Romney Accepts Maximum Campaign Donation From Man Whose Company Owns Penthouse

[softball]

It’s uncharacteristic to say the least that the almost prissily pure Romney campaign has accepted a donation from a man whose company’s holdings include Penthouse and other porn sites.


So far Mitt Romney has run a careful, disciplined campaign that has avoided the slightest whiff of impropriety. So why has the former Mormon bishop taken the maximum possible primary donation ($2,500) from Daniel Staton, the chairman of the board of the company that owns Penthouse? This raises embarrassing questions for the GOP frontrunner, who is already facing scrutiny from social conservatives for a number of reasons, not the least of which is his attenuated connection to the pornography industry through his tenure on the board of directors at Marriott, which has been the subject of scrutiny for making adult movies available on pay per view for hotel guests. For a candidate so meticulous that he found it inappropriate to campaign at Pizza Ranch because that socially conservative pizza chain’s founders included a sex offender, this marks a rare gaffe.
However, Staton is not a run-of-the-mill pornographer. In fact, he likely wouldn’t consider himself to be in the adult industry. His biography at his private investment fund, Staton Capital, boasts of his role in a variety of companies, including his role as general partner of Blackbeard Capital Management, a hedge fund dedicated to the investment in publicly traded real estate investment trust, and that he has co-produced or invested in four Tony Award winning Broadway musicals or plays. But, while it does mention prominently that he is chairman of Friendfinder Networks, for some reason, it doesn’t mention that Friendfinder is the parent company of Penthouse, AdultFriendFinder.com, Likemygayphoto.com or even Bondage.com.

Although Romney received Staton’s check in September, his donation didn’t receive any attention until this week when Staton was quoted in Bloomberg Businessweek noting that the former Massachusetts governor was “not an average Joe” in an article about Romney’s ties to private equity. Staton’s assistant, who identified herself only as “Alexandra,” said that he was “really not interested” in commenting. But Marc Bell, the president and CEO of Friendfinder, did speak to The Daily Beast. He made clear that his business wasn’t porn, but something some Americans find far more indecent: “We own lots of companies, lots of business, we’re a private equity firm,” said Bell. Friendfinder was “just a technology company. We write software and the users provide the content.” To him, Penthouse was just a legacy of past business transactions. Bell said the glossy magazine and its accompanying brand “is a tiny piece of our business, less than 10 percent of our total business.”

‘Governor Romney … would do well to return contributions from those like Daniel Staton who are known to own obscene or hardcore pornography websites.’


However, this explanation did not satisfy one leading anti-pornography advocate. Patrick Trueman, president of Morality in the Media, said that while “Governor Romney cannot police all activities of his donors to determine whether to accept or reject donations, he would do well to return contributions from those like Daniel Staton who are known to own obscene or hardcore pornography websites once such contributions are called to his attention.” The Romney campaign did not return calls requesting comment.

Romney is not the only candidate with unsavory ties though. Michael Irvin, the NFL Hall of Famer whose scandalous background includes allegations of drug possession, stabbing a teammate, and patronizing prostitutes, apparently was recruited to encourage a South Carolina congressman to endorse Rick Santorum.

Not to mention that Bell himself maxed out as a donor to Barack Obama in 2008. Although Friendfinder may not be in the pornography business, it doesn’t hurt for a company that produces movies about “bisexual female fuck-buddies” to be bipartisan

And a link from the daily beast straight through to Assrageous, the movie. Some of the best earned media ever.

[softball]

and what is even better, after this is all said and done, they will probably get their 25 hundred bucks back. Its a thing of beauty.

[EmporerEJ]

Republicans know how to earn money from adult material too, you know?

[softball]

Originally Posted by EmporerEJ

Republicans know how to earn money from adult material too, you know?

I remember when this board was full of whippo republicans. Some of them made a lot of money out of dirty pictures.

[will76]

" But Marc Bell, the president and CEO of Friendfinder, did speak to The Daily Beast. He made clear that his business wasn’t porn, but something some Americans find far more indecent: “We own lots of companies, lots of business, we’re a private equity firm,” said Bell. Friendfinder was “just a technology company. We write software and the users provide the content.” To him, Penthouse was just a legacy of past business transactions. Bell said the glossy magazine and its accompanying brand “is a tiny piece of our business, less than 10 percent of our total business.”

I hate Marc Bell with a fucking passion. Remember boys and girls this is the same dick head that took over control of ibill (when penthouse bought it) and ran it into the ground and lost tens of millions of our money. However I am sure he walked away from the deal smelling like a rose.

Now he is saying that his business isn't porn. That is fucking laughable, what does all of those girls on cams.com do? knit and sew ? not to mention the last time i checked penthouse.com had a ton of porn on it. Likemygayphoto.com lol, no porn there!!!

Fucking morons at penthouse + AFF was a perfect match made in hell.

[will76]

Originally Posted by rhetorical

I remember when this board was full of whippo republicans. Some of them made a lot of money out of dirty pictures.

I hate democrats just as much as republicans, they both suck ass for various reasons. Yes the republicans are closet homos, prudes that want to make social laws to tell people how to live, but at the same time the democrats want to control our money and want tons of social programs to reward the poor for being... unproductive and poor. While they reward the successful people by raping their bank accounts. Can't stand the liberals, can't stand the conservatives...

[softball]

Originally Posted by will76

I hate democrats just as much as republicans, they both suck ass for various reasons. Yes the republicans are closet homos, prudes that want to make social laws to tell people how to live, but at the same time the democrats want to control our money and want tons of social programs to reward the poor for being... unproductive and poor. While they reward the successful people by raping their bank accounts. Can't stand the liberals, can't stand the conservatives...

Really?...read this.....just a paragraph from an interesting story....

Of course, in 2003 the deficit was “just” $374 billion. This, remember, was only two years after Bush took office, met by a surplus of $237 billion. So he added $611 billion to the deficit in two short years, by diddling around with indefensible tax cuts for the wealthy (remember how they goosed the economy? Didn’t think so) and passing the aforementioned Medicare expansion to shore up the senior vote. Admittedly, Obama outpaced Bush. He added $1 trillion in a year. But we all know why. Well, some of us know why. The economy was going to die, and it needed money. Wall Street and the banks didn’t have it, so the government had to supply it.

[gonzo]

Lars was forced ! ! !

[bxy]

Romney took money from Porn, well I like him a little better; don't like who he took it from and don't like Romney, but I like him a little better.

I don't like Obama either, but at least his mom was a nude model. A bit better of a hedge to me.

Thanks for all the great info.