McCain Bundler, Booted Over Role In FCC-Fined Telecom, Now Staffs Palin

When International Discount Telecom, a company known more commonly as IDT, was slapped with a $1.3 million fine by the FCC this July for failing to disclose a foreign contract, John McCain's campaign was quick to scrub its fundraising roster of anyone associated with the embattled company.

But now, one of the formerly untouchable IDT officials has resumed a new, more prominent, role on McCain's team -- specifically, overseeing Sarah Palin's travel, schedule and communications operations.

As Portfolio's Lucy Komisar reported in July, IDT head Jim Courter served as one of McCain's "trailblazers," meaning he had raised over $100,000 for the GOP nominee. But soon after news of his company's shady business dealings came to light, he stepped down as a fundraiser, and his name disappeared from the McCain campaign's website, as did the name of Michael Glassner, another McCain bundler who served as a corporate communications official and vice-president at IDT until April. At issue was the company's alleged deal made with former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide for a monopoly on telephone service in exchange for kickbacks paid into an offshore shell corporation. If true, that would represent a violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The company was tagged with its FCC fine for having failed to disclose its contract with Haiti.

But now, according to a report in the New Jersey Star-Ledger, Glassner has taken an arguably much more plum role in McCain's universe.

"Glassner is the head of vice presidential operations for the McCain campaign, overseeing Sarah Palin's travel, schedule and communications," the paper reported in a small item toward the bottom of its Republican National Convention coverage. "A Jersey City resident, Glassner is a former executive at IDT Corp., a global communications company based in Newark. He joined the campaign a few months ago and began coordinating vice presidential details even before McCain chose a running mate."

Though the Star-Ledger's report was somewhat vague on Glassner's start date on the McCain campaign, it appears possible he went straight from the soon-to-be-fined company to the McCain campaign. Questions sent to two McCain spokesmen about when Glassner started, and whether the apparent ban against campaign help from IDT officials has been lifted, were not immediately returned.

Comments

[amabo1]

Yes, McCain made a decision that revealed many appalling things about him. In the end, his final concern is not national security. No one who cares about national security would pick as vice-president someone who knows nothing about it as his replacement. No one who cares about this country's safety would gamble the security of the world on a total unknown because she polled well with the Christianist base. No person who truly believed that the surge was integral to this country's national security would pick as his veep candidate a woman who, so far as we can tell anything, opposed it at the time.

McCain has demonstrated in the last two months that he does not have the character to be president of the United States. And that is why it is more important than ever to ensure that Barack Obama is the next president. The alternative is now unthinkable. And McCain - no one else - has proved it.

[Pupadup4oBama]

McBush is just looking old and tired...he is past his prime now.
He can't hang with the young guy.
How the HELL does he think he'll be able to keep up the pace of being POTUS??? I mean COME on...really. Look how much it aged Clinton and Shrub - he's 72 now...even at 76 he'll probably look older than his mother does now.
He's wanted this so bad that he doesn't even care anymore and that's why he is faltering and getting sloppy.

Even WITH his pit bull - she doesn't know squat about ANYTHING except how to be a hockey mom and raise the debt.

This is just getting better and better for Obama.

[bmaggiemay]

Is there anybody and I mean anybody who doesn't work for McCain or Palin who isn't a lobbyists, crook or a mud slinger...that should say "bundles" about the kind of people they are.

[ATruthBeKnown]

Give them credit. ... At least they are recycling .....LOL!!!!!!!

[ErnestineBass]

Yessiree!!!

The McCain/Palin campaign goes green by recycling trash!

[mikie63]

How long will it take for all the repug denyers to admit that most of the Repug bosses are dishonest, corrupt, non-caring, wealthy, religious, god fearing, Cheney fearing, Bush fearing chronies?

Don't the followers know that the only thing important to these bitches and bastards is their vote?

[tlgeiger62]

53 days to go to the election ... find a local campaign office and lend a hand ... especially in the battleground states!!

Find your nearest office here: http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages

[countryjoe8]

In south florida we are making a difference. Yesterday two new offices were opened. The registration drives are going extremely well. These are things that the polls don't measure.

We need more people to volunteer. Talk to your friends, family and co-workers. Change is a coming.

[redsongia]

Please, when you are through posting here, sign up to help the Obama campaign, work on the phones or carpool to a nearby battle ground state. The GOP will learn soon enough that Obama is not just talking the talk, and neither are his supporters.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/statepages

[Vern58]

Drip,Drip,Drip,Drip. At this rate, how long do you think it will take before the shine is off of Caibou Annie?

[ATruthBeKnown]

You kidding ...? Have you been around Caribou ? Air freshener don't do it and it lingers longer than a skunk....

[Chillinout]

It would appear that McCain has all the deviant operatives on his campaign so they are now having to recycle the old ones for Palin.

[LucyKomisar]

Regarding your story today (Sept 11) "McCain Bundler, Booted Over Role In FCC-Fined Telecom, Now Staffs Palin," I published that story nine days ago (Sept 2). "Palin campaign operations chief was VP of IDT, telecom investigated for bribery." On thekomisarscoop.com/.

See http://thekomisarscoop.com/2008/09/02/palin-campaign-operations-chief-was-vp-of-idt-telecom-investigated-for-bribery/

Lucy Komisar
investigative journalist, New York

[Gryffindor Hero]

Could you post this story widely on other blogs as well? I am linking to this story wherever I can.

[jean1]

thank you. PLEASE keep it up!

[mnash]

Birds of a feather flock together!!!!

[toochie50]

ENOUGH!
ENOUGH!
ENOUGH!
ENOUGH!
ENOUGH!
ENOUGH!
ENOUGH!

LET THIS BE OUR BATTLE CRY!

[MNmommy]

W@ck-@-m0le

[biglover]

testing 123

[Bitsko]

I doubt there is enough bandwidth available to list all the corporate scum involved with the McCain-Palin campaign.