RNC fuss centers over Tampa convention spending

TAMPA Charges of nepotism and wasteful spending in planning for the 2012 National Republican Convention in Tampa are roiling the Republican National Committee.

The controversy is linked in part to embattled RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who may face opposition if he seeks re-election early next year.

One RNC opponent of Steele is calling for an investigation by the RNC's executive committee of convention spending.

Solomon Yue, an Oregon delegate to the RNC, cites news reports of high salaries and rent paid for convention staffers in Tampa; hiring of family members, and far greater spending on this convention than at the same stage in planning past conventions.

"I want to see our convention be a huge success for you guys [in Tampa] as well as us in the party," Yue said in an interview. "But if we don't deal with our current problem, the kind of spending and cronyism going on, this kind of thing can spread like cancer."

But Oregon GOP Chairman Bob Tiernan, a Steele supporter, said Yue's criticisms are based on opposition to Steele.

He said Yue and others "have done everything they can in the last two years to go out of their way to have confrontations with Michael Steele."

Local convention planners won't discuss the situation, citing their need to raise money and plan the 2012 event without political interference or involvement. National party officials are close-mouthed as well.

But planners with the RNC's Committee on Arrangements responded with an e-mail letter to RNC members Tuesday, saying charges of excessive spending are arise merely because they're starting on the vast logistical task earlier than in past years.

The letter didn't address reports that several staffers are family members or have close relationships to of Belinda Cook, the lead Tampa-based staffer.

Cook, a long-time personal assistant to Steele, is being paid about $180,000 a year by the Committee on Arrangements, plus a $25,000 July consulting fee, according to Federal Election Committee records.

The Committee is also paying $4,500 monthly for Cook's living quarters, a 3,200-square-foot waterfront home in Treasure Island with an outdoor pool and dock, valued in county tax records at $636,993.

The letter came from Cook, Committee on Arrangements Treasurer Louis Pope and Holly Hughes, chairwoman of the RNC's site selection committee.

But in seeking to reassure RNC members the committee wasn't wasting their money, it struck a potentially sour note, pointing out that they're spending tax money, not RNC donors' money.

"None of the COA [Committee on Arrangements] money comes out of RNC funds," the letter said. The committee expects to get $16 million or more in federal funds next summer.

Since the 1970's, the federal government has subsidized both parties' conventions as part of the public financing program for presidential campaigns. The subsidy, $16.8 million in 2008, is adjusted each election for inflation. Parties can use the money for any as they see fit, as long as it's a legitimate political expenses, according to the FEC web site.

Much of the rest of the convention funding, the letter noted, will be raised by the local host committee, an independent, non-profit corporation that isn't legally part of the Republican Party.

The COA payroll includes Cook's son, Lee A. Cook, 26, a 2006 college graduate, at about $5,000 a month. Cook, a former special assistant at the U.S. Department of Defense, lists his job as a national security research analyst.

According to news reports, Erik Rohrmann, paid more than $10,000 in September, is a college friend of Lee Cook. Pamela Kesner, identified in news reports as Cook's niece and a University of Tampa student, received an "intern stipend" of $800 in July, and went on the payroll in August at about $2,000 a month.

FEC filings also report more than $25,000 in payments to "BB Consulting" for "hotel management consulting" from July to August, a company apparently belonging to That company is listed under the same address as John and Betina Barcus of Denton, Md., according to state property records. News reports have identified in news reports Betina Barcus as Cook's sister.

Cook, Pope and Hughes couldn't be reached or didn't return calls for comment.

Part of the criticism arises because the Committee on Arrangements has spent some $637,000 through October to begin planning the convention, compared to about $35,500 for the same period preceding the 2008 event.

But the convention planners' letter message to RNC members said that's because the Tampa site was chosen earlier than usual, and they're now six to eight months ahead of the 2008 schedule.

It said past convention planners recommended an earlier start, and the local host committee asked for one.

Al Austin, a Tampa developer and high-level GOP fundraiser heading the Host Committee, said he had no comment on the controversy.

Asked whether his committee sought the earlier start, he said, "They came down here early, we agreed it was advantageous to get a good head start, and we've been working with them and it has been a cooperative effort."

The letter said at this point in 2008, only site selection and establishment of an RNC office were completed, while tasks now completed also include relocating staff to the site, completing a "web site and infrastructure," and securing hotel contracts.

"We are actually spending less at the same stage" of accomplishment, it said.

Yue said the explanation didn't satisfy him.

He said RNC members don't know how long the contracts for the COA staff are for - and therefore how much money the staffers eventually will receive - and that the RNC is in debt after seeing revenue from large donors decline substantially over the past election cycle.

Steele, he said, has earned a reputation for big spending.

"Who wants to donate to a crooked operation?" he said. "The RNC has no money right now and we're in debt. "Let's stop the spending first," then review the contracts, "see what is legitimate, what is not."

Tiernan said Yue's criticisms "are certainly something I would look into," but said, "Consider the source."

He said Cook is "a very trusted right arm of Steele," who put her on the job because it's a high priority, "like assigning your chief of staff to something."

Steele's term as chairman expires in January. He hasn't said whether he will run for re-election, but prominent conservatives from Newt Gingrich to Haley Barbour oppose him.