CNN Trump Supporter Is Wrong. Mike Pence Has No Standing To Attack Clinton’s Ethics.

Written by Lis Power

Published

A CNN Trump supporter, Kayleigh McEnany, claimed Republican vice presidential nominee, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, could “draw a contrast of what a politician should be” because he's not in it for “personal enrichment.” McEnany's claim ignores reports on Pence's use of campaign funds “for a slew of personal purposes” and his history of legislative decisions favorable to campaign donors.

During a CNN panel discussion previewing the October 4 vice presidential debate, McEnany claimed that Republican vice presidential nominee Indiana Gov. Mike Pence would be a good contrast to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton because he's not in politics for “personal enrichment.”

KAYLEIGH MCENANY: I think Mike Pence has a really unique opportunity here to draw a contrast of what a politician should be. A politician should go in and engage in public service, not personal enrichment. Mike Pence is a guy who has never taken a salary above$200,000, and he can contrast his record with that of Hillary Clinton who went into the White House, came out dead broke, and somehow personally enriched herself and her husband to the tune of $100 million dollars via the Clinton Foundation's revolving doors of access.

VAN JONES: Kayleigh, the first thing he ever did, was get in trouble, if you want to talk about Pence, was get in trouble for using campaign cash for personal reasons. So the idea that he's the person who's going to prosecute a case about personal enrichment? That's the first thing he ever did.

MCENANY: He's going to prosecute this case flawlessly. Because he has trained for this, he has prepared for this moment.

McEnany's assertion ignored numerous reports of Pence using campaign funds for “personal reasons,” as CNN's Van Jones noted. According to a July 16 New York Daily News article, Pence used $13,000 in campaign funds “for a slew of personal purposes, including paying down his mortgage and covering golf tournament fees.” Additionally, Pence has faced questions over his reversal on legislation regarding the gaming industry after “Indiana gaming interests gave more than $2 million to groups supporting Pence,” and the International Business Times wrote in a October 4 report that while Trump has claimed “his personal wealth would insulate his administrations from donor influence, his running mate's action on the gaming issue challenge that pledge.”

A July 14 ThinkProgress article ​also noted that Pence “has consistently carried the tobacco industry's water,” and “In return, they rewarded him with more than $100,000 in campaign donations.”