Former NY-26 Congressman and NRCC Chair Tom Reynolds is the latest GOP big to state the obvious about the race in NY-20. He essentially concedes that the race is over and Tedisco lost.
Former GOP congressman Tom Reynolds, who recently headed the party's campaign committee, is the latest Republican voice skeptical that Jim Tedisco will be able to overcome a 273-vote deficit to Scott Murphy in the New York special election.
Reynolds, who chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2002-2006, told POLITICO that Democrats did a better job of turning out their vote despite being outnumbered by registered Republicans in the district.
"For the Democrats, bragging rights are what they are and they get momentum for winning a very tough seat for them," Reynolds said. "And the Republicans will try to minimize it, and when all is said and done, the special will have little or no impact for what will happen in 2010."
In what appears to be something of a slight, Reynolds even says Tedisco has "earned the right" not to be the party's candidate in 2010, but "to be a candidate for the party's nomination."
Remember Mark Foley? He was the Republican congressman from Florida whose scandal nearly cost Rep. Tom Reynolds his reelection bid in 2006 and had an impact on other Republican leaders as well, including former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.
Former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley isn't expected to face charges after a lengthy investigation into his lurid messages to underage congressional pages, two federal law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case, said the results of a state investigation would be announced Friday.
They said neither state nor federal charges were expected, although an FBI investigation has not been closed yet.
According to that same piece, it looks like the investigation of Foley wasn't easy.
In a letter to the FDLE obtained by The Associated Press, House Deputy General Counsel Kerry Kircher wrote that because the data "may contain legislative information that is constitutionally privileged ... and because Mr. Foley has not waived that privilege ... we cannot simply give you access."
The Florida agency had been working with the FBI and Foley's attorneys to gain access to information on the computers. Foley's attorneys have declined to comment throughout the investigation.
Foley himself was the only person who could release the computers for review, but he had refused. It was not immediately clear what information from the computers investigators had been able to review - if any - before concluding their investigation.
House officials said they did not find any sexually explicit photos in a review of some e-mails Foley sent and received through his congressional account, but the e-mails did not include all of Foley's communications.
I almost forgot about Mark Foley. I'm not surprised that he wasn't charged with anything. He resigned his seat, went into seclusion and rehab and hasn't be heard from since. I guess that's good enough, but what if he wasn't a congressman? I doubt he would have it this good. No charges, a trip to rehab and you get to stay on the streets. Not bad. At least for Foley anyway.
The endorsement of Lee comes after all seven county Republican committees endorsed Lee, a businessman from Buffalo.
Reynolds, while endorsing Lee, also took a shot at Erie County Executive Chris Collins (R-Clarence).
The retiring congressman appeared with Lee at Republican Headquarters in the Statler Towers to laud Lee's "no-nonsense approach to cutting taxes and eliminating bureaucracy."
"He knows just exactly what Western New Yorkers are thinking," Reynolds said.
But the congressman also thrust a jab toward fellow Republican Collins, who had backed businessman Rick Lewis for the post and continues to discuss the race with other Republicans.
"I'm an old school politician," Reynolds said. "So I believe that county executives from our area ought run the government and county chairmen need to do the politics."
Reynolds might be a lousy representative, but in Republican circles, he nows how to play the game. I think he just taught Collins a little lesson.
In urging the Department of Defense on Friday to grant special consideration in Raymond's case, Reps. Brian Higgins, Thomas M. Reynolds and Louise M. Slaughter point out that he was honorably discharged four years ago and rated 10 percent disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"Many of our returning veterans have sustained serious and permanent injuries as a result of their selfless service to this great nation," Higgins, D-Buffalo, said.
The letter, in part, asks that the order activating Raymond, 2 6 , from the Individual Readiness Reserve - an eight-year obligation following active duty - be postponed until at least June 1, when he completes the current semester, or until the end of the upcoming fall semester when he is scheduled to graduate in December.
Raymond attends the university through VA educational benefits he earned during his three years of active duty, which took him to Afghanistan for 10 months in 2003-04. In addition, he receives a $120-a-month VA disability pension for life.
The lawmakers also asked defense officials to consider Raymond's plans to appeal the mobilization order and be exempt from future activations.
Not only has Raymond suffered a loss of hearing and the knee injury, but he also told the Buffalo News that he has had a documented case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Raymond has been ordered to report on May 18 to Fort Benning, Ga..
"I'm thrilled for the congressional support. It speaks volumes about the Western New York comm unity," said Raymond, reacting to the support, which also includes efforts by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY.
Raymond added that he would "go back in a heartbeat" if he thought "that it wasn't going to risk the lives of the soldiers around me or my own personal life."
I don't see how a man who is partially deaf would be a good fit in battle. That is not good for him and it is not good for the troops around him.
Hopefully James can stay and complete college, at the very least, and then head back for another tour. I don't think he should be headed back at all in his condition but we will see how this plays out over time.
Well, it won't be Collins. But Collins is backing Rick Lewis, the founder of the Talking Phone Book, according to Bob McCarthy with the Buffalo News.
Rick Lewis, president of the Talking Phone Book, said he is exploring the contest "very, very seriously" and expects to formally announce soon.
"I'm not quite ready to make a formal announcement," he said, "but in the very near future I'll be able to say something definitive and hopefully very exciting."
Lewis is emerging as a major figure in the Republican field for the seat of retiring Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds because Collins is working overtime to push his candidacy, several party figures say. He emerges from the Collins mode of successful businessman hoping to bring business principles to government and willing to commit significant amounts of his own resources to the race.
Though he would not discuss any specific amount, sources close to Lewis say figures ranging from $1.5 million to $3 million have been discussed.
"Once in, I will do whatever I have to do to get my message out," Lewis said. "Once in, I'm in it to win it."
Lewis would be an intriguing pick for Republicans and i find it interesting that his name is coming out the day after all seven Republican chairs met last night to discuss this race.
Also if Lewis enters, that would essentially kill the chances of David Bellavia entering this race. He might enter, but I would find it hard for him to beat someone being backed by Collins and other Republicans.
The swollen field of potential Republican candidates for the seat of retiring Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds decreased by one today when White House aide Nick Sinatra said he will not run.
Sinatra, 27, told Erie County Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski he expects to pursue a master's in business administration next year after President Bush leaves the White House.
"He had received strong encouragement, but at this time not seeking public office is the right decision for him personally," Domagalski said.
Sinatra, a graduate of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute and Yale University, has served as Northeast political director for the Bush White House.
Republican leaders from throughout the 26th Congressional District are expected to discuss the race when they meet Wednesday in Batavia.
Sinatra was a name being tossed around, but this was expected. He had his eyes set on other objectives right now and this is more of a personal decision for him. But I think that if the environment was right, you would have seen Sinatra in this race. The GOP in Erie County really see him as their next big thing. He'll be around for some time, especially with his experiences in the Bush White House.
But for the candidates hoping to succeed Thomas M. Reynolds in the House of Representatives, the political reality may add one more requirement: membership in the Millionaire's Club.
At least eight wealthy aspirants for Reynolds' seat plan to contribute substantial amounts of their own money to their campaigns, including a $3 million pledge from Democrat Jack Davis.
The eight - most of whom have never held public office - are now dominating a race for a seat that pays $169,300 per year and is likely to disappear four years from now when redistricting occurs.
Those eight individuals McCarthy mentions are: Jack Davis, Anthony Baynes, Rick Lewis, Kathy Hochul (Erie County Clerk), Jordan Levy, Michael Powers, Alice Kryzan and Marsha S. Henderson. All have some amount of wealth, whether they are lawyers (Kryzan and Michael Powers) or presidents of companies (Lewis).
What does Jon Powers think about all of this, being that he's not a millionaire yet he's the top candidate for the seat now?
For Powers, who has raised $369,000 so far, any candidate who writes a check to pay for a campaign "is out of touch with the struggles of working families in the district."
"I don't think this is what the Founding Fathers intended," he said.
Powers has worked as a substitute teacher and executive director of a foundation assisting children in Iraq, where he served as an Army captain. But now he is not working for a paycheck as he campaigns full time for Congress - a situation he calls "tough; real tough."
Republican sources say his inability to so far attract big Democratic donors shows his fundraising has a long way to go. But Powers says he's satisfied with the fact that 65 percent of his donations are $50 or less.
We all know that Powers isn't a millionaire. But it would be a shame to see a great candidate like Powers lose just because he isn't a millionaire or a self-financed candidate. Now I see why the Republicans used this as a big issue during the 2006 elections when Davis ran. Millionaires shouldn't be able to buy elections AND they do not understand the concerns of average, middle-class citizens.
I'm rather fond of Joe Mondello, as I believe he's been great for New York Democrats. I'd really hate to see him go. But, if one has to replace him, why not replace him with the guy who oversaw the loss of the GOP majority in the US House as well as the loss of over $1 million dollars from the committee he was running.
This is interesting. The talk for days now was that Republican state Senator George Maziarz would announce today that he was running for the NY-26 seat being vacated by the retiring Tom Reynolds. Instead, he's announcing today that he's doing no such thing and is running for re-election to the state Senate.
State Sen. George D. Maziarz, R-Newfane, will not run for the seat of retiring Rep. Thomas M. Reynolds, two sources close to the situation said this morning.
One of the sources said Maziarz will officially announce his decision later today, citing considerations about family, ongoing projects under his sponsorship, and preserving a shaky Republican majority in the Senate.
The move shines a new spotlight on Assemblyman James P. Hayes, R-Williamsville, who has expressed serious interest in running for the Reynolds seat. Though nothing is settled, Hayes is expected to make a strong case to party leaders for the nomination.
But other Republicans who said they would run only if Maziarz didn't now also merit serious consideration. They include Michael B. Powers, an attorney and vice chairman of the Erie County Republican Committee; David Bellavia, an Iraq war veteran who recently wrote a book on his experiences, and Nick Sinatra, a top White House aide with extensive political contacts.
The Democratic field increased over the weekend on the Democratic side when County Clerk Kathleen C. Hochul said she may run. The other Democratic candidates include Amherst attorney Alice J. Kryzan; industrialist Jack Davis, and Iraq war veteran Jonathan Powers.
Maziarz was running for this seat on Friday. Today he isn't. What happened? What did he get from Bruno?
Regardless, it's hard not to see this development as a big plus for Jon Powers. Maziarz was probably the GOP's best shot at holding this seat and he's taking a pass.
Rep. Tom Reynolds has made it official: He will not seek a sixth term in the House and will retire at the end of the year.
Reynolds has served in local, state and national politics for the last 35 years. Regarding the 26th district he said, "Make no mistake. This is a Republican district and it will again be represented by a Republican next year."
Reynolds also said that he looked at the 48th Senate District here in New York as well as the race for former Speaker Dennis Hastert's seat, but did not say that those factored in his decision directly. Rather, he said that spending more time with family, including his four grandchildren, was the reason he made this decision.
He also said that the recent NRCC scandal "is not an accounting scandal" while also taking a shot at Democrats, namely Rep. James Clyburn and Rep. Rahm Emmanuel, for their alleged role in the Mark Foley Scandal.
When talking about a possible replacement, Reynolds refused to name names or say that the replacement should be from Erie County. He also would not say if he would take a lobbying job or if he would join John McCain should McCain become president.
Reynolds did say one thing interesting: "My opponents agree with me on more issues than they don't." I would disagree with that statement, considering the opposition Reynolds faced in 2006 from a bipartisan coalition of people. He would have faced the same this year, which I contend, is why he isn't running.
The press conference was vintage Reynolds. He played it partisan and he put politics before the people again. He referred to himself as a "damn good politician." But if he was "damn good", why not run for Congress a sixth time?
Maybe it was TRULY because of his family. But I doubt it. At least, his family isn't the whole story. He saw Hastert's seat swing and he saw what happened with SD-48 and realized that the environment has changed even more since 2006. If people thought 2006 was the year of the Democrats, just wait until November 2008.
Iraq War veteran and NY-26 Democratic candidate Jon Powers has issued this statement regarding the retirement of Tom Reynolds.
"Tom Reynolds' retirement puts us one step closer to the goal of bringing real change to Washington, DC. My campaign of bringing new leadership to Washington on behalf of Western New Yorkers keeps gaining momentum. Ours is a campaign built on hope. On the belief that we can change Washington and bring a new era of accountability in which we create a platform on which jobs can grow here in Western New York rather than reward big corporations that ship them overseas; in which our health care policy serves the people, not the politicians and insurance companies; and government only sends our soldiers to war with a defined mission and clear strategy."
UPDATE: IT'S OFFICIAL - Reynolds will not seek reelection.
We are moments away from the press conference where Tom Reynolds will announce that he will not seek reelection in New York's 26th congressional district.
One thing to note: Sen. George Maziarz is in attendance. He is a good friend of Reynolds and may seek this seat now that Reynolds is out of the equation.
You can watch live video of the press conference here. I'll have a full report after the press conference.
Not quite as good as Rochester Turning's own Exile and his Rent-A-Kid description, but still it symbolizes everything Reynolds is. He never takes accountability and he never was a leader.
Before Rep. Tom Reynolds decided to retire, which will happen and a press conference is set for noon today, all the talk was about the Democratic race in New York's 26th. Iraq War veteran Jon Powers, Jack Davis and Alice Kryzan are all vying for the Democratic nod. But with Reynolds retiring, the field of Republican candidates is (possibly) much larger.
I have heard five names being tossed around so far:
- Sen. George Maziarz (R-Newfane) from New York's 62nd Senate District.
- Assemblyman Steve Hawley from New York's 139th Assembly District.
- Former Assembly Minority Leader Charlie Nesbitt who represented the same Assembly district Hawley does now.
- Assemblyman Jim Hayes, who was thought to be the top GOP contender for State Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Mary Lou Rath in New York's 61 Senate District before he decided not to run for that seat.
- Senator Joe Robach, who represents the 56th Senate District and hails from Greece - a crucial part of the 26th congressional district.
I also have thought about this possibility: If Jack Davis receives zero Democratic endorsements, he could use that as an excuse to switch back to the party he belongs to and run on that line. That's a long shot, but with Davis, anything is possible. After all, the Republican Party is the party he belonged to for all but the last five years of his life. It's a stretch, but with his money (which he loves to throw in your face), it just might be a crazy enough idea for him. He holds plenty of the same positions that Reynolds does except when it comes to matters of free trade. Again, it might be a long shot but you never know with Davis.
So far, the early favorite is Maziarz. The advantage Maziarz has is being in Niagara County and having a strong base there. A congressional seat is very different than a NYS Senate seat, but he will put up a fight in Niagara County, which went for Davis in 2006.
Niagara County alone won't win it for Maziarz. Considering that the northern part of his Senate district that runs along Lake Ontario is all in Louise Slaughter's district, he will lose that support. He will also need to fight for votes in a district that he hasn't campaigned in and people don't really know who he is. This gives Powers an advantage, considering Powers has been out and about throughout the district and has been campaigning for months.
The rest of the candidates would be a tough sell. Nesbitt, while being a prominent leader in the Assembly, will have to sell himself to the larger areas of the district which can be challenging. Hayes is probably in the next best position to run, but he may not want to leave one minority post in the Assembly for another in Congress. Hawley has only been in the Assembly for two years now and is having a tough time making his case for a Senate run in SD-61. I would imagine that it would be just as hard (definitely harder) to make a case for NY-26. Robach might be a sleeper here, considering his seat might be considered vulnerable and he may not want to sit through a Democratic majority in the Senate even if he should win.
We'll see. It will be interesting. I'll have more on this race after Reynolds makes his announcement at noon.
Rep. Tom Reynolds will not seek reelection in New York's 26th congressional district this year.
Reynolds will make an official announcement tomorrow afternoon regarding his future.
How big is this? Actually, it's huge. Removing the incumbent advantage (whatever was left of one with Reynolds) is huge for any challenger. I still like Jon Powers in this race. He is working hard and will continue to work hard.
Some names being floated around on the Republican side include Sen. George Maziarz (R-Newfane) who represents New York's 62nd Senate District. Maziarz, however, would have to move into the 26th District in order to run. Right now, he lives in the 28th District (that's where Newfane is located).
I'll have more on this tomorrow when the official announcement is made. Things will be very interesting from here on out.
In today's New York Times more details have emerged in the National Republican Congressional Committee financial scandal that has led an FBI investigation as well as criticism of key leaders, including Rep. Tom Reynolds.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are missing and presumed stolen from the chief fund-raising arm of House Republicans, according to party officials who described the findings of emergency internal audits.
The financial records of the group, the National Republican Congressional Committee, may also have been falsified for several years, Republican officials said. The campaign committees of several Republican lawmakers may also have been victims of a scam that is now under criminal investigation by the F.B.I.
The audits were ordered after the abrupt departure several weeks ago of Christopher J. Ward, who had been treasurer of the committee. Lawmakers said that Mr. Ward, who served a similar role for dozens of individual members of Congress and their political committees, is the focus of the F.B.I.'s criminal investigation.
...
Mr. Ward was named treasurer of the national Republican committee five years ago by Representative Thomas M. Reynolds of New York, who stepped down as the committee's chairman last year. Mr. Reynolds has found himself under attack on the campaign trail at home because of the reports of financial irregularities at the committee.
"Does Tom Reynolds ever accept responsibility for his poor leadership or does he just pass the buck?" asked John Gerken, campaign manager for Jon Powers, a Democrat who is challenging Mr. Reynolds.
Mr. Reynolds said in a statement that he and the national Republican committee were possible victims of "an elaborate scheme resulting in financial irregularities" by a "long-serving professional staff member," a reference to Mr. Ward. "At no time were there any red flags raised," the lawmaker said.
Kicking Ass, the official Democratic Party blog, injects their take on this.
Last month, news broke that the NRCC called the FBI on itself regarding some accounting irregularities that scared several House Republicans.
In Thursday's New York Times, more details emerged as Christopher J. Ward, the former treasurer of the NRCC for the last five years, falsified years of audits.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars are missing and presumed stolen from the chief fund-raising arm of House Republicans, according to party officials who described the findings of emergency internal audits.
Ward was brought on by Rep. Tom Reynolds (R-Clarence, N.Y.) in 2003. Rep. Reynolds addressed the unfolding scandal involving Ward in a statement. No word on if he was hiding behind children when it was issued.
Again, Reynolds was the head of the NRCC. He apparently was clueless as to what was going on because he has acted dismayed that this occurred behind his back. It's hard for me to believe that he knew nothing about this considering he was the head honcho at the NRCC. How much does this impact the NY-26 race? It certainly will question how effective of a leader Reynolds is and whether or not he can manage his own district if he can't even manage a campaign committee for the Republican Party.
In any event, the NRCC is taking a huge hit with this news. Reynolds, among other Republicans, could get dragged down by this, if they aren't being dragged down already.
Yesterday, Randy Kuhl voted against the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 in yet another lock step Bush vote. Earlier this year, Kuhl stood against SCHIP health care for millions of children on four separate occasions, and now he stands against helping families receive access to critical mental health and addiction treatment. Kuhl, who has received thousands of dollars from insurance lobbyists, has a long history of standing with big business and against families of Western New York.
"The Wellstone bill is one of the most important mental health bills ever to pass the House, but once again Randy Kuhl has decided to stand against families," said Congressional challenger Eric Massa. "If this legislation had been in place a few years ago, it's quite likely that the tragedy of Virginia Tech could have been averted. New Yorkers don't deserve to have a Congressman who consistently puts the priorities of George Bush and insurance lobbyists over those of our own families. Mr. Kuhl stood against our children four separate times during the SCHIP debate and now he stands against those that need our help the most. The working families of Western New York want a Congressman who will represent their values in Congress, not insurance lobbyists, and that's exactly why I am running."
In the press release, you'll notice that Kuhl was one of two New York congressmen to vote against this bill. The other? Our good friend Tom Reynolds!
Check out the vote tally on the Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act.
By the way, 47 Republicans saw enough benefits to this bill to support it, including Rep. Jim Walsh, Rep. Peter King, Rep. John McHugh and Rep. Vito Fossella.
The question is, what did Reynolds and Kuhl possibly see wrong with this bill?
Apparently the only thing wrong with it was that the Democrats supported it. But I'll hold out for other excuses.
Jack Davis seems to be inching closer and closer to making his third run for Congress official. In fact, you consider his current status in this race as "unofficial."
In a story by WGRZ-TV in Buffalo, Davis indicated that he is still looking into the possibility of running, but also made statements that made him sound like a candidate.
Two-time congressional challenger Jack Davis hasn't formally announced his candidacy for a run this year against Rep. Thomas Reynolds, R-Clarence, but he is moving in that direction.
If Davis decides to run, he probably will find himself in a Democratic primary against Iraq war veteran Jon Powers and Buffalo lawyer Alice Kryzan, who have said they're in it for the long haul.
Davis, who narrowly lost to Reynolds in 2006, is conducting a poll before he makes an announcement, which would likely come this month.
He is acting like a candidate, however, attending Democratic committee meetings, including one held in the Rochester area on Tuesday, and testing the political waters.
He also told WGRZ that he will be asking the four county Democratic committees that endorsed Jon Powers to reconsider their endorsements.
In speaking with members of some of the committees that endorsed Jon already, I don't see that happening. They supported Jon because he took the time to come out to, not only their committee meeting(s), but also to different events in their respective counties.
Davis also discussed his fight against the Federal Election Commission regarding the "Millionaires" Amendment. He has a case versus the FEC right now which will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in April.
He doesn't agree with the country's campaign finance laws and will take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court in April, when he will argue against the Federal Election Commission. He is challenging the "millionaire's amendment," which allows opponents of wealthy candidates to raise triple the amount from individual donors once the wealthy candidate spends a certain amount of their own money.
My problem with Jack's opposition to this is that he is the one, not the FEC, who comes out and says that he will spend $2 million of his own money against Reynolds. If that's the case, Reynolds (who is not a millionaire), would be able to raise triple the normal maximums for the campaign.
In other words, it keeps millionaires (and billionaires) from being able to buy elections - and primaries.
Why should we be linking Rep. Tom Reynolds to the NRCC scandal that dates back to when Reynolds was the head of the NRCC.
The first question is why did Reynolds remove Donna Anderson, who was the top accounting officer with the NRCC, and allow Christopher Ward to assume those duties when Reynolds took over the committee in 2003? Ward is the central figure in this case and it would appear that under Reynolds was when he was put in the position where he allegedly committed these fraudulent activites.
Next, people should be asking why Reynolds says he didn't know that this was going on. Reynolds said in a statement to Roll Call:
"It was my understanding that throughout my tenure as NRCC Chairman audits were performed on a regular basis. At no point in time were any red flags raised about those audits. It now appears over an extended period of time a long-serving, professional staff member may have put together an elaborate scheme resulting in financial irregularities that are currently under review. I fully support this investigation in an attempt to uncover the truth."
No red flags, but it was Reynolds who allowed Ward to be in this position by removing Anderson in 2003. So if Reynolds knew enough then to put Ward in that position, why didn't he know anything about the financial issues going on within the committee he was entrusted to oversee?
Reynolds should be forced to answer other questions as well. Why did Tom Cole, the current head of the NRCC, discover the financial irregularities within months of taking over the NRCC post when Reynolds served in that position for four or five years and didn't know anything (supposedly)?
All important questions. So far, Reynolds is silent.
Reynolds has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the investigation, which is reportedly centered on Christopher Ward, former longtime treasurer of the NRCC. However, Powers' campaign pointed to an article in this week's Roll Call newspaper saying the NRCC apparently has not had an independent audit of its financial records since summer of 2003, the first year that Reynolds was chairman.
Audits are not required by federal law, but they are routinely conducted by the major campaign committees, according to Federal Election Commission records.
"Western New Yorkers deserve better than this," said John Gerken, Powers' campaign manager. "They deserve real leadership and accountability in Washington, D.C., not a congressman embroiled in scandal."
But Reynolds said Tuesday that if irregularities did occur, he was an unknowing victim. He said he believed audits had been done.
This reminds me of the incompetent leadership that Reynolds showed during the Mark Foley scandal. Only this time, he is saying he knows nothing about this and that it's all a big surprise.
The problem with that thinking should be pretty obvious. If you're the CEO of a company, you know what's going on. You know where your money is going and where it's coming from. So how can Reynolds say he knew nothing about these financial improprieties? He was in charge and he didn't know where this money was going?
That's hard to believe. Now, Reynolds is involved in his second scandal involving the Republican Party in two years.
