Presidential Candidate Harry Browne

Harry Browne's Skeleton Closet

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Conflict of Interest: National party officials working for Browne campaign -- Controversial Campaign Manager -- Character -- Quotes Sources

Quotes

"Why did you decide to run for President?" "It was my wife's idea." -- Harry Browne

"I have no temptation to vote, to campaign, to try and stop a candidate who promises new follies." -- Harry Browne, "How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World", 1973

Conflict of Interest: national party officials on Browne payroll

Perry Willis and Bill Winter, two officials of the national Libertarian Party apparatus, were found to be on the payroll of the Browne campaign during party primaries, even though the party is supposed to be neutral. Ditto Stuart Reges, a paid consultant to the national party, and Willis' 'significant other.' Winter and Willis have since resigned from the Browne campaign. Apparently they LP was so eager to get this relatively famous author as a candidate that they were willing to bend some rules. Browne's supporters argue that either Browne didn't know about it, or saw nothing wrong becaue he's "new to politics."

This being the Libertarians, other people argued that the other campaigns should have hired them, too! Or, I suppose, outbid Browne for their services.

Controversial Campaign Official

Michael Emmerling Cloud (who until recently called himself Michael Emmerling) is Harry Browne's chief fundraiser and consultant. Darren Capriotti, a member of the LPUS mailing list, posted charges on February 28 that Cloud had raise $125,000 for 2 PACs, Project 51 - 92 and Project 51 - 96, that worked to get Libertarians on the ballot in all 50 states. However, Capriotti charged, only $32,000 of that money was ever distributed and the rest is unaccounted for. His implication is that Cloud ran up expenses and directed some of the money to friends.

We don't have any way of checking the strength of these charges, but other Libertarian sources have confirmed that charges have dogged Emmercling Cloud for years. He was a major official with the Andre Marrou Libertarian campaign in 1992, and was ch-chairman with Marrou of Project 51.

Character:

Browne is easily the best known of the Libertarian candidates, due to his popular books and investment newsletter. Of course, in Libertarian circles that immediately leads to concern he is a "top 40" sellout type. It's all relative, I guess.

Sources:

Email to the LPUS Echo mailing list, February 21, 1996

Email to the LPUS Echo mailing list, February 25, 1996

Email to the LPUS Echo mailing list, February 27, 1996

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