Gingrich Accused of Owing Tiffany's Up To $500,000

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BY MARIA LOPEZ
ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

You're watching multisource entertainment news analysis from Newsy.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has been getting grilled by the media -- who say he once owed-and may still owe- up to $500,000 in unpaid Tiffany jewelry bills.
However, when confronted about it on CBS' "Face the Nation" last Sunday, he said the debt was paid off automatically.

BOB SCHIEFFER:Did you owe a half-million dollars to a jewelry company at one point?
GINGRICH:We had a revolving fund.
SCHIEFFER:Well, what does that mean?
GINGRICH:It means that we had a revolving fund. It was a --
SCHIEFFER:I mean, who buys a half-million dollars worth of jewelry on credit?
GINGRICH:No. It's a — go talk to Tiffany's. It's a standard, no-interest account.
SCHIEFFER:How long did you owe it?
GINGRICH:I have no idea, but it was paid off automatically. We paid no interest on it. There was no problem with it. It's a normal way of doing business.

But many media outlets and analysts remain unconvinced. A blogger for The Washington Post says -- the whole thing is very obscure and Gingrich's claim is extremely doubtful.

Tiffany does not appear to provide such a revolving line of credit account to regular customers ... So either Gingrich and his wife paid high rates of interest on their Tiffany's debt — or they received a special deal because of his political prominence. Given the facts at hand ... Gingrich earns three Pinocchios for his statement.

Yet in an appearance on Monday, the former House Speaker repeated his claim -- and seized the opportunity to say he is not going to answer what he calls "gotcha" questions.
But for Politico -- this is the perfect excuse to avoid tricky subjects.

In effect, Gingrich claimed a blanket exemption from discussing parts of his career he doesn't want to address -- and broad license to bring up whatever he wants. [He] said ..."everything is fair" for candidates asking "to lead the American people in the most important governmental job on the planet.

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell is on a mission to find out what Gingrich bought -- that is apparently too embarrassing to admit.

SCHIEFFER: What did you buy?
GINGRICH: Well, oh nothing, it's my private life.
O"DONNELL: What did you buy Mr. Gingrich is now the must ask question for any reporter, especially after Gingrich said this today--
GINGRICH: By definition, if you run for President anything is on the table. Ask Robert Cleveland. Ask Andrew Jackson. Anything is on the table. Accept that.

Comedians have gotten in on the topic too -- TV host Conan O'Brien didn't pass up the opportunity to make fun of the former House Speaker.

SCHIEFFER: I want to ask about this bizarre revelation that came out last week that revealed that you owed between two hundred and fifty thousand a half million dollars to a jewelry company. What was that about?
GINGRICH: We are very frugal, we in fact live within a budget.
SCHIEFFER: Did you owe a half-million dollars to a jewelry company at one point?
It's very odd to me...




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[jimmym35x]

We had a revolving fund. What does that mean? It means we had a revolving fund. Way to clear things up buddy. Bill Paxton kicks way more ass than you. Sammy Hagar looks almost bad ass if you stood next to him