Brown Challenges McClintock Not to Take "Per Diem" Payment

Press Release

Brown Challenges McClintock Not to Take "Per Diem" Payment. Says McClintock is fraudulently taking taxpayer money to which he is not legally entitled

McClintock has been pocketing taxpayer money that is not owed to him and is about to do it again when the budget is signed today.

Today, retired Lt. Col. Charlie Brown (CA-04) called on State Senator Tom McClintock to stop fraudulently taking taxpayer money through "per diem" reimbursements to which he is not legally entitled.

McClintock has used a loophole in the law to collect over $306,000 in tax-free "per diem" benefits that are meant for legislators who live far away from the capital. McClintock, however, lives only 14 miles from the capital but - according to the LA Times - has collected more "per diem" money than any other legislator.

McClintock collects approximately $170 per day in tax-free "per diem" payments. Now that the budget has passed he will be fraudulently collecting "per diems" for the 85 days in which the state did not write checks - up to $14,450 total.

"Times are tough - people are hurting - and Tom McClintock is reaching into our pocket and taking tax-payer money to which he is not entitled," said retired Lt. Col. Charlie Brown. "There is a word for that - it's called stealing. Apparently Tom has been in politics so long that he doesn't even understand that he is not entitled to steal our money. He actually thinks it is ‘owed' to him."

McClintock, who holds himself out as a fiscal conservative, was caught earlier in the year lying about his fraudulent per diem scam.

On March 24th, McClintock said that he takes the "per diems" to "offset the cost of maintaining two residences, which I am legally required to do." But, he later admitted to the Sacramento Bee on April 13th, that he does not, "pay…rent for the Thousand Oaks home."

While collecting his tax free benefits, Tom McClintock has voted against helping the widows of California soldiers killed in Iraq, against protecting Californians called to military service from foreclosure, against death benefits for police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty, and against enhanced security at California ports and Airports.

"For 22 years, Tom McClintock has chosen to serve himself instead of serving California," said Brown Campaign Manager Todd Stenhouse. "After 18 years of John Doolittle, the last thing we need in district 4 is another career politician who puts personal financial gain ahead of America's security and it's obligation to those who keep us safe."

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