Rep. Eric Cantor is Stunned to Learn That RJC Leader Matt Brooks Pays Himself $700,000

Matt Brooks - Because Life is Good...

Sources confirm that 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 to the RJC (A non-profit). Matt Brooks loves to gamble and participated in the World Series of Poker in Vegas during this past election year. He led 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. According to sources, 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: The RJC may be a non-profit, but it sure looks PROFITABLE for Matt Brooks.

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. Can you help?

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, bonuses and reimbursements I come up with around $700,000. Do you pay yourself commissions on fundraising? 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 non-profit organizations? Or is it that you are working full time for multiple organizations? Or maybe there's more than one Matt Brooks? How many paid 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 heavy gambling? I know the entry fee back in 2006 was $10,000. I know that you are listed as a pro on-line poker player (Unless you say that's not you). Some would call that a hobby, others might call it something else. Were you at the tables in Vegas instead of a large RJC event at the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum? Is it true that you haven't met with the Chairman of the RNC in years? Is it true that you hired a "life coach" as a consultant? 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 showing off parts of your fancy-dancy 1,350 bottle wine collection at the Capital Grill in Washington... in a tireless effort to elect John McCain. That's pretty good for a staffer for a non-profit, don't you think? There have been reports of.. ah.. how should I put this, abrasive behavior towards staff and RJC members, not true? Why are there only two women out of 60 members on the RJC Board? How many large RJC donors have quit the RJC because of their concern about the attitudes reflected in this kind of extravagance? How does your compensation compare to Howard Kohr's over at AIPAC who manages to run a far larger and more important organization without sending out press releases with his name all over it every five minutes? Is it at least triple what Howard gets? And how does it compare to your counterpart at the NJDC? How about at the NRA? Maybe five times more? 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, especially expenses down to the last dime? According to the RJC and JPC's 2007 990's, $163,818 were paid that year in accounting fees. Is that normal? For those kinds of numbers there should be some pretty good records, right?. How about we just open the books and let members judge for themselves? Help us help you. What do you say Matt?

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

Waiting....

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UPDATE: After carefully going over the RJC and the Jewish Policy Centers 2007 990's, a few things pop out:

The first thing that pops out is that the accusations made at the meeting with Rep. Cantor, and left unexplained by Matt Brooks, are extremely plausible and left unexplained, should be considered accurate. The two organizations share the same office. The RJC declared $3,430,872 in contributions, while the JPC declared $477,269, for a total of $3,908,141. Below are a few of the declared combined expenses of the two organizations:

* Under "officers, directors and key employees", that must be you, unless there is someone else that is paid in those categories that no one knows about? We have $559,183. Higher than estimated.

* Under "other expenses not covered Above" we have a whopping $1,055,836. There's the hole you could drive a truck through.

* Under "salaries and wages of employees not included in 25a,b and c" we have $1,235,804. That must be everybody else, unless you are tucked in there too? I must say that number actually seems plausible with four regional directors and 9 staff (or something like that).

* For Telephone the organizations paid a total of: $69,139 in 2007 alone. I'll let others make their judgement but that seems a little high for five small offices in the age of instant on-line communications.

* For accounting in 2007, $163,818 was paid. Hmmm, Maybe it's just me. Are you personal friends with this accountant?

* Under "travel" we have $45,888. That is certainly mostly you, but I don't put that into the equation.

etc... etc...

The point is Matt, that you can see how someone might get the wrong impression. You can see how the $700,000 in total after expenses, perks, benefits, bonuses and reimbursements, and all that good stuff... may seem highly plausible to a regular person with basic common sense, and may seem offensive to some contributors who may have the strange idea that a non-profit staffer should be a little less extravagant and a little more humble. Please, please, set the record straight, just give us an explanation that can be verified because nobody wants to be operating under the wrong impression. Many thanks for your help.

Waiting...

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Update: Hey, I just got an Anonymous comment saying that "with your extensive research of Matt Brooks' hobbies and personal life, you seem obsessive. Kinda like a stalker." It came from I.P. address 96.231.111 (Verizon Internet Service) in Washington DC. Gee I can't imagine who in DC would send such a message? I say we find out who owns that I.P. address.

I love the term "hobbies, kinda like stamp collecting, and airplane modeling right? Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to drinking and gambling... in moderation. as for "stalking", perhaps you have heard of the term "investigative Journalism?" What? only the New York Times are allowed to do that? Oh, the New York Times. That can be arranged.


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Debbie Schlussel is tough and a good lawyer, and 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

Time for Top Jewish Republican to GOOOOOO

Remember: BAD PEOPLE PREVAIL WHEN GOOD PEOPLE REMAIN SILENT.