For background: See Rajoy storm blasts Spanish bonds and Spain’s Rajoy denies payment allegations.
Ledger Book Shows Rajoy Received 35 Payments Totaling €322,231; Rajoy's Incredulous Denial; Anger Rises
Courtesy of Mish
Rajoy Denies Receiving "Undeclared" Money
After waiting for days to make a statement, prime minister Mariano Rajoy stepped up to the plate with a fuzzy denial on Saturday following an emergency meeting of the Popular Party’s executive committee.
"This is all false. I'm not in politics for money. I have never received undeclared money" said Rajoy.
Questions Abound
- Where did the slush fund money come from?
- Who were the recipients?
- What were the totals?
- Were the payments legal?
- Did Rajoy really pay taxes on all of it?
The reference to "undeclared money" went away in firmer denial from Rajoy, "Never, I repeat never, did I receive or hand out black money, not in this party nor anywhere else".
I am not positive of the order of those denials, but based on article timestamps, I believe I have them in the right order.
Adding fat to the denial fire, accounting books allegedly written and kept by Luis Bárcenas, the former PP treasurer, implicate Rajoy personally, to the tune of €322,231.
Meanwhile, anger is mounting and police barricaded the PP headquarters in response to gathering groups of protesters.
Anger Rises
The Financial Times reports Anger rises as scandal rocks Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy waited more than two days to comment on the slush fund scandal threatening to engulf both the Spanish prime minister and his Popular party. When the denial finally came, it was firm and unequivocal. “Never, I repeat never, did I receive or hand out black money, not in this party nor anywhere else,” Mr Rajoy declared over the weekend.
Reminding Spanish voters of his decision to drop a lucrative career as a property notary decades ago, Mr Rajoy said on Saturday: “I didn’t enter politics to make money. I entered politics losing money.”…
