Newt Gingrich's Fannie Mae-and-Freddie Mac-sponsored trip to Ireland

New York Times reveals Irish trip funded in part by the housing giants

Larger Text

Print

E-mail

2 Comments

Newt Gingrich

Tweet

According to the Gingrich campaign, he was invited on the trip by Habitat for Humanity.

“Improving access to home ownership has long been an aim of his public policy,” said the campaign.

Former Gingrich aide Jack Howard said he associated the housing projects more with Habitat for Humanity, a nonpartisan Christian group headquartered in Mr. Gingrich’s home state of Georgia, than with the corporate sponsors Fannie and Freddie.

“It was a feel-good thing,” he said of the projects. “I think Newt probably saw this as just a good opportunity to do something for Habitat for Humanity.”

Gingrich undertook the four day visit to Ireland North and South in 1998 and visited the Inishowen section of Donegal where his ancestors, the Daugherty's came from. The name has various spellings there and is most commonly spelled as Doherty.

The name means ‘the destroyer,’ ironic given that many Republicans feel that is what he is doing to the party by slamming Romney, the likely nominee, at every opportunity.

Gingrich reveled in the name on his Irish visit.

"I've got Scottish MacPherson's in the family tree and they were the last of the Highland clans to concede to the English" said at the time. "my rebelliousness has deep roots."

Print

E-mail

Tweet