Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) barely teetering reelection campaign has suffered another gut punch as campaign manager Jesse Benton resigned amid allegations of his involvement in a bribery scandal.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader,
Jesse Benton, the campaign manager for U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, will resign his post as a bribery scandal from the 2012 presidential campaign threatens to envelop Benton and become a major distraction for McConnell’s campaign.
Benton told the Herald-Leader that he met with McConnell on Friday afternoon and offered his resignation, which McConnell “reluctantly accepted.”
Benton said he offered his resignation, effective Saturday, with a “heavy heart.”
The scandal surrounds the 2012 Ron Paul presidential campaign paying $73,000 in bribes so that former Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson would flip his support from Michele Bachmann to Ron Paul. Emails show that Benton played a direct role in recruiting Sorenson for the Paul campaign. The same scandal has also ended Michele Bachmann House career, and made her the focus of several federal criminal investigations.
Benton put out a BS statement about how wonderful it was working for Mitch McConnell, which shows that Jesse Benton thinks we’re all idiots who forgot the leaked audio of Benton as campaign manager trashing McConnell and admitting that his role on the campaign is part of a secret deal to get Rand Paul the 2016 Republican nomination.
This is another headache for Mitch McConnell. The Grimes campaign immediately tried to connect McConnell to the scandal, but the bigger for endangered Republican is that Benton’s resignation feeds the perception that Mitch McConnell is a corrupt Washington, D.C. politician. McConnell was already sent reeling, and fleeing from reporters this week, after audio of his secret speech to the Koch brothers was leaked.
The resignation of his campaign manager creates the image of a sinking campaign that is taking more water by the day. The Kentucky Senate race is up for grabs, and as McConnell continues to get himself into more trouble, this election is presenting the perfect opportunity for Democrat Alison Grimes to knock off McConnell and help Democrats keep control of the U.S. Senate.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
getting rid of McConnell would be nice consolation prize if Democrats lose the Senate.
What we are seeing right in front of our face is “Karma”. First it was Cantor, looking like McConnell will be next and then Bohner and then Ryan. Hopefully we will see all the enemies of America gone. Listen up GOP, what you clowns sent around, is coming around. There is power in prayer.
Another good thing is Benton is now tarnished and can’t work for rand in 2016
Can we not kill two birds with two stones? It seems to me this scandal shouldn’t end both of their political careers. Surely Paul knew about this, and this shows McConnell as being apart of the D.C. that is corrupt. Grimes would be a fool not to use this against McConnell.
I think she already is.
The sad part is that people in Kentucky will still vote for the loser McConnell even during his bribery scandal. I can’t wait until I see a GOP serve some jail time. I hope Grimms wins the his Senate seat.
Did you mean to say, “Grimes would be a fool not to use this against Paul”? She’s already using this against McConnell.
understand politics is a dirty business but the GOP are always number one in this business
Mitch, who?
Cantor, who?
“the perception is that Mitch is a corrupt Washington politician.”
He IS a corrupt politician, and this is the year to rid both chambers of the stench that’s destroying this country.
Sanders & Warren 2016 a Win, Win for America and the World !!!
The Republican Party is a Disgrace and Working Against America !!!
Why does Mitch need a campaign manager when the Kochs are buying the election for him?
I have repeatedly said that we very much need both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to stay in the Senate and lead the charge on items like Citizens United, immigration and financial protection against the Pirates of Wall Street. I think Elizabeth Warren feels the same way.
Unfortunately, the Grimes campaign seems to be basically a bush league operation, despite having excellent connections to the national Democratic structure. Her ads continue to focus on coal, as though that were the only thing that matters in Kentucky (not), and other ads the campaign runs seem to be not well-thought out or researched, resulting in them being regularly tagged as “mostly false” by assorted research sites. On top of that, her campaign has just gotten into hot water over a sweetheart deal on her campaign bus, which is provided by her father’s company for a very cheap price. Plus, the bus may not meet all the requirements for such a vehicle. She and McConnell are set to debate and McConnell will chew her up in the situation, as debating is a long-time skill of his.
It would truly be the sweetest Karma ever if the person who made it his “top priority” to get Obama out of office didn’t make it to the end of Obama’s 2nd term.
No, I meant McConnell. I have not seen the ad. Paul is not up fir re-election for another 4 years. It’s to early to use it against him. Even if he runs for President in 2016, it’s too early.
I did. I have not seen the ad yet.
Not true. I saw an ad about women and pay. I guess it all depends on when you watch the news.
I hope McConnell keeps making gaffes like this. he had to know about this money scam, crooks, you can’t tell me he didn’t.
“Corrupt Politician”: What a redundancy. The GOP has a monopoly on it.
Rand’s seat is in the 2016 election. In KY by law your name can only be i n one race.
a new poll that came out yesterday gives mcconnell a 4 point lead. this was before all the bad news came out, so hopefully the next poll will show something different.http://www.wkyt.com/news/state/headlines/Bluegrass-Poll-McConnell-expands-lead-over-Grimes-in-Senate-race—273075221.html?device=tablet
u can forget it now democrats will not lose senate even gop leadership admits if alison grimes beats mcconnel there is no way gop will win senate
just get out and vote for all democrats this november and dems will keep, the only way gop wins senate if we dems sit home and dont vote period, there is no excuse to sit home and not vote, if republicans win senate its the deomcrats own fault by sitting home using lame excuses and sitting on our lazy butts
are u tea party gop and pmm ur wrong alison grimes will chew mitch mocconnel old fart ass up and whip his from one end of this to the other end, u mark my words alison will win
s I do not believe the poll mocconnel is done with alison will win period
That poll was taken before the audio recording and the resignation so it will change.
I love Karma
PMM,
Hmm, Mitch has early Alzheimer’s. “If” he debates Grimes he will be a utter failure!
I do agree that her ads has not been as effective as they could have been given all the ammunition she has to use with his voting record against the middle class and women! She can just use his record and facts…….but then again facts can not penetrate some! And he will take advantage of the poor tea party folks telling them whatever he thinks they want to hear!