On Tuesday, the Boston Globe and Associated Press reported on documents showing that GOP Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan had secured more than $20 million in stimulus funds for a local energy efficiency organization.
According to the reports, the documents showed that Ryan also brought in $5.4 million for local bus services. His requests came at the same time he was publicly calling the stimulus a “wasteful spending spree.”
However, in an interview with a local Ohio television news station, Ryan claimed he never secured funding through the program, saying “I never asked for stimulus.”
The Associated Press wrote a follow-up story to Ryan’s comments:
Ryan’s statement directly counters the evidence of four letters obtained by the AP which the congressman wrote to Energy Secretary Steven Chu, praising energy programs supported by the stimulus and requesting funds for initiatives in his district.
Ryan’s private praise for Department of Energy programs and his written requests for stimulus funds contradict not only his public criticism of the 2009 stimulus bill, but also many of the budget priorities he has laid out, including cuts to investments in green technologies.
Raising further questions about the vice presidential candidate’s claim today that he never sought stimulus money, Ryan spokesman Brendan Buck referred AP to previous explanations by the congressman’s office that by requesting funds Ryan was simply “providing a legitimate constituent service.”
When caught in the lie, Ryan blamed his staff:
“After having these letters called to my attention I checked into them, and they were treated as constituent service requests in the same way matters involving Social Security or Veterans Affairs are handled. This is why I didn’t recall the letters earlier,” he continued. “But they should have been handled differently, and I take responsibility for that. Regardless, it’s clear that the Obama stimulus did nothing to stimulate the economy, and now the President is asking to do it all over again.”
So his staff asks for $20 million without his knowledge, just like, you know, the form letters routinely sent to the Social Security Administration inquiring on the status of Mr. Constituent’s disability claim?
Also, this is the second or third time I’ve heard the Romney campaign claim President Obama is asking for a new stimulus package. Is this a flat out lie or a lie about the Jobs Act???
The point is that if he was so against wasteful spending, he should have set processes in place with his staff. He should have known the first time it was brought up that he should check his facts instead of continuing to deny it. I think he had already known and was playing an act that he didn’t.
Always blame it on the help….