Sunlight on SEIU Part II: SEIU’s White House Go-To Man Still on Union Payroll in 2009
by Kyle OlsonEarlier last year, ACORN founder Wade Rathke glowingly blogged that Patrick Gaspard, political director of the White House, was a former ACORN organizer. When that claim started receiving a bit of attention, Rathke offered a retraction, saying his memory was playing tricks on him. Right, Wade, right…
What is indisputable about Patrick Gaspard is that at one time, he was the Executive Vice President of SEIU Local 1199, the New York City-based chapter that is the largest of all SEIU locals. At some point in late 2007 or early 2008, Gaspard allegedly left SEIU to join the Obama campaign.
Obama won the primary, and ultimately the general election, and Gaspard was named the Director of Political Affairs in the White House – a heady and important job.
So it should give transparency and clean government advocates a bit of concern to see in calendar year 2009, Gaspard received a whopping $37,191 from SEIU 1199. Assuming he officially became a federal employee on January 20th (Inauguration Day), it amounted to nearly $2,000 a day in compensation.
Gaspard left the SEIU to join the Obama campaign – which presumably was more than a full-time job – then became an upper-level staffer during the transition. But apparently all the while, he was still on the SEIU dime.
And as he was making arrangements to occupy an office in the West Wing, he was still on the SEIU payroll. It causes one to wonder: who is Gaspard serving?
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72 Comments
Another dog whistle for the angry right… here boy. Time to chirp in. Good dog.
So he was moonlighting… at the White House. (sarc)
So, who's surprised by yet MORE shenanigans in this administration? Everything about NObama is crooked. He and his administration need to reside in the histrory books! We need NEW leadership NOW. The sooner the better.
John Vought on Fox, about Obama and his radical beliefs.
http://www.thefoxnation.com/jon-voight/2010/04/11...
It's not a socialist part-ay unless you invite the unions. All they try to do is fight for workers rights, they don't do it for personal power and monetary gain! Ohh wait…every union leader in history is extremely wealthy and corrupt.
The Socialist leader creed – "Do as I say, not as I do, it's fair. It's also fair to kick you in the teeth if you disagree"
No. Looks the the Pathological Progressive Liars have their feet in dogchit.
Moonlighting. That's it. That's the ticket.
I can't believe we're paying these racist thugs.
The SEIU is in trouble. They are coercing new members to join and are insolvent.
They have loan with Bank of America for 90 million dollars. What is the collateral? ACORN real estate?
I am sure the ACORN owes them money. The SEIU is several hundred million dollars behind on Pension funding.
The Gaspard continued money is fraud. We will find major financial issues with this mess soon. Andy Stern's largest fetish today is Card Check. With him gone, his influence is very low.
Good dog…
" It causes one to wonder: who is Gaspard serving?"
I trust that this was a rhetorical question. If not here is a multiple choice answer,,,let's see who gets it right.
Gasspard is serving,,,,,
a) Obama
b) SEIU
c) Himself
d) Unions and Organized labor
e) All of the above
Answer: E
What is the C.F.P.A.? Here is the real break down on it.
http://www.stopthecfpa.com/?utm_source=foxnews-na...
So you consider a conflict of interest no big deal? Or just a conflict of interest that involves Democrats?
Now you know why SEIU is so deep into Oba-mao… They need the government to bail them out of their "liabilities".
You and I will be paying their pension fund, just watch…
It'd be one thing if you had a counterpoint mikatollah, but that's it? Dog Whistle? How about you exercise some of that lefty 'intelligence' that you're so proud of?
I'm sorry I can only give you one thumbs up…
Good list.
I agree with all you say with the exception of your last statement. Stren's influence will only grow. Now that he is dis-associating himself with SEIU he believes that his liability from previous malfeasance is gone too. Eu Contraire, his influence will only grow. He was named to the deficit commission (what a joke) and his time is freed up to do all kinds of other 'behind the scenes' crimes on behalf of his brutha from a different mutha, BHO.
keep an eye on that guy,,,,we ain't seen nuthin yet!
WHAT!!! Unions are dirty lying cheating scamming organizations?
Really? What is the world coming to!!!
Andy Stern is an honest servent of the workers of the Union he (mis)manages… Just Like Jimmy Hoffa was…
Maybe later.
All I've seen so far is an unfounded accusation… a little red meat for the hounds.
I wonder if Andy is entitled to the same retirement plan afforded Mr. Hoffa?
Now 3 dog comments? You do know that the point of political discussion is to make an argument, not just hear yourself talk (or see yourself type)?
So let's sum up your point of view: Republicans bad
I think we've got it, please move along until you graduate from high school
The worms, aka union leaders, are running because Union members are about to be dumped into the O’Dumbo medical pool and their pensions on the taxpayers. Their former leaders will still live in luxary on the millions they have stolen over the years. The only mystery is who, Sterns or Trumka will join Hoffa first.
A little bit of conflict of interest is ok if it is a democrat operative doing it. A little bit of fraud, coercion, money laundering, and violence. It’s the cause man.
How many times in the Bush years did we hear about Hailiburton and Dick Cheney… How even though he had no way of collecting a dime of profit from their current contracts in our ongoing (STILL GOING ON) war(s).
Anyone know where Eric Holder is hiding these days……..
You mean unfounded accusations like the tea party being a bunch of violent racists?
Stile 'em up, I be SEIU:
goinglocoinyokohama.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/buckwheat-poster-card-c10230417.jpeg
Once the current regime is rplaced and an ethical administration takes over the only federal department that should not be cut in half and actually doubled in size is the DOJ. They will have a whole lot of work to do
Maybe later = I have no idea what I am talking about so I will continue with my provoking attacks of…Good Dog…..no bad dog, bad, bad, bad, angry conservative…stay.
Glad to see you are paying attention to my posts. If you read all 3700 of them you will be the smartest righty in the herd.
Very nice Hauling, always amusing to see someone ignore their own hypocrisy.
Mikatollah, you're right, not every post on here is extremely intellectual, just like any other blog on the planet. However, this is a conservative board, and if you're making the effort to read articles and post on them, I'd assume it would be to educate the poor misguided right. Instead, you offer no valid opinions whatsoever, and simply bash people for being different than you. "Voicing my contempt for the right" says it perfectly, you have no agenda or argument beyond "Republican Bad."
seem like you come running at the sound of the whistle
At this point, with all the proof placed before the American Public, the "angry right" is becoming the "angry informed Citizens" and the dog whistle is calling many to action.
It should be heard by all. Unfortunately, the media and the Administration is offering doggy treats that render a portion of the public deaf, dumb and mute.
You can lead a dog to water, but you can't make him drink. The uproar you hear when the whistle blows is from those serving the water – the insults are from the ones willing to drink the antifreeze in the dish.
You should really try some water…what your drinking isn't good for the health of the nation.
Speaking of thugs, semi OT: http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2010/04/gop-...
This needs to be exposed. Send this story all over the place. The MSM needs to be shown that no matter how hard they try to claim otherwise, the REAL VIOENT, THUG, MAO WANNABES ARE DEMOCRAT SUPPORTERS. The party which invented Lynching is at it again.
I wish all of the American people could see the way the teaparty behaves too. I'm counting on the upcoming election campaign to display some of the nonsense I see on this list.
LOL- you're funny.
Communist.
$37,000 sure sounds like an expensive new 'house plant'.
Most behave like concerned citizens who fear their future and that of their children and grandchildren is headed in the wrong direction. Even when the evidence is before you- you will deny it. That's the antifreeze setting in.
According to multiple videos and $100,000 dollars still on the table, the Tea Party Patriots hurled no racial slurs as Congress members ceremoniously walked from the Cannon Building to the chambers.
Video after video you see Democratic Congress members complaining of the way the Tea Party protests. It only highlights their hypocrisy when video evidence is shown of the members themselves acting in a less than civil way during the protests against Bush. Yet, only a handful of media outlets are willing to call them out. What are they afraid of?
This is not suprising in the least. I already researched a while back to find that Gaspard was in violation of Obama's new "Ethics Pledge". This is just another, more blatant violation of the same pledge. And furthermore, it's more proof that SEIU does indeed have a say in everything that Obama does.
As long as Michelle Bachmann and Sarah Palin are the face of the teaparty you are screwed. The conspiratorial nonsense coming from these "leaders" is going to leave Americans scratching their heads and wondering what ever happened to the sane voices on the right. All the conservatives have moved to the Democratic party and what's left in the Republican party are the nutjobs.
This may be a bad year for Democrats, but I'm counting on the teaparty to help keep the majorities in both houses of congress.
You'll notice that BG never interviews the people they libel. That is because truth is not the goal… the goal is keeping the base frothing at the mouth. Well, as the not so great man once said, "Mission Accomplished".
You don't make sense. If all of the Conservatives have moved to the Democratic party, how is this a bad year for Democrats?
Democrats have been known to attend the Tea Party Rallies along with Republicans and Independents. This has been a bad year for Republicans and Democrats and a good year for the Tea Party activists.
I'm not too fond of Palin but I'm impressed with Bachmann's guts. I have yet to see her backtrack or say something without proof to back it up.
By the way- where is your proof that Conservatives have moved to the Democratic party?
What is left in the Republican party is not conservative. Conservative is a proud tradition and a badge of honor. The teaparty are fringe extremists. Every time you open your mouth you chase people from the Republicans. You have just enough power to disrupt the nominating process, and if you become a third party you will only elect more Democrats.
From what I have seen and heard, Gaspard is not the kind of person that seeks the spotlight. He's a very "behind the scenes" kinda guy. Aside from that, no interview is needed to come to the conclusion that Gaspard is in violation of Obama's Ethics Pledge. And it only counts as Libel if it's a FALSE accusation, which in this case, it isn't. And if truth really was all you cared about here, then you should start backing up your assertions with facts and not just comments aimed at provoking negative reactions from the posters here at this site. This behavioral change on your part would be greatly appreciated.
Don't say "you" because you don't have any idea whether or not I belong to the Tea Party, am a Conservative or a Democrat.
In reality, I'm active duty member of the US military. I don't belong to any of the above mentioned groups and am a registered Independent. Currently, I am stationed in Germany- and view a variety of news sources for my information. I view it all and even suffer through MSNBC from time-to-time.
Very few members of the Tea Party want to become a third party- they know the cost of doing so… Your comment is not only misguided and uninformed- it is also ignorant and closed minded.
Keep sipping from the dish of antifreeze or try some nice cool water- the choice is yours.
Sounds like you have made up your mind… so gowidgod.
And you have made up yours. You have chosen to ignore proof when it is in front of you. Does that really sound like someone who is using their mind?
Good for you, and thank you for your service. I'm a retired Air Force officer myself and I'm well aware of the sacrifice you are making to serve your country.
When you lay down with dogs your are going to get fleas. I don't believe anyone is truly independent in today's world. If you are paying attention you have chosen sides. You have obviously decided there is an honorable association to be had with the teaparty. I see them as angry racists and out of touch. They are getting some traction because of the bad economy, but it will fade soon enough. I suspect they will last a couple of election cycles. There are not as many of them as they would have you believe.
There are at least two sides to every story and we are only getting one side from an extremely partisan source. If any of it is true it will become clear to all of us soon enough. But for now, let's just say I'm skeptical. What usually happens is there is nothing to support the charges and the right moves on to the next big thing. They are throwing crap on the wall to see if anything sticks.
I'm separating in July and heading back stateside. I plan to see for myself before I completely make up my mind. All the evidence that I can gather shows that the true anger and bigotry is on the left.
I've watched the way the Tea Party is framed from both sides. The left only shows the parts that help their side. Of course, the same can be said for the right. It would be ignorant to think otherwise.
The thing that bothers me the most is that tax payer money is being used so carelessly. They say that Health Insurance Reform will save us money. If that is so, why all this talk of a VAT tax.
Over here in Germany, a person making 50,000 Euro a year pays 40% in taxes. On top of that is an astounding Gas tax, property tax and VAT tax of 19%. Did you know that they pay a Gas tax and then the VAT tax is added on top of it? They pay taxes on a tax. Is that the future you want for the States?
When all is said and done, 60% of their earnings is taken in taxes. Sure, they have Government Healthcare, Government Higher Education and Unionized Labour. The downfall of this is that the Government determines it all for them. In school they have standardized tests to determine what they a "qualified" to study in college. Those tests determine whether or not they will be a blue-collar or white-collar worker. In the States, you are only limited by your ambition. I cannot imagine my children being limited by what the Government determines they are qualified to be.
The Government cannot grant you Human Rights- Human Rights are granted by the Creator. The Government can only limit your ability to utilize the Rights you were born with.
Thank you for your service. But, you should be ashamed to degrade your honorable status of being a retired Air Force Officer by becoming an instigating troll with nothing to add to an honest debate waged by Patriotic Americans who want only what they believe is best for the Country.
If you have something to add that can shed some light on what you believe is our misdirection, than by all means do us the honor of providing your honest opinion with respect and dignity.
SSgt Thompson, USAF
Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Mik, I ask again, have you looked through the documentation provided in the Article? Have you read the ethics pledge on the whitehouse website? I have, and that alone is enough to point out that something is wrong here. Aside from that, I have done a considerable amount of research on Gaspard himself, and that research has already indicated what this new evidence reinforces; Gaspard is in gross violation of the President's Ethics Pledge. Gaspard is recieving income from SEIU while serving as Political Director for the Whitehouse. What ISN'T wrong with that? On top of that, Gaspard is not currently listed among those who have recieved an ethics waiver.
I am also looking forward to how Gaspard or the Whitehouse will explain this, but it doesn't change the facts as they are now.
For once- we agree. I believe the Tea Party and Conservatives truly need to "pick their battles." I was quite embarrassed by the whole reaction to the egg throwing incident. Really? Eggs- come on. All the focus was diverted onto something that made them look pathetically trivial. It did not matter that the left would have had the incident in the headlines. It was trivial.
Pick a topic and pick it wisely. Narrow the focus onto what is at the heart of the matter. Liberty. The larger the Government's role, the less liberty. The larger the tax burden, the larger the ability of the Government to play more of a role in my life and that of my children.
Social Justice? That's just a sweet sounding term for "Fair". Life will never be fair and the Government will make it less fair by rewarding those who choose to crumble under the unfairness of it all.
Name me one person- just one- who improved their life by being given hand-outs? A hand-out just makes you lazy. A hand-up is what people need.
The Government is trying to become a Charity. The benefit of Charity is that it is rewarding to the giver and receiver. This is not so when the Government becomes the Charity. The giver is a distant source and the receiver has no one to thank and no source of pride in trying to give back to those who helped them.
I am terribly saddened by the direction of the Country.
Thank you for your service- I must catch some shut-eye, now. It's 1125 and I'm beat.
Thank you for humoring me and honestly, try becoming a part of the solution and adding some honest insight into the debate.
The insults and "leftyish" responses with no real meat on their bones are part of what is dividing this country. I didn't serve the last 8 1/2 years to become a part of the problem and I would hope that you didn't serve 20+ to either.
Indeed, the amount of emphasis placed on the Egg throwing incident was superfluous to a degree. Although it was a good example of a flaming double standard, it really wasn't that big of a deal in the big scheme of things. Eggs on a bus really doesn't really stand out when compared to Socialists in a Whitehouse.
You made me laugh! Thanks for that. I guess I can see where you would consider me a troll if you don't agree with my politics. I do tend to speak my mind without too much regard for whose feelings get hurt. I bottled it up for 25 years and now I take great pleasure in freely expressing my opinions.
One thing the right does that I don't see on the left is make exclusive claims to patriotism and the Constitution. I have never seen anyone on the left question someone's patriotism, but it happens to me everyday on this list. And I hear some of the most outrageous things about what is and is not constitutional here.
The bigotry on the right has driven people of color away. I hear a lot about the racism on the left here, but you can't get past the fact that the people who opposed civil rights legislation in the 1960s now form the base of the Republican party, and blacks have moved to the Democratic party. It didn't have to be that way. It was the racist southern Democrats who blocked civil rights for 30 years and many of the progressives were Republicans. Somewhere along the way they lost their soul. They are now a regional southern party with such a strict ideological test that has forced people out. They haven't all joined the Democratic party, but they don't want to be associated with the Republican brand.
The worst homophobes are on the right. I consider that nothing but sexual bigotry.
Taxes are a legitimate political debate. But the debate needs to be centered around who pays and how much. Not whether we want to pay taxes. They are a fact of life that is not going away. There is a legitimate roll for government to play and it should be decided by voting, not violence. You will see lots of calls for violent overthrow of the government if you hang out around here. These are just a few of my complaints with the teaparty.
Glad I'm not the only one that felt that way. I wish less focus was placed on "keeping score." Maybe Breitbart should consider a monthly score card of "wrongs" instead of treating the trivial as a breaking story.
I don't understand the calculation of $2,000 per day. I agree this Patrick Gaspar creature should not get a penny from the SEIU while working at the White House, but $37,191 divided by 250 (workdays in a year, assuming two weeks for vacation) is $148.40.
Oh, come on really. I need approval? Is it because I said wingnuts?
No, maybe because I said "violent overthrow of the Government"
No, perhaps its because I said "violent extremists?
What did I say that needs approval. Was it… oh, well. I guess I'll find out tomorrow.
We can only hope. Sooner better than later.
You should poke your head out and look around. There is not a lot of graduate level political discussion going on here. Today I'm just voicing my contempt for the right. Nothing personal.
Don't Feed The Trolls.
Ignore them, and let them go away, Simple Really..
Next thing you know he'll be justifying harry reids egg throwers…wait hes already done that.
· 1 week ago
"Nothing inspires violence like spitting…" * mikatollah
This was your response to the left throwing eggs at the Tea Party bus. Funny how you try to act so righteous but deep down your just another troll.
Of course after reading this we should all be aware that mikatollah as well as his statements should be regarded as useless dribble.
Ditto what DXM said…
Seriously? Did you even look at the link in the article? Gaspard's name is clearly written on Page 17 of the PDF that has been linked. Aside from that, It's already been proven that Gaspard is in violation of the "Ethics Pledge" that Obama put into place due to the fact that he's been attending weely meetings between the Whitehouse and various interest groups including SEIU. The ethics pledge clearly states that as a former lobbyist (or in Gaspard's case, current lobbyist), you are not allowed to partake in any acticity that is related to the area you lobbied in. In Gaspard's case, this would be Healthcare.
I'm counting on the upcoming election campaign to display some of the nonsense I see on this list.
Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.
Not only that the DOL report disclosed that he spent 80% of his time on political activities.
Patrick Gaspard
PA – Executive Vice Presi
Schedule 16 Political Activities and Lobbying — 80 %
Or people being savagely beaten half to death for attending a Republican fund raiser in New Orleans….
[...] scream… Where are the investigations (and media)??? A week ago, it was revealed that the SEIU paid the White House Political Director (former SEIU boss Patrick Gaspard) $37,000 in 2009 and, so far, there is [...]
[...] weeks ago, Big Government blogger Kyle Olsen exposed the fact that, in 2009, the SEIU 1199 paid Gaspard $37,191. That’s on top of the $74,552 that SEIU [...]
[...] weeks ago, Big Government blogger Kyle Olsen exposed the fact that, in 2009, the SEIU 1199 paid Gaspard $37,191 (see page 17 of the document below) [...]
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