Illegal Diaz-Balart Campaign Video (View @ 3:00, 4:00, 5:55)

National Media: "YouTube Ruins Another Life" in FL-21 Congressional

National publication the Hotline declared yesterday "YouTube ruins another life" after the Sun-Sentinel reported that Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart was caught posting a video on his campaign website shot in his federal office, a serious violation of House Ethics Rules.

Chapter 4 of the House Ethics Rules states "...a Member may not film a campaign commercial or have campaign photos taken in a congressional office."

The taxpayers deserve to know whether the video was paid for at their expense, and Congressman Diaz-Balart should disclose the full details on who shot the video, how it was paid for, provide official documentation of the payment, and apologize to the taxpayers for using a federal office for his campaign.

"You would think that someone who sits on the Rules Committee in Congress would be able to follow the rules," said Martinez Communications Director Aaron Blye in reference to Congressman Diaz-Balart's violation. "Despite his career as a practicing lawyer, Congressman Diaz-Balart has a blatant disregard for ethics and the rule of law."

Diaz-Balart has a long history of breaking the law. In March of 2000, the FEC released an eighteen-page report announcing that Diaz-Balart's campaign would be fined $30,000 for numerous violations discovered during a year-long audit of the campaign's finances for the 1997-1998 election cycle. A year later, the FEC announced that they fined Diaz-Balart's congressional campaign $5,500 for filing late campaign finance reports during the 2000 election cycle (Miami Herald, 2/17/01).

Congressman Diaz-Balart is currently the subject of an FEC investigation into an illegal fundraiser held by himself, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen during the 2008 election cycle (Miami Herald, 7/21/08).

Diaz-Balart has condoned the culture of corruption in Washington for far too long. In 2006, he voted twice to prevent the House Ethics committee to begin an investigation into the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal (HRS 762, Vote #87, 4/05/06; HRS 746, Vote #76, 3/30/06), and in 2005, Diaz-Balart voted to protect indicted Congressman Tom Delay from investigation (HRS 5, Vote #6, 1/04/05).


House Ethics Rules available here:
http://ethics.house.gov/Subjects/Topics.aspx?Section=134#housebuildings

House Race Hotline article available here: http://www.nationaljournal.com/hotline/hr_20080730_9919.php

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Lincoln
• Diaz-Balart
• campaign
• political
• commercial

[eshapir]

Lincoln Diaz-Balart is a joke to his constituency and these people are stooges. Furthermore, he blatantly disregards ethics rules and even sits on the rules committee. Its time to send Diaz-Balart back home and elect Democrats who accomplish things to Congress.

[PriaNorm]

S.Florida has never had a politician worth a damn who does much for anyone but give speeches the Diaz brothers are no different .

[hoppterr]

Diaz-Balart is a cunt 

[DD1902]

How absurd...The images from his office were neither shot recently nor for the purposes of the campaign. Clearly, this is previous footage of his service and present testimonies compiled into a video for the present campaign.

Nice try Martinez campaign. Your constant low blows to Lincoln just go to show how much of a threat you really think he is. HE is an accomplished federal congressman that fights for his constituents, not slug them.

Stay in Hialeah Martinez, you're not fit to be a USRep.