The 20 Most Corrupt in Congress: Weldon Makes the List!
There never seems to be enough money to help the handicapped... unless, of course, it is the ethically handicapped.
Our own poster boys for what wrong's in Washington, Curt Weldon and Rick Santorum, have made the list of The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress.
The group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), has just released it's lastest list.
The Report Detailing Weldon's abuses can be read at BeyondDelay.org
The list contained three senators: Conrad Burns (R-MT), Bill Frist (R-TN) and Rick Santorum (R-PA).
Joining Weldon on the list of the corrupt House Members: Roy Blunt (R-MO), Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Katherine Harris (R-FL).
It's hardly surprising that the most corrupt GOP political machine in Pennsylvania has Weldon as a representative. However, it is long past time for the rest of us to have an ethical representative.
The Delco Times picked up on the story: Weldon blasts report labeling him corrupt (A more accurate title would have been: Weldon dodges issue by dimissing the source as partisan.)
The CREW report details the extraordinary financial good fortune Weldon's three kids and close friends have received from companies that are Weldon's top political contributors, and recipients of Weldon's legislative support. Unsurprisingly, "Pay-to-Play" Puppio found "nothing illegal or improper about any of the actions mentioned". I guess admitting it was wrong would be like giving up your Fifth Admendment rights against self-incrimination.
Walks like a duck. Talks like a duck. Smells like a duck's droppings.
Weldon and Santorum are stains on the 7th District and all of Pennsylvania. It's a mess that only the voters can clean on Nov. 7th.
Our own poster boys for what wrong's in Washington, Curt Weldon and Rick Santorum, have made the list of The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress.
The group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), has just released it's lastest list.
The Report Detailing Weldon's abuses can be read at BeyondDelay.org
The list contained three senators: Conrad Burns (R-MT), Bill Frist (R-TN) and Rick Santorum (R-PA).
Joining Weldon on the list of the corrupt House Members: Roy Blunt (R-MO), Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Katherine Harris (R-FL).
It's hardly surprising that the most corrupt GOP political machine in Pennsylvania has Weldon as a representative. However, it is long past time for the rest of us to have an ethical representative.
The Delco Times picked up on the story: Weldon blasts report labeling him corrupt (A more accurate title would have been: Weldon dodges issue by dimissing the source as partisan.)
The CREW report details the extraordinary financial good fortune Weldon's three kids and close friends have received from companies that are Weldon's top political contributors, and recipients of Weldon's legislative support. Unsurprisingly, "Pay-to-Play" Puppio found "nothing illegal or improper about any of the actions mentioned". I guess admitting it was wrong would be like giving up your Fifth Admendment rights against self-incrimination.
Walks like a duck. Talks like a duck. Smells like a duck's droppings.
Weldon and Santorum are stains on the 7th District and all of Pennsylvania. It's a mess that only the voters can clean on Nov. 7th.
posted by David Diano at 8:37 PM
5 Comments:
CITIZENS FOR RESPONSIBILITY AND ETHICS IN WASHINGTON (CREW)
CREW Background And Funding:
“Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics In Washington Was Formed In February 2003 As A Liberal Response To Judicial Watch, A Conservative Group That Frequently Mounts Legal Challenges To Government Officials On Ethics And Other Matters.” (Paul Barton, “Lincoln Quits Fund-Raiser Role After Peers Get Ethics Complaint,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/5/04)
CREW “Has A Staff A Four And Receives Funding From The Liberal Arca Foundation And The Wallace Global Fund, As Well As Individual Contributors.” (Paul Barton, “Lincoln Quits Fund-Raiser Role After Peers Get Ethics Complaint,” Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/5/04)
· In 2003, Arca Gave CREW $50,000. (Arca Foundation Website, www.arcafoundation.org, Accessed 5/7/05)
· In 2004, Wallace Global Fund Gave CREW $50,000. (Wallace Global Fund Website, www.wgf.org, Accessed 5/7/05)
“Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics Received $10,000 From Entertainer Barbara Streisand And $50,000 From A Charitable Organization [Arca Foundation] Run By Democratic Fund-Raiser Smith Bagley.” (Brody Mullins, “In Washington, Watchdogs Bear Watching,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/10/05)
· CNN’s Tucker Carlson: “According To The ‘Daily Variety’ … [Barbara] Streisand And [Nancy] Pelosi Are Close Allies. In Recent Years, The Congresswoman Has Attended At Least Two Events Honoring The Actress, Singer, Songwriter, Superstar Turned Political Intellectual.” (CNN’s “Crossfire,” 11/12/02)
o Statement From Streisand On Her Website: “And House Majority Leader Tom Delay, Who Has Been Cited For Multiple Ethical Improprieties, And Faulted By The Ethics Panel Twice Now, Has Not Been Unseated.” (Barbara Streisand’s Website, www.barbarastreisand.com, Accessed 5/10/05)
o Smith Bagley Described By Roll Call As “Democratic Mega-Donor.” (Craig Winneker, “Heard On The Hill,” Roll Call, 8/13/92)
CREW Claims To Be Alternative To Conservative Legal Advocacy Groups. “The mainstream needs a parallel to the conservative groups mentioned above - CREW will fill that niche.” (Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics In Washington Website, www.citizensforethics.org Accessed 7/19/04)
“A Liberal-Advocacy Group, The Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics In Washington …” (Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball, “Terror Watch: Unanswered Questions,” Newsweek, 1/26/05)
Meet CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan:
Melanie Sloan, Executive Director Of CREW, Has Worked For Democrats John Conyers (D-MI), Charles Schumer (D-NY), And Joe Biden (D-DE). (CREW Website, www.citizensforethics.org, Accessed 7/19/04)
“Once The Founders Hired Ms. Sloan, The Organization’s Made Mr. DeLay A Priority.” (Brody Mullins, “In Washington, Watchdogs Bear Watching,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/10/05)
“Ms. Sloan Has Pursued The House Republican Leader In Her Two Years At Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics. ‘Since I Started, The Main Thing I Wanted To Do Was To Go After Tom DeLay,’ She Says. ‘DeLay Is My Top Target.’” (Brody Mullins, “In Washington, Watchdogs Bear Watching,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/10/05)
“In 2003 Ms. Sloan Drafted A Sharply Worded Ethics Complaint About Mr. DeLay’s Fund-Raising And Political Activities And Asked A Retiring Democratic Lawmaker, Rep. Chris Bell (D., Texas), To File It With The House Ethics Panel. She Says She Drafted The Complaint Because Mr. Bell Had No Lawyer In His Office.” (Brody Mullins, “In Washington, Watchdogs Bear Watching,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/10/05)
“When The Ethics Committee Was Slow To Take Up The Complaint, Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics Badgered The Panel’s Leadership By Running Newspaper Advertisements In Their Home Districts. Eventually The Committee Acted, Admonishing Mr. DeLay But Also Criticizing Mr. Bell For Running Afoul Of The Chamber’s Rules For Decorum, By The Severe Characterization Of Mr. DeLay In The Complaint.” (Brody Mullins, “In Washington, Watchdogs Bear Watching,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/10/05)
“Armed With DeLay’s Abuses, Sloan Became A Veritable One-Woman Briefing Service For The Press. She Tipped Off The New York Times And Other Newspapers About The $500,000 In Campaign Funds Pocketed By DeLay’s Wife And Daughter, And She Documented His Questionable Dealings With Lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Who Is Under Investigation For Bilking Several Indian Tribes Out Of $82 Million.” (Joshua Green, “The Hammer Falls,” Rolling Stone Website, www.rollingstone.com, 5/19/05)
· “She Also Directed Reporters To A ‘Charity’ For Poor Children Run By DeLay That Offered Lavish Perks To Big Political Donors, Including Private Cruises, Broadway Tickets To Top Shows And Late-Night Parties With The Likes Of Lynyrd Skynyrd And Blues Traveler.” (Joshua Green, “The Hammer Falls,” Rolling Stone Website, www.rollingstone.com, 5/19/05)
· “With Help From Sloan – And With Nothing To Lose – [Former Rep. Chris] Bell Took A Monumental Step: Before Leaving Office, He Broke The Seven-Year Truce And Filed A Complaint Against DeLay With The House Ethics Committee For A Host Of Abuses.” (Joshua Green, “The Hammer Falls,” Rolling Stone Website, www.rollingstone.com, 5/19/05)
Sloan: “Members Of The House Of Representatives Are Committing Federal Crimes And Getting Away With It. Bribery, Extortion And Money Laundering Are Commonplace In The Ethics Free Zone That The House Has Become.” (CREW, “CREW Director Discusses House Ethics Committee Procedures,” 3/3/04)
· Former Ethics Committee Chairman Joel Hefley (R-CO) And Ranking Member Alan Mollohan (D-WV) Disagree: “We Are Also Fully Committed To Pursuing Any Credible Claim That A Member Or Staff Person Has Violated Any Provision Of The House Rules.” (“Verbatim,” Roll Call, 3/16/04)
CREW’s Overzealousness Hurt Former Rep. Chris Bell (D-TX):
Ethics Committee Letter To Bell: “Indeed, It Appears There Is No Purpose For Including Excessive Or Inflammatory Language Or Exaggerated Charges In A Complaint Except In An Attempt To Attract Publicity And, Hence, A Political Advantage.” (The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, Letter To Rep. Chris Bell, 11/18/04)
· “This Improper Political Purpose Was Highlighted In This Instance By The Various Efforts You Undertook To Promote Your Complaint Publicly, By Including Such Excessive Or Inflammatory Language Or Exaggerated Charges In Press Releases And Other Public Statements.” (The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, Letter To Rep. Chris Bell, 11/18/04)
“Nevertheless, We Also Wish To Make The Point To You - And, By Public Release Of This Letter, To All House Members And Staff - That It Is Highly Improper, And A Basis For The Initiation Of Disciplinary Action, For Any House Member Or Staff Person To Attack The Integrity Of This Committee Or Any Of Its Members.” (The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, Letter To Rep. Chris Bell, 11/18/04)
Democrats Stressed CREW’s Involvement – Denied Coordination:
“Perhaps Fearing Reprisals, Democratic Aides Argued Strenuously That The Complaint Was Generated By Outside Groups And Should Not Be Seen As A Democratic-Coordinated Maneuver.” (Alexander Bolton, “Bell Takes Parting Shot,” The Hill, 6/15/04)
· “‘This Has A Certain Greater Degree Of Gravitas Because It Was Generated By Outside, Independent Groups And Was Not Something We Thought Up,’ Said A Democratic Leadership Aide. ‘This Is Not A Democratic Attack. This Was Done By The Outside Groups.’” (Alexander Bolton, “Bell Takes Parting Shot,” The Hill, 6/15/04)
CREW’s Involvement Against Democrat Wishes:
Rep. Frank Murtha (D-PA) In 1997 Offered Amendment To Prevent Outside Groups From Politicizing Ethics Process. Murtha: “What I worry about is frivolous complaints offered by outside groups. I am not talking about responsible outside groups. … But there are partisan organizations on both sides of the aisle that would offer an amendment right during an election cycle that could be very harmful to the Member.” (Rep. Frank Murtha, Congressional Record, 9/18/97, p. H7555)
· Amendment Passed With Bipartisan Support. (H. Res. 168, CQ Vote #409: Adopted 228-193: R 197-22; D 31-170; I 0-1, 9/18/97)
CREW Board Of Directors:
CREW’s Board Members Include Mark Penn, President Clinton’s Former Pollster; Daniel Berger, A Trial Lawyer From Philadelphia And A Clinton Fundraiser; And Louis Mayberg, The President Of A Mutual Fund Company. (Louis Jacobson, “How Cozy Is Too Cozy?” The National Journal, 7/19/03)
· Arca Foundation President Donna Edwards Is Listed As A Director Of CREW. (Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics In Washington 2004 IRS Form 990, Accessed Via Guidestar, www.guidestar.org, Accessed 5/7/05; Arca Foundation Website, www.arcafoundation.org, Accessed 5/8/05)
“Board Members Of The Group, Including Former Clinton White House Pollster Mark Penn, Have Contributed $340,000 To Democratic Causes In The Past Four Years And $6,000 To Republicans.” (Brody Mullins, “In Washington, Watchdogs Bear Watching,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/10/05)
CREW Says They Attack Democrats, Except For Ones Sloan Used To Work For:
“Ms. Sloan Says The Group Doesn’t Spare Democrats.” (Brody Mullins, “In Washington, Watchdogs Bear Watching,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/10/05)
“The Results Of An Informal Inquiry Into Whether U.S. Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., Used Members Of His Staff For Political Campaigning During Their Working Hours Likely Won't Be Completed Until [2005].” (Ruby L. Bailey, “Probe Of Conyers To Run Into ’05,” Detroit Free Press, 11/24/04)
Sloan On Investigation Of Her Former Boss: “My Guess Is That They’re Still Looking Through It.” (Ruby L. Bailey, “Probe Of Conyers To Run Into ’05,” Detroit Free Press, 11/24/04)
Oh no, are there Democrats on this committee?
BTW - does Curt refute any of the findings of this report, or do you guys just not like Barbra Streisand?
Funny, isn't it -- when Weldon's staffers can't refute the charges, they attack the person or group that presents the evidence.
Typical, and so, so obvious. Pg. 1 in the Karl Rove playbook. It's Puppio's bible.
And notice, also, how they post an extremely long (and virtually off-topic) post here in the comments to make scrolling through inconvenient for readers.
Another Republican dirty trick. Guess we shouldn't expect any less from one of the most corrupt Congressmen in America, eh?
Um, so somehow it's Clinton's fault that Weldon accepted bribes and gratuities for his family and friends??
Well, considering his logic on WMD, terror, Iraq, etc. this is hardly surprising.
My suprise is that Weldon is so far down the list.
It's also disturbing that there are so many ahead of him.
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