Cynical Chellie Pingree

#10 Taking Advantage of a National Tragedy for Publicity and Money

1/5/2017

Remember the Pulse Nightclub shooting this past June? It was an act of terrorism that shook the Nation.

Being an election year, some members of Congress took this tragedy as an opportunity to get publicity and organized a 'sit-in' on the floor of Congress.

Chellie Pingree was in Maine at the time but flew back to Washington D.C. so that she could take advantage of the free publicity and send fundraising emails while doing it. The DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) sent no fewer than six – yes, SIX! – emails, using the sit-in to solicit donations from their email list.
Several of the emails were signed by Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Lewis.

#9 Cynical Chellie Pingree Invests In Chinese Jobs

1/4/2017

In August of 2012, after requesting an extension, Chellie Pingree finally filed her financial disclosure. It was her first since marrying Wall Street Billionaire Donald Sussman and it did not disappoint when it came to exposing Chellie Pingree's liberal hypocrisy.

A sampling of her investments included:

Chilton China Opportunities, LP
China Aoyuan Property Group
Cathay Investment Fund Limited
New China Investment Management Inc.
New China Management Corp.
TAM China LLC
Yankuang Cathay Coal Chemicals and subsidiary company Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Limited

Through her various investments in Chinese corporations like Yankuang Cathay Coal Chemicals and subsidiary company Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Limited, Congresswomen Pingree supported and created jobs for Chinese workers in chemicals, manufacturing, coal mining, and more.

Here at home however, Chellie Pingree had only earned a 29% score with the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) for her voting record in the 112th Congress.

China is repeatedly criticized for its trade practices, currency manipulation and human rights violations. Representative Pingree claims to be a supporter of organized labor and an opponent of so-called "dirty" energy sources - how does investment in Chinese coal mining align with her stated political beliefs?

As one observer once said, " Pingree parks her money in China, her private jet in the Virgin Islands, and her political ambitions in Maine."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

#8 Cynical Chellie Pingree Supported the Iran Nuclear Deal

1/3/2017

This may not come as a surprise, but did you know that Cynical Chellie Pingree is a longtime supporter of the Iran Nuclear Deal? She lauded President Obama and Secretary Kerry for the deal, claiming that "This plan represents the best way forward.”

Sadly and predictably, this deal has turned out to be a massive failure.

Rather than the United States taking a strong stance against nuclear warfare and terrorism, we have been revealed as enablers who will turn a blind eye to dirty deals and dirty money.

In making the Iran Nuclear Deal, the United States has complacently given Iran $150 billion dollars, funds which even Secretary Kerry admitted,“...some of it will end up in the hands of the [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps] or of other entities, some of which are labeled terrorists.”

To make matters worse, this deal has exposed even worse dealings with Iran. Recently, it was uncovered that the Obama administration PAID Iran $1.3 billion, supposedly for a failed arms dealing, but this payment was coincidentally timed with the release of political hostages.

Senator Rubio commented, "The payments were made within hours of the hostages being released, and the plane carrying the hostages was not allowed to leave Tehran until the plane with the ransom payment arrived... payments conditioned on the release of hostages are ransom payments, no matter what other dispute they are intended to settle."
As Mainers and as Americans we need to take a hard stance against terrorism and countries that fund terrorist activities. Cynical Chellie Pingree clearly does not feel the same. This is why we need a change.

#7 Cynical Chellie Fined By Federal Elections Commission

1/2/2017

You may not remember, but Cynical Chellie Pingree was once leader of the political advocacy group, Common Cause. While working for Common Cause she testified before Congress, saying “Most Americans never have and never will fly on a chartered jet, much less a fancy corporate jet complete with wet bar and leather couches. So when members of Congress constantly fly around on corporate jets and pay only the cost of a commercial ticket, it contributes to the corrosive public perception that members of Congress are more like the fat cats of Wall Street than they are like the rest of us.”

Fast forward several years and Cynical Chellie was living the lavish life with her fiance at the time, a billionaire hedge fund manager Democratic mega-donor.

Seeming to forget how wealth and private jets contribute to the perception that members of Congress are like the "fat cats of Wall Street" who own such jets, Cynical Chellie enjoyed all the benefits that accompany being in a relationship with a hedge fund billionaire. She frequently flew across the country and even to a private estate in the Virgin Island’s with fellow “fat cat” Congressman Barney Frank.

Cynical Chellie was finally given a reality check in 2013 when the Federal Elections Commission ruled in favor of a 2010 complaint filed by The Maine Republican Party, pointing out that this kind of travel was in violation of the Election Laws.

As the Bangor Daily News highlighted, “FEC regulations prohibit U.S. House candidates from traveling on noncommercial aircrafts during their campaigns and from accepting in-kind contributions in the form of noncommercial air travel. The law does allow candidates to travel on aircraft owned or leased by a candidate’s ‘immediate family member,’ but the FEC ruled that because Pingree and Sussman were not yet married, Pingree’s use of the jet was illegal.”

Maine Republican Party Chairman Richard Bennett offered his thoughts, “In the action by the Federal Election Commission, the Maine GOP’s complaint is vindicated,” said Bennett. “The fact that we are even discussing the proper reporting of the use of private jets suggests that Congresswoman Pingree is out of touch with the working people of Maine’s First District.”

If anything, Cynical Chellie Pingree is more out of touch and out of state than ever. Maine’s First Congressional District needs someone who is from and in the community, someone who can identify with the struggles of everyday Mainers.

#6 Cynical Chellie Pingree Lobbies for GMO Labeling While Pocketing GMO Money

1/1/2017

Did you read this article in 2013?

Let us refresh your mind:

"That Pingree’s old political materials are being recycled to protest GMOs in Maine is not surprising – as a candidate and as a Congresswoman she has been a vocal opponent of GMOs.

What is surprising, however, is that her husband S. Donald Sussman sold a substantial stake – valued upwards of $1 million – in top GMO-related companies in 2011.

Analysis of Pingree’s 2011 House of Representatives Financial Disclosure shows the sale of more than $1 million in stocks of Rehovo, Israel-based Evogene Ltd., an agriculture biotech company in which Monsanto Company owns a controlling interest and enjoys rights to certain proprietary information.

According to Pingree’s disclosure, Sussman and the Congresswoman reaped their stock sale windfall at the peak market price relative to the stocks 6-month performance—just weeks after the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation gave approval to a government-funded partnership between Evogene and DuPont’s Pioneer Hi-Bred."

READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE

We need politicians who talk the talk, and walk the walk. We've see that Cynical Chellie is a hypocrite when it comes to travelling on a private jet, and again with GMOs as long as there's money going in her pocket she will turn a blind eye.

#5 Cynical Chellie Pingree’s Weak Leadership

12/31/2016

Do you know that in the 5 years (3 terms) that Cynical Chellie has been representing you she has written and passed 0 pieces of her own legislation?

ZERO.

What does she do with her time? You would think that jetting around on a private jet would allow for more time to write legislation that would benefit your constituents.

Instead, touring Cuba and vacationing in the Virgin Islands is Cynical Chellie’s top priority.
On election years you can occasionally find Cynical Chellie piggybacking on other successful legislators' ideas. She will fly in for a photo opportunity or a press conference and leave the state the next day.

A notable recent example of this is when she attended the gun violence sit-in on the floor of Congress, took photos, ate the food, then flew to Maine and held a press conference where she admitted that it wasn’t a top issue for her and she had no plans to follow the sit-in with any legislation.

For Cynical Chellie an act of terrorism was just a great photo-op and nothing more.

Our representatives need to be proactive. They need to lead the way for their constituents by drafting great legislation and constantly being active in the district.

Cynical Chellie is hardly active and rarely even present in the district.

#4 Cynical Chellie’s Late Disclosures

12/30/2016

After her marriage to a hedge-fund billionaire, Cynical Chellie Pingree was consistently late filing her Congressional financial disclosures.

One time, after she missed two filing deadlines, her spokesman Willie Rich brushed the severity of the situation off by claiming, "It's really just like getting an extension from your professor on a term paper and then getting another extension."

We aren’t sure what college Mr. Rich went to, but that’s not how it worked at our schools.

Why are these filings important?

The Sun Journal Explains:

“The disclosures show how much money members of Congress, both House and Senate, make from private sources outside their congressional salaries and reimbursements.

The reports are meant to show constituents whether their federal lawmakers have personal financial interests in legislation and whether any of their votes may be influenced by their incomes or wealth.

While the reports stop short of disclosing to the penny how much lawmakers make from investments or the sale of assets such as real estate, they do show ranges of income and asset values.

They also show ranges of income and asset values for direct family members, including spouses and children.

Since marrying wealthy businessman S. Donald Sussman in 2011, Pingree has yet to meet the May 15 deadline set by the House Ethics Committee and has requested filing extensions in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.”

What does Cynical Chellie have to hide?

Read more Here, Here, and Here.

We need candidates who have nothing to hide, candidates who understand the importance of transparency and fiscal responsibility.

#3 Cynical Chellie’s Dark Money

12/29/2016

What is dark-money?

We throw this term around a lot, but not everyone may understand what it is.

Dark Money is a term for money that has been essentially laundered, it has been funneled through a source in order to become untraceable. For example, if Bob the Billionaire wants to give millions to a candidate, he can donate a lot of money to an organization like the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. The DCCC can then send this money to select candidates and Bob the Billionaire avoids being connected to those candidates.

Cynical Chellie Pingree started her career advocating against big money in politics, only to become a billionaire dark money donor herself.

Not only does she have access to mass amounts of money to pour into the state party, but now she can donate to campaigns across the country.

Additionally, her billionaire hedge fund managing husband funnels mass amounts of money into her campaign though various people, like his chauffeur and housekeeper. He also used Emily's List, a super-PAC, and other various PACs to stuff hundreds of thousands of dollars into her campaign.

We simply do not have the space and you don't have the time for us to go through all this dark-money that Cynical Chellie has received over the years. Instead, we strongly encourage you to read this article from The Sunlight Foundation, a non-partisan think tank.

READ ALL ABOUT THE SHADY DARK MONEY CYNICAL CHELLIE RECEIVES

We need a candidate who will stand up to the liberal hypocrisy of people like Chellie Pingree.

#2 Cynical Chellie’s Link to Offshore Accounts

12/28/2016

We all know the rally cry, everyone must pay "their fair share" in taxes.

Cynical Chellie Pingree also spoke on the matter when supporting legislation that was supposed to crack down on tax haven loop-holes, “I am proud to say this bill also cracks down on tax loopholes that allow hedge fund managers to avoid paying income tax on much of their salaries, and the bill makes sure that multinational corporations don’t avoid paying taxes by shifting their profits to offshore tax havens.”

This all sounds positive until you realize that these are laws that Cynical Chellie Pingree will never have to abide by.

Earlier this summer, it was exposed that Cynical Chellie's hedge fund managing billionaire husband held offshore accounts.

The Free Beacon Covered it here:
"According to information leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Sussman is a director of Simply Radiant Ltd., a company based in the British Virgin Islands.

Sussman’s firm, Paloma Partners, is a Simply Radiant shareholder, as are Paloma subsidiaries Golden Mountain Partners and Sunrise Partners, ICIJ data show. Paul Wolansky, a former managing director at the Paloma Partners, is listed as a Simply Radiant director.
An individual named Harry S. Campbell is also listed as a director. He was previously a director of Cathay Investment Fund Ltd., in which Paloma is a major shareholder.
It was not immediately clear what exactly Simply Radiant is or does. Paloma did not respond to requests for additional information on the company."

The Bangor Daily News covered it here:

On to politics, where Republicans are raising red flags about a leak of information that implicates Donald Sussman, a Democratic mega donor and former husband of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat who represents Maine’s 1st District, for directing a shell company in the British Virgin Islands that is used to shield his assets...
Why does it matter?
Because Sussman is one of the top donors to Democratic causes, including millions of dollars to organizations that support Hillary Clinton’s run for president. The conflict here is that Clinton and other Democrats have long been brutally critical of companies that use offshore accounts and companies in ways that they claim harm the U.S. economy and potentially deprive the federal government of tax revenues.
Sussman is also a board member for the Center for American Progress, a group that has been critical of corporations and individuals that have been previously implicated in the leaks to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists."

So Cynical Chellie Pingree wants to crackdown on offshore tax havens?

Perhaps she needs to start by looking at her own accounts, even the ones in the Virgin Islands.

We hate to say it, but this hypocrisy hardly surprises us anymore.

#1 Won’t Even Campaign For Your Vote

12/27/2016

As you head out to vote today, we hope you consider the points we have made on why Chellie Pingree is the wrong choice to represent you in Washington D.C.

Aside from a couple on air forums and debates that she couldn’t wiggle out of, Cynical Chellie Pingree has not gone out of her way to try and win your vote.

Campaigning is a way for a candidate to win your vote, to prove that they will work relentlessly for you when elected.

Instead, we see Cynical Chellie out campaigning for her friend and financial beneficiary, Hillary Clinton.

When was the last time Cynical Chellie Pingree knocked on your door and shook your hand?

Cynical Chellie is more connected to offshore accounts, private jets, and the liberal elite than she is you: the average voter.