Wyly Brothers, Top Republican Bankrollers, Accused of Massive Fraud

Charles Wyly Jr. and Samuel Wyly, Texas businessmen and brothers who are among the nation's most generous campaign donors to Republican political candidates and causes, were today hit with a Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit accusing them of fraud worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Together with their wives, the Wyly brothers have donated nearly $2.5 million to Republican candidates and committees during the past 20 years, a Center for Responsive Politics analysis reveals

You can't help but admire repubs for the scale of their criminality sometimes.

The man behind a $50 billion Ponzi scheme that has roiled Wall Street and shaken up the nonprofit world was also a long-time contributor to Democrats, the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics has found. Bernard Madoff was arrested last Thursday and charged with operating a fraudulent money-management business with which he advised investors, hedge funds and institutions, including charitable foundations. Madoff made a fortune, and he played politics with some of that money. In total, he and his wife, Ruth, have given $238,200 to federal candidates, parties and committees since 1991, with Democrats getting 88 percent of that. Overall, Madoff and other individuals at his company, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, gave $372,100 in campaign contributions since 1991, with 89 percent to Democrats. The firm spent $590,000 on lobbying in the last 11 years, all but $10,000 of it with the lobbying firm of Lent, Scrivner & Roth. A search for funds with "Madoff" in their title in lawmakers' personal investments did not find any members of Congress with their own funds invested with him.

The following party committees, PACs and current members of Congress have received contributions from Madoff and his wife since the 1992 election cycle:

Ex-Democratic donor Hassan Nemazee, 60, jailed for 12 years for fraud


A top Democratic money man for Hillary Clinton's failed presidential run was tossed in jail for 12 years for bank fraud.

Hassan Nemazee, 60, the finance chair for Clinton's campaign, pleaded guilty in March to a $292 million Ponzi swindle.

Could have sworn that Madoff was the biggest crook ever, and also primarily a Democrat supporter.

Stinks of shit on both sides of the aisle. Kick them all out, vote INDEPENDENT.

Oh, Grinner, guess I forgot to add this:


Good to see that you don't let a silly little thing like FACTS get in the way of you making a nice partisan smear

I don't recall claiming that democratic supporters don't engage in such misdeeds. The trouble with you is that you charge in without asking questions first.

You need to stop and take a breath sometimes.

You can't help but admire repubs for the scale of their criminality sometimes.

Stinks of shit on both sides of the aisle. Kick them all out, vote INDEPENDENT.

If we acknowledge both sides have their share of corrupt fundraisers can we move along?

*For future threads, there is a difference (imho) between corrupt fundraisers and corrupt politicians. Corrupt politicians should not be given a pass.