sinn fein expenses controversy

Paterson Jerins

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165622#Comment_120165622

Hahaha good one "Dude"

Yurt has caught you out dude.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165676#Comment_120165676

Don’t know what you mean, Peterson.

Anyways, be interesting to see if the Sindo has a juicy story about SF on Sunday. If it’s Hugh O’Connell is the hack, then his Twitter post comments will be something else - oddballs and malcontents abusing him for doing his job.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165556#Comment_120165556

They know things are only getting going. The questions about the SF multi-million machine, funded by money from outside this jurisdiction, are only getting louder.

Why does SF South have an account in sterling from which the sterling payments were made? Wait until a journalist wakes up and thinks of that question.

blanch152

https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2023/01/27/now-sinn-fein-feels-the-heat-on-election-spending/

I was wondering about the references on Morning Ireland to Lynn Boylan etc.

Christ almighty, are there any election returns from Sinn Fein that haven't had to amended?

If there are, somebody from SF HQ should do a deep dive to check.

You’d think with 200+ employees that they’d be better at the old paper keeping and compliance.

maccored

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165556#Comment_120165556

anger? must be coming from the absf gang as they are the only ones posting.

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165494#Comment_120165494

UK rules are far far less stringent than the rules here - that why sf funnel the funds into NI.

For parties, only donations over €7500 need to be declared and individuals can may a donation of £500 and it is not even regarded as a donation and a record does not need to be kept.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120158434#Comment_120158434

Utter nonsense stupid response to some general life issues. There are dozens and dozens and dozens of people in public life working for society. And what, they’re all bent and no good?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165966#Comment_120165966

Lots of posts deleted, Maccor.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120165494#Comment_120165494

This is funny. Given the number of times that Sinn Fein have revised their election expenses in the last two days alone, adopting a nothing to see policy is naive in the extreme.

maccored

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120166059#Comment_120166059

yeah, what was the last one? a few hundred euro? mindboggling how them shinners are trying to rip us all off.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120166064#Comment_120166064

Funny that since the start of this I have called the whole electoral expenses system a charade and so full of unimportant details that it is impossible to stay the right side of it. Completely unlike the charade of the outrage merchants foaming at the mouth at Paschal who now look like fools because they can't bring themselves to condemn SF in the same light.

Of course it is only a few thousand euro (not a few hundred), and it involves at least three electoral candidates returns, but it was only a man with a van putting up a few posters with Paschal and that was a mortal sin.

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120166064#Comment_120166064

but it was sinn fein that created the major issue over a commercial value of a local business putting a few posters up.

Seems one rule for sinn fein and a different rule for everyone else.

And why have sinn fein politicians suddenly stopped appearing in the media today and yesterday?

It was the same when the former sinn fein member Jonathan Dowdall was the hot topic. You could not locate a sinn fein politician no matter how hard you tried for over a week. It was as if they did not exist for that week

maccored

SF are on social media constantly - readily available. you need to ask media outlets about non appearance in the main stream media

CGI_Livia_Soprano

It’s interesting how any discussions on topics such as these are always flooded with anti-FG bad-faith actors. I’ve never voted for FG in my life and I despise the current government. However, let’s be honest here, Sinn Féin is basically a front for an organised crime unit. How they have managed to con their new followers (post-1998) into believing that they are a legitimate political party is a triumph of propaganda from their Cyber Destabilisation Unit. Stuff like this is just the tip of the iceberg I’d say.

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120166114#Comment_120166114

Once more I have to agree.

Did you ever think we'd see the day when I'd be on the same page as you blanch on such a thing.

Only because it was obvious to a blind bat that it would backfire.

Sipo in some regards is too opaque and in many ways is unworkable with regards to the practicality of real life.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120166280#Comment_120166280

As I said elsewhere SIPO are up a tree counting acorns while the forest is on fire elsewhere hence we have "scandals" like these.

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120166188#Comment_120166188

Colm Brophy made the same point earlier about the absence of SF from the show he was on. Was immediately put in his place by Claire Byrne.

He referenced an Eoin O Broin interview from earlier so they have been out and about. Someone also referenced it here.

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120166114#Comment_120166114

Instead of referring to it as a man with a van, why not call it what it was? An undeclared, and above the legal threshold, corporate donation.

You keep saying it's impossible to stay on the right side of the expenses system but you have nothing to back this up. Just because Pascal and now the entirety of Sinn Fein have found it difficult why do you think its impossible to keep a record of what you have spent during an election campaign?

Count Dracula

People forget that this is a party whose members and activists decided it was necessary to orchestrate a £ 25 million Bank Heist to facilitate the payment of a non-disclosed pension agreement to its' armed subversive personnel units... and thought that was a rational thing to do.... ?

I wouldn't dream of wasting my time trying to throw mud at the misappropriation of election funds... like phuck that? I would leave the feigned outrage to their front bench. Save your acting skills for when you might need them.

They can have all the poster money they like, if they could at least come up with one realistic suggestion on how to run the country, that doesn't involve running it into the ground in the process. They have form?

Why is it that they think that they are the owners of all things nationalist, patriotic and fraternal across the country. Who decided that?

Why support a movement that is telling you how and why and what you are supporting it for all the time? Are we not allowed have our own thoughts and feelings and ideals, isn't that what self-determination is all about?

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120167122#Comment_120167122

He was scheduled before the crap hit the fan and people found out that sinn fein had far more answers to give over election expenses than anyone else.

I suspect they were invited onto Claire Byrne and declined - normally they'd be up in arms not being involved when other parties are.

touts

I see there are questions being asked now about their Abu database after Eoin O'Broin's interview this morning. Apparently he claimed they don't use the database in elections so they dont have to report it to SIPO. Which sort of begs the question, what do they use it for so? To identify the members of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail that will be purged after the next election?

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120167327#Comment_120167327

And to be fair Ivanna Back made a reasonable job of "nothing to do with me boss" while CB trashed the absent SF.

Just another crazy day in Irish politics.

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120167327#Comment_120167327

It's fairly regular that SF aren't there. Usual format. 1 government politician, 1 opposition politician and two commentators.

I haven't listened to it but I see there was a SF TD on the Pat Kenny version, Friday forum or whatever its called.

walterking

I see sinn fein are now saying that they are spending the weekend checking back on their sipo election returns.

Wasn't the the EXACT thing that they called foul on all over the airwaves last weekend when Pascal Donohoe said he was doing the same thing.

Are sinn fein cheerleaders not just a wee bit embarrassed that they are now looking to make a FOURTH change to their sipo returns. Once can be an error, even twice can be down to admin, but FOUR time sand then possibly more - well that suggests hiding things from view of the public

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120162587#Comment_120162587

I read that as Shinner not Sinner!

But in fairness this is new for SF up ‘North’ they talk about power sharing ideology’s Brexit/Protocol.

It is rare that SF have the opportunity to attack a political opponent for non ideological reasons. Such as the ‘cash for ash’ ‘Scandal’

So down ‘South’ it is new to SF they don’t know when to go ‘all in’ on a political opponent for ‘normal’ political issues.

Thr attack on Pascal O’Donoghue seemed to backfire. As every time he listed the small amount to the cent. It just seemed so silly and trivial

But now we hear of the SF expenses issue. Given the SF framing of Pascal and the ‘van man’. Their issue seems much more concerning when compared to Pascal.

It amuses me as when SF started pushing for power ‘down south’. The opposition warned SF with the analogy this is Senior Hurling lads. Many laughed that analogy off as twee and not a real thing.

But to me this proves that playing at the higher level Dail as opposed to Stormont it is all about the small details ironically.

It is the ordinary parish pump politics at the higher level (the Dail) that cause SF much more damage than the ideological based stuff at the much lower level of accountability (Stormont)

I think that is the nub of it for SF they actually have to show accountability in the Dail. In Stormont (if it ever runs) there is basically none.

It will take SF some adjustment to get used to this new reality for them. And this own goal politically will be a sobering reminder to them.

elperello

Just an aside on the hurling analogy.

It was the late Seamus Brennan who coined the phrase during the 2007 coalition negotiations.

Of course he was talking to the Green Party who went into that government with 6 TDs.

After the 2011 election they had none.

The question is which party will be trying to avoid that fate at the election after next ?

MIKEKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120158515#Comment_120158515

She didn't explain how she got the money for her house properly. According to Shane Ross their two salaries would not have been enough to justify the mortgage. If they got it something dodgy must have happened

893bet

I can’t imagine the amount of dirty laundry there is on Sinn Fein councillors and TDs that’s hasn’t been brought to light……yet 😅

walterking

Does everyone notice how quiet the usual sinn fein stalwarts are on this thread?

They've been told not to comment on anything and they are obeying the command from Belfast to the letter.

Almost an eerie silence from most of their cheerleaders