

Rep. David Rivera (R-FL) answers allegations of corruption on Univision, March 18, 2012

Well, maybe not everything is out in the open, eh, Rep. Rivera?

Fueled with $43,000 in secret money, Republican Rep. David Rivera helped run a shadow campaign that might have broken federal laws in last week’s Democratic primary against his political nemesis Joe Garcia, according to campaign sources and finance records. As part of the effort, a political unknown named Justin Lamar Sternad campaigned against Garcia by running a sophisticated mail campaign that Rivera helped orchestrate and fund, campaign vendors said. Among the revelations: The mailers were often paid in envelopes stuffed with crisp hundred-dollar bills.

CREW, as mentioned in the video above, has named Rivera as one of the most corrupt politicians in Washington. I'd say that funding a sure-to-lose Democratic rival to knock off a far more likely rival (and pretty good progressive in Joe Garcia) would definitely qualify as corrupt. It just shows that when you can't win in the marketplace of ideas, the Republican response is to cheat like hell.

How long before the FEC comes down on Rep. Rivera? Any chance that Boehner would stand for decency and at least censor Rivera? I know I dare not hope for calls to step down.