By Dave Cook, Staff writer
March 30, 2010 Washington
Allison Meyers, the director of the Young Eagles, a Republican program aimed at wooing donors under 45 years old to the GOP cause, was fired as a result of the strip-club scandal that has embroiled the party this week, according to media reports. The scandal could hurt the GOP in three ways, in particular.
The Republican National Committee reimbursed about $2,000 in expenses rung up by the Young Eagles at a Hollywood nightclub featuring topless dancers and bondage outfits. Ms. Meyers allegedly approved the expense.
Fallout could affect Republican fund-raising, particularly among its fiscally and morally conservative small donors sich as Tea party mebers. Moreover, the news has increased pressure on party Chairman Michael Steele, who is already already under fire for his management of party spending.
The conservative website “The Daily Caller” first reported that the RNC’s February financial disclosure statement included a $1,946 reimbursement to a California consultant for “meals” at the risqué nightclub. The financial report also disclosed the party had spent $17,514 for private jets, $12,691 on limousines, and $19,016 at the posh W Hotel in Washington. the Daily Caller was founded by Tucker Carlson.
“It was an inappropriate expenditure and the chairman dealt with it swiftly,” Republican National Committee Communications Director Doug Heye said in an e-mail to the Monitor. Mr. Heye told the Associated Press that the party would be reimbursed by the consultant, Erik Brown.
Alienating small donor
But for some, that news might comer too late. “It stands to reason that many small GOP donors would think twice before sending along another check after hearing about club Voyeur,” says Larry Sabato a political scientist at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. “Many of the party’s base voters are fundamentalist Christians, who are both morally and fiscally conservative. The nightclub expenses manage to offend them doubly.”
For example, Peggy Nance, president of the conservative Christian Women for America, referred to the nightclub reimbursement in a statement Monday saying, “why would a [Republican Party] staffer believe that this is acceptable, and has this kind of thing been approved in the past
Confirming Tea Partiers suspicions
The nightclub flap could also hurt Republican efforts to reach out to "tea party" voters. “Tea party groups have intentionally kept their distance from establishment Republicans,” Wilson says. “The revulsion with Washington that tea party followers feel is aimed at Republicans as well as Democrats, and people – including Tea Party activists – are only going to be more angry with the GOP because of this frivolous spending.”
See the complete story at http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0330/GOP-fires-Allison-Meyers-as-strip-club-scandal-taints-party
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