October 18, 2011 1:16 PM

Herman Cain's campaign paid his company to buy his books

By
Lindsey Boerma
Topics
Campaign 2012
FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 23, 2011 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain arrives onstage to address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Herman Cain thinks Rick Perry is a good governor, Newt Gingrich is brilliant and Michele Bachmann is a very nice lady. What about Mitt Romney? Nice hair. (Credit: AP Photo/Joe Burbank)

Herman Cain's case against pundits who claim he's running a book tour rather than a presidential campaign just got a bit more complicated.

Federal Election Commission records show that the former Godfather's Pizza executive paid more than $64,000 of his presidential campaign funds to his motivational speaking company, T.H.E. New Voice Inc., for copies of his own books, and for lodging, airfare, and resources, Bloomberg News reports. Cain's third-quarter filing reported his campaign as having spent $4 million through Sept. 30.

Previous rulings by the FEC have allowed candidates to use their campaign funds to buy their own books, as long as the purchase is at market value and the money goes to charity rather than to personal profit. But Bill Allison, editorial director at the Washington, D.C.-based Sunlight Foundation, told Bloomberg that Cain's case should raise some eyebrows.

"All candidates publish books and they offer them as a premiums to donors, but most candidates aren't buying them from their own companies," Allison said. "It raises the question of his campaign contributions ending up in his own pocket."

Cain says the books are being given away to supporters to acquaint voters with his life story. One of the books in question, Cain's autobiography "This is Herman Cain! My Journey to the White House," was in fourth place on the New York Times bestseller list over the weekend. Other publications bought by the campaign are his earlier book, "They Think You're Stupid: Why Democrats Lost Your Vote and What Republicans Must Do to Keep It" and a pamphlet about leadership.

Complete coverage: Campaign 2012


  • Lindsey Boerma

    Lindsey Boerma is covering the Jon Huntsman campaign for CBS News and National Journal.

Add a Comment See all 60 Comments
by drsam8 October 19, 2011 7:37 PM EDT
BESTSELLER IN HAIL

You buy your own books in thousands--boom, you become a bestseller. Really? What this man is doing might even be fraudulent. Remember hsi "Godfather" love.
Dr. Sam
Reply to this comment
by hsinco-2009 October 19, 2011 3:54 PM EDT
Maybe Cain and Sarah can make a deal.

"I'll buy all of your books if you buy all of mine!"
Reply to this comment
by fxp111 October 19, 2011 1:53 PM EDT
The price of the books he bought from his company should be what they paid for them from the Publisher. This makes his campaign pay the market price that he would have paid to the Publisher.
Reply to this comment
by Roarsaysthemouse October 19, 2011 10:05 AM EDT
CBS is nothing but a propaganda machine for Obama. I can't believe how difficult and time consuming it was to sign up on this site comment on your lame articles bashing Cain. His book is being sold every where. What are you all afraid of? The truth? I now believe most of the opinions on this website are being expressed internally from CBS. Obamanation has @87 MILLION DOLLARS ! Let's have a few articles on where the heck he is getting THAT money from! Obviously he is trying to buy his way back into the White House.
Herman Cain's 999 plan will hurt the rich, get it straight. Do you really think the rich want to give up their tax write offs and evasive moves to avoid taxes? Like moving investments and companies overseas to avoid paying their taxes. Also, when the wealthy shop (which is always) they avoid paying state sales tax by shipping their purchase to one of their many homes they have in other states in which they write off the interest from theirs loans. You are all being VERY clueless on how the rich work their money. Under Cain's plan they have NO WHERE TO HIDE. They will HAVE TO PAY taxes! The poor and middle class will get a break on their now outrageous payroll tax that your PRESENT government spends recklessly. That's why this country is in such economic trouble and we are in HUGE debt that OBAMA brainless man wants to make worse with his "jobs plan". VOTE FOR CAIN 2012! THE AMERICAN PEOPLE'S PRESIDENT! Finally a true leader wants to lead the American people. GO CAIN!
Reply to this comment
by hhandyman October 19, 2011 1:38 PM EDT
Cain is just dodging the 9% sales tax he is trying to apply to everything and seeking all the profit he can max out from running as a business first pay himself then see if he can do something Maybe if he feels like it after his profits are big enough like a male tan Sarah paYlin self promotional tour with a touch more common sense but just as much Brass in his acts .
by GOPeconomicterror October 19, 2011 7:01 AM EDT
Moron has to buy his own book to save it from being composted.
Bwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
Reply to this comment
by carolo43 October 18, 2011 11:29 PM EDT
I love how Cain stated if people were poor, it was their own fault. I bet all those workers in his pizza stores liked that comment while they collect their mininium wage paychecks. He probably gave them all one of his books and deducted it from their paycheck.
Reply to this comment
by miamivic2 October 18, 2011 8:12 PM EDT
This will get lost in the 24 hour news cycle.
Reply to this comment
by conservativefreespeech October 18, 2011 6:32 PM EDT
I don't get the infatuation with Cain. Why would anyone want a FOOL like this representing the Republican Party:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7O1zZdDIiIk
Reply to this comment
by abbe91 October 19, 2011 10:22 AM EDT
Many people would want a FOOL like this representing the Republican Party. They just happen to not be republicans.
by hsinco-2009 October 19, 2011 3:53 PM EDT
Especially after the experience Michael Steele had with the Repugs once he was RNC chairman.
by rjs1955 October 18, 2011 5:05 PM EDT
poll all the schlepps at Godfather's and see how they'll vote....
Reply to this comment
by maz_beachbum October 18, 2011 4:54 PM EDT
Yes we Cain!!!
Reply to this comment
by GOPeconomicterror October 19, 2011 9:43 AM EDT
Sarah Palin set the standard for corruption by using campaign funds for Pipers "vacation" bus and Bristols Arizona home for unwed 16 year old Moms.
Cain is just following the criminal code of the anti American GOP economic terrorists.
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