Schmidt's legal expense fund shows $10 raised to date; On pace to pay off her debt in 25,000 years

Here at the COAST blog, we have been following the Jean Schmidt corruption scandal closely.

Readers will note that last August, the House Ethics Committee ruled that Schmidt had accepted an approximately $500,000 illegal gift from the Turkish Coalition of America and ordered her to repay the gift from a permissible source. (Schmidt serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.)

To purportedly fulfill that requirement, Schmidt established a Legal Expense Trust, a step only six other members of the U.S. House have taken (all corrupt, including Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters).

OK, so how's that going?

Today, Schmidt filed her second quarterly report since the establishment of that fund and to date, to help retire her $500,000 debt, Schmidt has raised a grand total of -- drum roll please -- $10.  Yes, $10.  And that was the initial deposit she made to set up the account.  $10.

So, at that pace, $10 every six months, it will take, ummm, 25,000 years to pay off her debt (without interest) to the Turkish Coalition of America.

Does anyone, anyone, think Schmidt is taking her ethical obligations seriously?  Anyone?

Hopelessly corrupt Schmidt targeted for defeat by Super PAC

Our local embarrassment, 

Jean Schmidt

A well-funded Super PAC appears to have targeted local Congressman Jean Schmidt for defeat in March's Republican primary election, the Enquirer reports this morning. Schmidt's only serious opponent in the primary is COAST-endorsed, Iraqi War veteran Dr. Brad Wenstrup.

The group known as Campaign for Primary Accountability indicates that their polling of the district shows that Schmidt is one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the nation, and it is not a surprise given how poorly she has performed as a Congressman:

1. She voted this past session with President Barack Obama to raise the debt ceiling;
2. She voted to bail out Wall Street with hundreds of billions of tax dollars with the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
3. She is hopelessly corrupt, having been found by the House Ethics Committee to have accepted an impermissible ~$500,000 gift.
4. She voted to raise the gasoline tax 27%. 
5. She was found by the Ohio Elections Commission to have lied multiple times, claiming a college degree she did not have and two endorsements she did not have.

The Campaign for Primary Accountability calls Schmidt "out of step with her conservative southwest Ohio district."  No kidding.

This development will mean that the fundraising advantage that incumbents enjoy will be "leveled" and that Dr. Wenstrup's challenge to Mrs. Schmidt just became more serious.

Read the entire CPA press release here.

To help Dr. Wenstrup's campaign, click here.

Doc Thompson will be missed

John Kieswetter of the Enquirer reported this weekend that WLW recently fired morning talk show host Doc Thompson.  COAST wants to salute the departing Doc, as he provided a wonderful outlet for the conservative voice in Cincinnati.  He also seemed like a heck of a good guy.

He will be sorely missed.