far as I’m concerned, the second the polls close on Tuesday evening BOTH of them should be expunged from the party leadership.”
Ooh. I’m sure Weld is quaking in his docksiders.
Like you’re really gonna have to expunge a guy who’s leaving.
But great idea expunging everyone who runs afoul of the papacy.
Nothing like the party whose mission is apparently to fight the cult of the omnipotent state forming its own cult.
I doubt Gary was in on it either.
I think he honestly saw Weld as his only possible way into the debates.
We have an unfortunate dynamic playing out now; a marriage of convience with little reason to exist where the junior partner probably thinks the titular head of the ticket is intellectually beneath him.
It disappointing to watch, but everything after missing the debates was like watching an opposing football team in the victory formation after our Hail Mary failed.
The damage was already done.
Remember, Johnson ENDORSED Root at the 2012 when he ran for re-election to the LNC. Everyone knew that Root had already endorsed Romney. He wanted to “defect back” as a current LNC member and not a former member.
Johnson never atoned for that act, and he can’t get past Weld. As far as I’m concerned, the second the polls close on Tuesday evening BOTH of them should be expunged from the party leadership.
Well, that’s true. He does have class.
I’m guessing he’s not. He is sounding a lot more like he takes the Trump line on the latest Clinton controversies.
Thomas Knapp said: “It was the Libertarian National Committee’s job to get rid of Weld. Johnson probably wishes at this point that it had done so in a timely manner. Then he could have grumbled about it, attributed it to party in-fighting, and gone about his business. But then he probably didn’t expect Weld to escalate the sabotage campaign to nuclear scale.”
I would not be surprised if Gary Johnson was in on this plan the entire time.
As far as I know, he asks before he grabs. Plus he’s got class, motherfucker.
You better check yourself if you find yourself in agreement with Mr. Pyramid of P*ssy.
Ed,
The problem with that is that Johnson tied up his own credibility with Weld when he begged the convention that clearly didn’t want Weld to give him Weld, calling Weld “the original libertarian,” etc. It would be a big loss of face for him personally to do that.
It was the Libertarian National Committee’s job to get rid of Weld. Johnson probably wishes at this point that it had done so in a timely manner. Then he could have grumbled about it, attributed it to party in-fighting, and gone about his business. But then he probably didn’t expect Weld to escalate the sabotage campaign to nuclear scale.
Gary Johnson needs to be held fully accountable for Bill Weld. He stumped for him at the convention, and he has deferred to him since then.
I think the best thing Gary Johnson can do for his campaign and the Libertarian Party now is to publicly rebuke Bill Weld and ask him to step down.