Mikey Weinstein’s good side, via Pam Zubeck.

A few years ago, Michael “Mikey” Weinstein begged his supporters to search for awards that his “charity” could win, even saying they’d provide the supporting text for the submission — meaning, of course, the MRFF was essentially trying to get itself “awarded”. And Weinstein wasn’t even shy about the motivation for such self-promotion, clearly stating on his own website at the time [emphasis added]:

We are honored to receive any nomination or award, as they not only help to spread MRFF’s vital message, but [they] also help with efforts to raise critically-needed funding.

(Remember that bit about “funding.” It’ll be important in a minute.)

The result of his pleas for his “thousands” of supporters to nominate him for awards was apparently…nothing.

Unable to get any of their vast cabal of supporters to actually support them, Mikey Weinstein’s MRFF did the next best thing: they started nominating themselves.

For years, Mikey Weinstein faux-humbly announced the annual nomination of his MRFF for the Nobel Peace Prize. It wasn’t until 2014 that he finally admitted what had long been suspected: the MRFF had been nominating itself for the Nobel prize.

Apparently embarrassed to be caught, that was the last year Mikey made a Nobel announcement.

In the meantime, the MRFF created another means of shameless self-promotion. If no one would give them an award, they’d create one — and then give it to themselves.

Thus were born the MRFF “Jefferson” and “Madison” awards, presented every now and then almost exclusively to MRFF board members and supporters.

In July, the current legal face of the MRFF, Donald Rehkopf, received one of those awards. In other words, the MRFF gave the MRFF an “award.” The Democrat and Chronicle just recently published that announcement, but it missed a key detail when it did so.

Weinstein lauded Rehkopf as essentially the one-man force behind the MRFF’s legal battles this year. And Weinstein also said Rehkopf has been working for the MRFF for free [emphasis added]:

Attorney Don Rehkopf has graciously donated countless hours of his superb military law expertise which have directly and indirectly assisted literally thousands of MRFF clients…

Don’s selfless attitude…, especially when providing precious pro bono services to MRFF, mark him as not just a special lawyer…

In other words, the MRFF gave a member of the MRFF an award — for working for the MRFF for free.  And that’s significant, given the MRFF has been pulling in more than a half-million dollars a year.

But if the MRFF’s own lawyer — whom even Mikey Weinstein credited with most of the MRFF’s actual “work” this year — doesn’t get paid, why does the MRFF need all that money?

The longsuffering Chris Rodda is (supposedly) in charge of the MRFF’s research — and Mikey Weinstein pays her a pittance at $30,000 a year.  (Despite her fealty to Weinstein, she’s never publicly received an MRFF “award,” though she did once get a single box of See’s candies.  Well, two boxes, if you count the one she reported to the FBI.) And Don Rehkopf is apparently doing the brunt of the MRFF’s legal work — with Mikey Weinstein paying him nothing.  So why is the MRFF’s number one expense Mikey Weinstein’s paycheck? Why has Mikey Weinstein paid himself more than $2 million from the tax-deductible “donations” to his charity?

In this era of equality, respect, and the one-percenters, it seems Mikey Weinstein broke the code. His self-founded charity covers his expenses, he stays in $500-a-night hotels (and he and his family travel on the MRFF dime), and he lives the high life, while he pays his assistant just enough for her rent, and he gives his lawyer only a certificate to put on his wall. Meanwhile, Mikey Weinstein begs for “donations” to support his lifestyle…er, “cause”…from men and women in uniform who make in a year what he pays himself in a month.

Mikey Weinstein needs to give himself an award. For chutzpah.