This is “investigative journalism” from ABC’s Brian Ross:
Romney Party Yacht Flies Cayman Islands Flag
Hey, guess what. Tiger Woods’s yacht, Privacy, is also based in the Caymans. You know, legally and all. It’s what you do when you buy a yacht and then charter it out.
For example, here’s the charter information on Romney’s “party yacht.”
And this isn’t the first time the Cracker Bay has been used for fundraising in Tampa. Here’s a Tampa Bay Times piece from last year on the non-partisan host committee that used the Cracker Bay for a fundraiser:
At stake is the success of the convention itself.
“The most important player up until the day the convention starts is the host committee,” said veteran Republican fundraiser Ann Herberger, who has raised money for prior GOP conventions.
“If they don’t get their money raised, the convention is not going to happen,” she said. “Or, at least, not in the way it should happen.’’
While the host committee is raising $55 million, the city of Tampa is waiting on a federal allocation for another $55 million to cover its security costs. Plus, the Federal Election Commission grants each party about $18 million for conventions.
Formed in the spring of 2010, the host committee includes business executives from both parties and both sides of Tampa Bay. The committee is a 501(c)3 charity, making donations tax-deductible.
That also means it must steer clear of overt politicking.
“We’re here to promote the bay area,” host committee president Ken Jones said. “They say, ‘Well, who’s your candidate?’ We don’t have a candidate. Our candidate is Tampa Bay.”
Move along, Ross. Move along.