Kyrsten Sinema paid Tulsi Gabbard's sister over $300K for 'security' assistance

[turbinetree]

By Brad Reed
Published February 23, 2023

A new report from The Daily Beast is raising questions about an unusual arrangement for personal security between Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and a company owned by the sister of Tulsi Gabbard.

According to the report, Sinema's campaign finance committees have forked over more than $300,000 to a company called TOA Group LLC whose sole executive is Vrindivan Gabbard Bellord, the sister of the former Hawaii Democratic congresswoman who has since become a far-right Fox News contributor.

"Since fall 2021, Bellord has been employed as the 'security director' in Sinema’s Senate office, a role that has paid her over $50,000, according to Senate records," the publication writes. "Bellord has also apparently been the exclusive security provider to Sinema’s campaign. She appears to have no other clients aside from the Arizona senator."

https://www.rawstory.com/kyrsten-sinema-2659457368/

Which raises the question......does she not get $174,000 from tax payers .. .....what is her side job to pay this money out....working for lobbyists.....

[hatrack]

1. Security for what? Her countless public appearances and constituent outreach events?

[dchill]

2. Blowback must be getting expensive!

[gab13by13]

3. Money in politics is a problem

[The Wizard]

4. Hillary Clinton pegged Gabbard

as a Russian asset back in 2016.

[uponit7771]

5. +1,

[NJCher]

6. Sniff sniff

I smell a rat the size of George Santos here.

[ecstatic]

7. Uggh. So she's

compromised too. This is getting ridiculous.

[niyad]

8. Is this how the russians are funding sinema and gabbard?

[Irish_Dem]

12. Obviously a connection between Sinema and Gabbard, a Russian asset.

So yes is this how the Russian money flows back and forth between Putin's puppets here in the US?

I assume Sinema has been receiving large sums of money from McConnell.
But he has also taken money from the Russians.

[bottomofthehill]

9. Going to have to take the other side of the coin here

Last edited Thu Feb 23, 2023, 11:00 AM - Edit history (1)

I don’t like Sinema and I don’t like Gabbard. I think they are both turncoat bullshit artists. That said, Sinema is a high profile Member of Congress from a state where serious harm (Giffords) was done to a Member in the past. Gabbard sister is a former U.S. Marshal and is qualified for the position. The money that she has received in this role is actually much less that many other Members of the House and Senate spend.

Sinema sucks, but in this environment, there is no reason that she not protect herself.

[ashredux]

11. True, she should be protected like anyone else in her position. But Gabbard's sister?

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. IF she is qualified, that doesn't surprise me

All things being equal, people tend to employ people with prior connections to their own social networks and alliances. Both Tulsi Gabbard and Kyrsten Sinema have been playing with Republicans a lot lately. Tulsi last election endorsed Toxic Lake for Arizona Governor.

It is noteworthy, but not really surprising to me anymore, if a Sinema, Gabbard, Lake alliance develops in Arizona

[ashredux]

17. Yes, not surprising. But then it becomes a Russian triad.

These folks are all in it for the money. They don’t care if it’s Russian money, and they’ll get on Fox News and talk up Russian talking points as long as the money keeps coming in. I personally thought that extremely un-American.

[bottomofthehill]

25. She is a former US Marshal and has the educational background

[Irish_Dem]

13. Of all the security personnel in the US, Sinema choses one with Russian connections?

And strong GOP connections?

Quite the coincidence.

[bottomofthehill]

15. Of all the security personnel in the US she chose the one she knows

And has a relationship with to protect her life. Actually, not unusual at all. Former US Marshall, qualified to do the work.. U.S. Naval War College - MA, defense and strategic studies (2017-2018)
John Jay College of Criminal Justice - BA, forensic psychology, magna cum laude (2002-2006)

Again, I dislike both Sinema and Gabbard but again, this is a lot less than others are spending and it is the person she is comfortable protecting her.

[ashredux]

18. Don't be nave. It's all about money from Russia. Follow the money.

[bottomofthehill]

21. She is actually on her Senate payroll

So some of the money is coming from the US Treasury. When did we decide Siemens’s money was Russian money. I contributed to her Senate campaign 4 years ago. I won’t now, but I did then.

[Irish_Dem]

29. Sorry not buying it.

[progressoid]

32. Yeah,

On the surface it looks bad. But unless there is some concrete evidence of some nefarious plot...meh.

[ashredux]

10. Gabbard is turning into a Fox News regular. That says it all.

[Botany]

14. I smell kickback money to Sinema

So Russia and or the industrial medical trillion dollar complex sends money to Sinema's campaign finance
committees and she pays the TOA Group LLC and somehow some of that money winds up in a #ed bank
account in the Caymans that Kyrsten will have access too once she leaves the senate on Jan 1st 2025?

Just guessing here.

[Irish_Dem]

30. Yep. Something along these lines for sure.

[Sanity Claws]

19. Does this mean that a Russian asset now have easy access to Congressional records?

[NowISeetheLight]

20. I'm sure she's an expert?

Police experience, corporate espionage, navy seal, I mean I’m wondering exactly what type of security experience she has to justify the $$$. “Consultant” can easily be a pay-off no-show job title and nothing more.

[bottomofthehill]

22. Her resume includes

Former US Marshal
U.S. Naval War College - MA, defense and strategic studies (2017-2018)
John Jay College of Criminal Justice - BA, forensic psychology, magna cum laude (2002-2006)

[NowISeetheLight]

23. Hmmmm

OK well that is something, I will admit. At least she has some qualifications then. Maybe she can release video if her security precautions to Tucker Carlson for review. You know, to make sure Sinema isn’t covering anything up?

[ashredux]

24. Bottom line, many in the GOP are taking Russian money from third-party "PACs"

it’s all about the Grift….Period

[Irish_Dem]

31. Many of Putin's puppets have stellar resumes.

Those are the best Russian assets.

[CanonRay]

26. Gotta wash that Russian money somehow

[randr]

27. Funny money, everwhere you look

I suspect large sums from Russia are financing the fright wingers. They have found many ways to mask it.

[PuraVidaDreamin]

28. Perhaps there's more than a business arrangement?

[gldstwmn]

33. Ruben Gallego for Senate.

That is all.