ROBBING PETER TO PAY SAUL:
Saul Anuzis is the ultimate self-dealer.

Cashing-In As Michigan's GOP Chair

In 2006, ex-GOP U.S. Senate hopeful Jerry Zandstra charged Anuzis with an “obvious” conflict of interest based on the party’s payment of $85,000 to his Quick Connect U.S.A. business. Zandstra also criticized Anuzis for payouts of $1.7 million to Sterling Corp., a political consulting firm he helped to establish. Anuzis utilized the firm for his party chairman bid in 2004. (Grand Rapids Press, November 17, 2006)

Tax Dollars for Saul's Political Consulting

In 2010, POLITICO reported that Congressman McCotter (R-MI) hired Anuzis to consult for the taxpayer-funded Republican Policy Committee and paid his political consulting firm $30,000 for the work. In addition to the questionable use of tax dollars, it was reported that Anuzis’ brother served as McCotter’s chief-of-staff at the time of the work. (POLITICO, July 12, 2010)

TAX LIENS OUT THE ANUZIS:
The Tax Man Cometh...After Saul

Can't Trust Saul Around Money

Saul Anuzis' $17,097 state tax lien: Although Anuzis touts his management of telecommunications companies, the Illinois Department of Revenue issued a $17,097 tax lien in Oct. 2008 against two of his companies, Quick Connect U.S.A. and B&S Telecom Inc., for failure to pay state excise taxes. (Sangamon County Recorder’s Office, ECR-3 Notice of Tax Lien, Lien: 2008R40654, Filed 10/28/2008)

Tax forfeiture and Two Revocations

According to Texas Secretary of State records, Anuzis was the director of B&S Telecom Inc. when the state issued a tax forfeiture against the company in Nov. 2003. (Texas Secretary of State, B&S Telecom Inc., Current Information & Status, Accessed 11/12/2010)

According to Indiana Secretary of State records, Anuzis is 1 of 2 principals in Coast-To-Coast Telecommunications, which had its status revoked in 2002 and has not filed a corporate report since 1998. (Indiana Secretary of State, Coast-to-Coast Telecommunications Inc., Current Information & Status, Accessed 11/11/2010)

According to Nevada Secretary of State records, Anuzis is the treasurer of Coast Long Distance, Inc., which has been permanently revoked by the state. (Nevada Secretary of State, Coast Long Distance Inc., Current Information & Status, Accessed 11/11/2010)

ANUZIS ABUSES:
Saul's Record of Wasteful Spending and Mismanagement

Wasting Taxpayer Dollars

Anuzis’ indifference to wasting tax dollars dates back nearly 20 years. During Anuzis’ time as a top aide to MI Senate Majority Leader Dick Posthumus, he publicly defended a controversial $50 million State Capitol makeover that coincided with a state budget crisis. Among the most extravagant taxpayer-funded purchases: a $5,700 antique marble-topped cabinet, $3,100 handcrafted desks, $2,500 chairs, custom drapes for $20,000 and $754,000 for decorative paint. (Chicago Tribune, January 16, 1992)

State Party Debt

In 2008, some GOP activists were concerned and disturbed to learn that the Anuzis-led party was in nearly $250,000 of debt, and the party was struggling to raise the necessary funds in the months leading up to the election. (The Detroit News, April 18, 2008)

Fundraising woes

Shortly after the McCain campaign pulled out of Michigan in October, it was reported that that the Anuzis-led party had just $860,000 to assist its federal candidates in comparison to the Michigan Democrats’ $3.5 million. In Nov., two MI GOP Congressmen lost their seats. (The American Spectator, November 14, 2008)

Pop Quiz!

How large was Saul's tax lien?

A. $11,000
B. $17,000
C. $9,000
D. $13,000

ANUZIS FOR AMNESTY:
Saul Supports Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants

In 2007, illegal immigration critic Mark Mendlovitz took Anuzis to task for the following statement he made a Washington Times story: “I would not oppose a system to legalize them [illegal immigrants] and give them a different status to work and pay taxes here ... but no citizenship.” (The Washington Times, August 8, 2007 and August 11, 2007)

SALUTING STEELE

Although Anuzis now seeks to supplant Steele, he has repeatedly praised and defended the chairman. Anuzis has called Steele a “dynamic leader who will move the party forward." Anuzis was rewarded for his loyalty to Steele named co-chair of Steele’s transition team and The Washington Post reported that he also served as a Steele advisor.

SAUL'S CHECKERED PAST ON LIFE

In March 2009, Anuzis offered Steele a vote of confidence following the chairman’s controversial statement that abortion was an “individual choice.” A year later, Anuzis reacted to news reports of RNC spending on limos, private aircraft and the tab at a sex-themed nightclub by stating his trust in the committee’s internal controls and claiming the spending was “justified.” (The Detroit News, January 31, 2009; The Washington Post, March 13, 2009; The Washington Post, November 1, 2009; The New York Times, March 30, 2010; The Associated Press, May 11, 2010)

Saul Anuzis came under fire for endorsing a big spending, pro-choice and pro-gay marriage Congressman. In 2006, Anuzis publicly endorsed Congressman Joe Schwarz, a fiscal spendthrift, pro-choice and pro-gay marriage Republican, in his primary against challenger Tim Walberg, who had the backing of Club for Growth and Right-to-Life. Walberg prevailed 53%-47%. (The Detroit News, September 4, 2006)

ELECTION YEAR FAILURES

In 2006, Anuzis’ first election as Michigan GOP chairman, the party suffered lopsided defeats in a governor’s race (Granholm v. DeVos) and a U.S. Senate race (Stabenow v. Bouchard). At the legislative level, Republicans lost the State House and nearly lost the State Senate. Anuzis’ critics compared the losses to the rout at Little Big Horn, and press accounts deemed the defeats “devastating” and a “bloodbath,” while noting that the party was “trounced” despite having an allegedly state-of-the-art GOTV plan.

The Grand Rapids Press reported the losses resulted in “roiling discontent in Republican ranks” with Congressman Pete Hoekstra stating that Anuzis should be replaced. Longtime Michigan political analyst Bill Ballenger summarized the Anuzis-led party as “divided, unfocused and badly in need of a strong leader.” (The Associated Press, November 8, 2006; Toledo Blade, November 9, 2006; The Detroit News, November 10, 2006; Grand Rapids Press, November 11, 2006; Grand Rapids Press, November 14, 2006; Grand Rapids Press, November 21, 2006; The New York Sun, November 27, 2006; Detroit Free Press, November 19, 2008)

In 2006, Anuzis’ second go-around, John McCain lost the state by 16%, Sen. Carl Levin won reelection in a landslide, two Congressional Republicans were defeated, a GOP-backed Supreme Court pick was defeated and nine Republicans lost GOP-held State House seats. Reporters and op-ed writers deemed the losses a “disaster,” a “whuppin,’” and the product of getting “out-thought, out-worked and out-spent. Again.” Conservative activist Jerry Zandstra, Anuzis’ most outspoken foe, surmised that the Anuzis-led party was out of step with conservatives, and The American Spectator observed, “… in the time that Anuzis has been state party chair, there have been no actual major electoral accomplishments, and perhaps even blown opportunities.” (The Detroit News, November 6, 2008 and November 9, 2008; Toledo Blade, November 7, 2008; The American Spectator, November 14, 2008)