Yesterday afternoon, former Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), on the campaign trail in his new state, was confronted by quite a few reporters asking about the same topic: his curious role as an adviser to a Florida firearm manufacturer that doesn’t actually manufacture firearms. As the video shows, it was an awkward confrontation.
The Republican candidate stuck to his talking points, dismissing the notion that there’s any kind of controversy and insisting there’s nothing untoward about his work with Global Digital Solutions Inc., a former beauty supply company with no products, no revenue, and no manufacturing facilities.
And about two hours later, Brown resigned from the company.
Scott Brown, who has come under fire for joining the advisory board of a Florida penny stock company in his Senate campaign in New Hampshire, announced Wednesday he is resigning from the company and giving up his stock in the company.“It’s clear from recent media reports that my continued role with the company would be an unnecessary and unwanted distraction,” said Brown, a former US Senator from Massachusetts who formally registered as a candidate for the US Senate seat in New Hampshire on Wednesday. “I want the people of New Hampshire to know they are my top priority. Therefore, I am resigning my advisory position with the company and relinquishing all my rights to the restricted stock that has been granted me, effective immediately.”
According to the Boston Globe‘s reporting, when Brown joined the company’s team, he received stock worth $1.3 million. Those same shares are now worth $455,000, of which the former senator won’t see a dime.
While the Republican’s announcement will likely bring the story to a close, there are a few lingering questions.
For example, how exactly did Brown forge a relationship with this unusual company in the first place? And what kind of advice did the former senator, who has no background in firearms manufacturing, give to the firearms manufacturer?
And why is it that Brown thought his role with the company was perfectly fine at 2 p.m., only to resign from the company around 4 p.m.?
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Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."