Is Joe Trippi a Con Man?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Mr. Trippi, who was described by friends as furious with Dr. Dean, spent the evening dining with staffers, before the 14-hour drive back to his Maryland farm on Thursday.

"I'm sorry I disappointed, in any way, the governor, but what upsets me the most is if anything I did let down the hundreds of thousands of people who support us," he said in a brief interview. He added that he had tried "as hard as I could — that's all you can do in this business."

:puke: He tried -- to line his own pockets at the expense of millions of idealistic Americans.

Beyond the naming of Mr. Neel, Tricia Enright, the campaign's communications director, said Dr. Dean was forming "a new creative team" to overhaul its television advertisements. He said the campaign was not firing its media firm, in which Mr. Trippi is a partner. Many Dean supporters have been critical of the ad campaign, particularly in Iowa. Some questioned the arrangements by which Mr. Trippi forfeited a salary as a campaign manager but collected commissions — said to be as high as 15 percent in some cases — based on advertising buys.

<snip>

It was also Mr. Trippi who suggested that Dr. Dean give a rousing, fired-up speech after his crushing third-place finish in Iowa, a speech — and screech — that may have led to his undoing in New Hampshire.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/29/politics/campaign/29DEAN.html?pagewanted=2&hp

It just makes me sick that a slimeball like this gets rich because of all those $10 donations to Dean.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I smell salt being poured into people's wounds

come on..be cool..don't do that

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. I don't want to make anyone feel bad.

But I live alone, in the woods, I don't have anywhere else to talk about this and I gotta tell you, it does make me sick, I hate the way it takes all the idealism and the dreams of those folks who sent money in and just turns into something ugly. THAT was the only thing I liked about the Dean campaign.

[windansea]

2. if Dean signed such a contract with Trippi

you can't just blame Trippi

[jpgray]

3. Your title is a little inflammatory

Since we don't have all the info out of Dean's campaign yet, I'm sure this thread will be more civil if you tone it down?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

22. OK, I changed it.

[Jersey Devil]

4. If Trippi pocketed all that money why is he driving 14 hours home

Seems to me that he'd be flying first class, don't you think?

[Uzybone]

8. what does that mean

Im not accusing Trippi of anything but the fact he drove home doesnt mean he didnt con the Dean campaign.

[atre]

12. Maybe he doesn't want to leave the Lexus behind?

:)

[jenk]

14. stay out of planes if you campaign against the GOP

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. Because he needs to get his car to Maryland?

[ant]

5. I have a question

How much does a campaign manager usually earn, and how does the money Trippi made on these commissions compare to that?

[diamond14]

6. the buck stops with the guy in charge....dean....

dean is fully responsible for corruption on his campaign staff....


the next question is: who else is on the take under dean's supervision??? there's never just one....

[Jerseycoa]

15. I think you're right

This seems far beyond Trippi's commissions. It is just not that easy to spend $40M. Dean let the big bucks his supporters trusted him with to leak away. It's astounding. It's mindboggling. But the buck's got to stop with Dean himself.

[Tatiana]

20. It's hard to judge.

We don't know the full story, yet. If Trippi did take more than his share of campaign funds, then why hasn't Dean completely severed all ties with him?

I think this is a developing story and we need to get all the facts first before we start judging.

[Jerseycoa]

24. I guess

I'm sorry. I don't want to add to your troubles. I was just kind of stunned by the idea that all that money could be gone. I'm out of here now. Good luck.

[Tatiana]

7. Well if Trippi is, indeed, a "con man," then I would say Dean ....

had every reason to fire him and did the right thing.

[jenk]

10. you have to give it to the Dean supporters

they continue to donate.....but I'd like to think my money is being spent well.

[NNN0LHI]

11. I am not sure that the financial arrangements between employee and...

...employer are any of my business? Going to have to think about this some more.

Don

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

19. What does that have to do with what Joe Trippi did?

[Duncan Grant]

23. Isn't it a bit early to rush to judgement?

And to post your indignation (spin) in this manner is simply exploiting a story in the worst possible manner (imho).

Tasteless, base, and so transparent.

edit: subject line

[Octafish]

17. Trippi was the smartest one in that whole campaign.

Joseph knows where the money is. TV and radio buys are biiig bucks.

So, what's 15% of $40 million? That's a lot more than a salary.

Wonder what it is in "bats?"

[jenk]

18. corked?

[freetempe]

21. Threads like these aren't being locked??

Rampant speculation, accusing people of being thiefs and more smearing of the Dean campaign. What else is new. I'd love to see if this thread was about Kerry.

Sheesh.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

25. So this doesn't bother you?

Trippi says, skip the salary, I'll just take 15% of the ad buys, then burns through $35 million in advertising? That doesn't bother you?

[Moderator]

26. Locking...

1. If you start a thread in this forum, you must present your opinion in a manner that is not inflammatory, which respects differences in opinion, and which is likely to lead to respectful discussion rather than flaming. The moderators have the sole authority to decide whether a thread topic is inflammatory.

There are more than enough threads to address this currently in this forum.

Thanks,

DU Moderator