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A group of Republican Jewish leaders brought the hammer down on Republican Jewish Coalition Director Matt Brooks in a meeting with Republican Congressional Whip, Rep. Eric Cantor. The senior Republican Representative Cantor, who earns $174,000 annually, was stunned to learn from the meeting participants that Matt Brooks pays himself $700,000 annually from contributions of unsuspecting Jewish Republicans. Matt Brooks, who loves to gamble in Vegas and participated in the World Series of Poker during this past election year, lead the RJC's campaign as Senator Obama carried over 77% of the Jewish vote. Following the election, Brooks sent out an e-mail to RJC members touting the "accomplishment" and asking for more money. Matt Brooks has headed the RJC for decades and has become jokingly known as the Fidel Castro of Republican Jews. The dear leader for life. The Jewish leaders who participated in the meeting demanded accountability and indicated that they will not support the RJC as long as Matt Brooks remains.Update: I just got this e-mail from Matt Brooks:
Hi Joe....Just wanted to give you a heads-up that there was a typo in your post. It’s Congressional Whip...not Wipe. Since you’ve gotten your facts way off base, thought you’d at least like to get your spelling correct.
Best,
-Matt
Dear Matt,
I want to thank you for the response and for pointing out that typo. Those who know me, know that typos are a weakness of mine. We all have our weaknesses I guess. In any event, You state that my facts are "way off base". I am very interested in getting my facts right, and will be happy to correct them.
My understanding is that you are paid about $500,000 from the RJC and its satellites such as the Jewish Policy Center. I'm not including Freedom's Watch in that, should I? Combined with perks, benefits and reimbursements I come up with around $700,000. If this is "way off base", can you please correct me with the accurate numbers? How does one get paid full time salaries while working part time for different organizations? How many vacation days do you take per year? What hotels do you stay at on "official business"? What are the nature of your reimbursements? Am I wrong about the world series of Poker and gambling? I know the entry fee back in 2006 was $10,000. I know that you are listed as a professional poker player. Some would call that a hobby, others might call it something else. Were you in Vegas instead of a large RJC event at the Ronald Reagan Museum and Library? Is it true that you haven't met with the Chairman of the RNC in years? Are all of the reports about your high-on-the-hog lifestyle of luxury hotels, first class travel and extravagant expenditures wrong? I understand that during this last campaign year you were spotted in Nantucket, Palm Beach, Aspen, Macau, and multiple times in Las Vegas and the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills... and frequently visiting your fancy-dancy wine collection at the Capital Grill in Washington in a tireless effort to elect John McCain. How many large RJC donors have quite the RJC because of their concern about the attitudes reflected in this kind of extravagance? Are you in favor of transparency so that every RJC member (or every board member at the very least) can review the RJC's itemized financials (a non-profit), especially expenses down to the last dime?
Finally, and most importantly because this goes towards the bottom line, am I wrong about Obama wining 77% of the Jewish vote? Please correct the record with facts and numbers, I promise to post your response. many thanks for your help.
Joe
Debbie Schlussel was one of the first (if not THE first) to recognize the problems with the RJC. Read a few of her postings on this matter here:
Beware of the RINO-JINOs: The Republican "Jewish" Coalition Panders to Islamists, Israel's (& America's) Enemies
Jewish Republicans Host Islamic Terror Supporter
The RJC works out of a non descript office just off the capitol with a d.c. staff of about 4-5 people. The grassroots director is Matt's cousin and mainly sets up mailings and routine speakers. Congresssional affairs does standard issue congress watching but there's no major innovation there. There are about 40,000 members which means Brooks makes $20 a member if $700k is right. That would also place him among the highest paid ceo's in d.c. most of which have memberships in the millions and staffs in the hundreds.
ReplyDeleteThe real power is the high roller donors who use it as a way to get access and appointments to Republican politicians. Brooks himself is a wheeler dealer who serves mainly as an intermediary between politicians looking to get national fundraising and donors who covet access. Winning the jewish vote is not even a serious thought, although ari fleisher advises on press releases from time to time. The three political people aren't serious talent.
I don't know much about the jewish policy center other than the fact they put out a publication and share the same office.
I am glad the group itself is doig this about the wrong of Brooks. Hope they acomplished something.
ReplyDeleteI, also, hope more organization stop blinding themselves from the wrong doing of their "leaders" and start doing something about, as well as about the CEO that make their fortunes by leaving middle and low income people in the street.
Brooks continually states that the RJC is growing extremely fast and cites that there are about 32,000 members. Someone should do an audit. My guess is that there are not even 2,000 paying members. Also, he is anti-women. He rules the board and there are only 2 women board members out of 60!!!! Not only is he the RJC'a Madoff, he is the RJC's Howard Stern.
ReplyDelete60 board members?! Dysfunction junction. How can that be?
ReplyDeleteI'm certainly in the wrong business. He makes Olmert look modest.
ReplyDeleteI am sick to my stomach. With today's atmosphere and all the bad news the RJC should be spending every penny on plastering advertisement to combat Obama's policies and choices of advisers who are definitely unti-Israel. $700,000 should pay for a continuous add about the $900M for Hamas. I will not send in my membership till this is resolved.
ReplyDelete