For those who may have forgotten or if the eighties were before your time, there was a Speaker of the U.S. House named Jim Wright, a Texas Democrat who was forced to resign his speakership—and Congress—over a questionable book deal that allowed him to circumvent federal campaign finance laws. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/12/us/behind-jim-wright-s-book-his-friends.html?pagewanted=2
That was in 1988. Six years later, in 1994, House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a Georgia Republican, announced he would not accept a $4.5 million book advance following sharp criticism of his cashing in on Republicans’ victories in the November elections. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/31/us/gingrich-gives-up-4-million-advance-on-his-book-deal.html
Four years later, he resigned. http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,15676,00.html
And then you have Bobby Jindal’s Super Pac, Believe Again. http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/01/22/jindal-supporters-file-paperwork-for-super-pac-believe-again/
Previously known as Stand Up to Washington, the Super PAC was established in January 2015 to help fund his all but imaginary presidential campaign. Of course, federal campaign finance laws prohibit his conversion of Super PAC money for personal use.
Later that same year, he published his second ghostwritten book, American Will. Though marked down to $21 by Amazon.com, the list price for the book was $28.
Jindal, who, in his continuing efforts to make himself relevant, claims to have personally built the Louisiana House of Ethics brick by brick, then was said to have done something that smacks of Jim Wright and New Gingrich and most certainly not something expected of the architect of Louisiana’s “Gold Standards of Ethics.”
Sources have told LouisianaVoice that Jindal “sold” 5,000 of his books to Believe Again. At first blush, it would appear that deal was done so that he could give books to supporters—although an estimate of 5,000 supporters (nationwide, much less in Louisiana) might have been a tad on the high side.
Left unsaid was that by selling the books to Believe Again, approximately $140,000 was transferred from the Super Pac to Jindal’s personal bank account—money he otherwise would not be allowed to convert to his own use.
And presto! He’s $140,000 richer.
And he probably still has most of those 5,000 books gathering dust in a closet somewhere.
And he’s still laying claim in speeches and op-eds to raising governmental ethics to new heights in Louisiana.
Perhaps this title and book cover would have been more appropriate:
Louisiana Voice 
God probably told him to do that when he told Jindal to destroy our state and everyone in it. I just hope when he mentions his faith that he is not struck by lightening. (Unless it can be broadcast on tv.)
It’s a shame it is now April 2. This could have been mistaken for a spoof yesterday. But, as the late C. B. Forgotston so often said, you just can’t make this stuff up.
I hope the people at Denison U. got several copies of this book for their library. Maybe they could even teach a course on Jindal using this as the text. They might not want to use your book in the course, but this one and his earlier one would fit their needs.
Sounds like your book “Bobby Jindal, His Destiny and Obsession” will quickly need to go into a Second Edition updating Jindal’s incidents of his pathological lies.
Is there a method of following the comments without making a comment?
Yes. Just click on comments and read. You don’t have to write anything.
I’ll start a LA Voice File to manage subsequent comments.
I am almost speechless, these folks take the cake, and the onus is on us, we allow it. While we are sleeping they are busy, finding ways to beat the system, they are every bit as cunning, and deceitful as any other cheater.
Thanks again for keeping an eye on the little feller and letting us know what new scheme he is up to. The comforting thing is that Jindal is so damn delusional, and his political judgment is so poor (just look at his kiss of death endorsements) that he may continue to be as relevant and effective as David Duke, which is another way of saying Jindal perhaps will be a chronic annoyance (with at least some comedic value) for decades to come, but nothing more.
Did you get this story from Lamar White?
I did not.
Thanks, Tom!!! I guess one of the ways how he could afford his new 800+K home with this unethical book deal. Keep digging.
“Continuing efforts to make himself relevant…..” perfectly said, Tom.
Thank you for his report. Like so much of what Jindal does, the conduct described is both shameful and completely unsurprising.
I think it’s remarkable how in so many right-wing self-enrichment schemes (aka the “wingnut welfare circuit”), a key role is played by ghostwritten books. They’re not meant to be read (by anyone), but rather function more like highly-leveraged financial instruments–things with no inherent value in and of themselves, but which are tradeable in exchange for tangible assets.
[…] Jindal ‘gold standard of ethics’ included selling his book to his Super PAC and pocketin… […]
Sooo, since the super pac falls under federal campaign finance laws, when can we expect the feds to get involved?
Reblogged this on tmabaker.