Sunday, November 25, 2007
Politicians in Scandal
Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas): DeLay is currently fighting a two-front war. In Texas he is under indictment for his alleged role in funneling corporate dollars into 2004 state legislative races -- a no-no under Texas law. In Washington, DeLay's name is frequently mentioned in connection with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, especially considering that his wife worked for a lobbying company to which Abramoff regularly referred business.
* Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.): Doolittle is another potential Abramoff casualty. Abramoff hired Doolittle's wife to handle some fundraising for a nonprofit organization he founded and frequently used as conduit for the millions of dollars he received in fees from Indian tribes. Documents connected to fundraising done by Doolittle's wife for Abramoff have been subpoenaed.
* Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio): Ney appears to be the lawmaker most endangered by his relationship with the former lobbyist. Ney has been subpoenaed by the Justice Department to turn over any documents relating to his dealings with Abramoff and has been informed by prosecutors that they are preparing a possible bribery case against him. Ney's problems center on two incidents in which he inserted comments into the Congressional Record favorable to a casino company that Abramoff was seeking to buy.
* Rep. Bill Jefferson (D-La.): In August Jefferson's homes in Washington and New Orleans were raided by FBI agents seeking information in an ongoing investigation concerning the congressman's relationship with the vice president of Nigeria. Subpoenas issued in the case seek evidence about whether Jefferson sought or made payments to Nigerian officials in relation to a telecommunications deal he was seeking to broker in the country. Jefferson's chief of staff, who has been subpoenaed to testify in the case, is leaving her post, although she insists her departure has nothing to do with the ongoing probe.
* Former Rep. Frank Ballance (D-N.C.): Yes, we said we're limiting this list to current members, but this is a fairly recent case so we're making a small exception to the rule. Ballance left office in 2004 and pleaded guilty to charges of mishandling money controlled by his charitable foundation. (Editor's Note: See Chris's correction to this item that ran in a separate posting on Dec. 7.)
THE SENATE
* Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.): Burns is yet another member who could be brought low by his ties to Abramoff and Scanlon. His former state director was a lobbyist at Abramoff's firm, and Burns has acknowledged that a provision that benefited several of Abramoff's clients was put into an appropriations bill overseen by a committee he chaired -- albeit, he said, without his knowledge. Democrats have already run two television commercials seeking to tie Burns, who is up for reelection in 2006, to Abramoff.
* Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.): Frist is currently under investigation by both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department for his sale of stock in a health care company founded by his father and brother. Frist authorized the sale of millions of dollars worth of stock in HCA Inc. shortly before the stock's value dropped, prompting questions of insider trading. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
GOVERNORS
* Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.): Blagojevich has struggled through his first term thanks to a series of allegations regarding wrongdoing in a variety of matters -- from his hiring practices to his alleged involvement in a fundraising scheme where businesses rewarded with contracts to handle teacher pensions would make donations that would eventually be funneled back to political campaigns. Blagojevich will be on the ballot next year.
* Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R-Ky.): After winning the governor's office in 2003, a handful of aides to Fletcher allegedly broke state hiring laws that mandate personnel be hired based on their merits not on political connections of any sort. Fletcher pardoned the nine men in late August and then immediately fired them. One of those who was pardoned has suggested Fletcher should resign his office in order to fully rid the state of questions surrounding hiring practices in the administration. A grand jury is still looking into the matter.
* Gov. Bob Taft (R-Ohio): Taft plead guilty this year to four misdemeanor charges centered on his acceptance of gifts from lobbyists. Taft is also entangled with the ongoing "Coingate" scandal surrounding the mismanagement of the state's pension fund by rare coin dealer Tom Noe, a personal friend and campaign contributor to Taft. The governor is not running for reelection next year.
* Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.): Doolittle is another potential Abramoff casualty. Abramoff hired Doolittle's wife to handle some fundraising for a nonprofit organization he founded and frequently used as conduit for the millions of dollars he received in fees from Indian tribes. Documents connected to fundraising done by Doolittle's wife for Abramoff have been subpoenaed.
* Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio): Ney appears to be the lawmaker most endangered by his relationship with the former lobbyist. Ney has been subpoenaed by the Justice Department to turn over any documents relating to his dealings with Abramoff and has been informed by prosecutors that they are preparing a possible bribery case against him. Ney's problems center on two incidents in which he inserted comments into the Congressional Record favorable to a casino company that Abramoff was seeking to buy.
* Rep. Bill Jefferson (D-La.): In August Jefferson's homes in Washington and New Orleans were raided by FBI agents seeking information in an ongoing investigation concerning the congressman's relationship with the vice president of Nigeria. Subpoenas issued in the case seek evidence about whether Jefferson sought or made payments to Nigerian officials in relation to a telecommunications deal he was seeking to broker in the country. Jefferson's chief of staff, who has been subpoenaed to testify in the case, is leaving her post, although she insists her departure has nothing to do with the ongoing probe.
* Former Rep. Frank Ballance (D-N.C.): Yes, we said we're limiting this list to current members, but this is a fairly recent case so we're making a small exception to the rule. Ballance left office in 2004 and pleaded guilty to charges of mishandling money controlled by his charitable foundation. (Editor's Note: See Chris's correction to this item that ran in a separate posting on Dec. 7.)
THE SENATE
* Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.): Burns is yet another member who could be brought low by his ties to Abramoff and Scanlon. His former state director was a lobbyist at Abramoff's firm, and Burns has acknowledged that a provision that benefited several of Abramoff's clients was put into an appropriations bill overseen by a committee he chaired -- albeit, he said, without his knowledge. Democrats have already run two television commercials seeking to tie Burns, who is up for reelection in 2006, to Abramoff.
* Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.): Frist is currently under investigation by both the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Justice Department for his sale of stock in a health care company founded by his father and brother. Frist authorized the sale of millions of dollars worth of stock in HCA Inc. shortly before the stock's value dropped, prompting questions of insider trading. He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
GOVERNORS
* Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Ill.): Blagojevich has struggled through his first term thanks to a series of allegations regarding wrongdoing in a variety of matters -- from his hiring practices to his alleged involvement in a fundraising scheme where businesses rewarded with contracts to handle teacher pensions would make donations that would eventually be funneled back to political campaigns. Blagojevich will be on the ballot next year.
* Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R-Ky.): After winning the governor's office in 2003, a handful of aides to Fletcher allegedly broke state hiring laws that mandate personnel be hired based on their merits not on political connections of any sort. Fletcher pardoned the nine men in late August and then immediately fired them. One of those who was pardoned has suggested Fletcher should resign his office in order to fully rid the state of questions surrounding hiring practices in the administration. A grand jury is still looking into the matter.
* Gov. Bob Taft (R-Ohio): Taft plead guilty this year to four misdemeanor charges centered on his acceptance of gifts from lobbyists. Taft is also entangled with the ongoing "Coingate" scandal surrounding the mismanagement of the state's pension fund by rare coin dealer Tom Noe, a personal friend and campaign contributor to Taft. The governor is not running for reelection next year.
Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham
Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.) resigned from Congress in November 2005 after confessing to evading taxes and conspiring to pocket $2.4 million in bribes, including a Rolls-Royce, a yacht and a 19th-century Louis-Philippe commode.
On March 3, 2006, he received a sentence of eight years and four months in prison and an order to pay $1.8 million in restitution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Cunningham
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801827.html
On March 3, 2006, he received a sentence of eight years and four months in prison and an order to pay $1.8 million in restitution.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Cunningham
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801827.html
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