Senator's Ties to Real Estate Draw Criticism He has made millions as a title insurance executive, landlord and real estate developer in this college town, where the economy, despite trouble nationwide, is still growing nicely. Now, as a United States senator, with the mortgage mess fueling a national economic slowdown, Richard C. Shelby has more say over the revamping of housing finance laws than almost anyone else in Congress.
Oil Lobby Reaches Out to Citizens Peeved at the Pump Faced with a national outcry over the high price of gasoline and soaring profits for energy companies, the oil and gas industry is waging an unusually pricey campaign to burnish its image.
Lawmakers Accused of Flouting Rules on Use of Staff Democratic Reps. Jane Harman and Neil Abercrombie spent more than $2 million on their 2006 reelection campaigns but paid only $5,000 to campaign workers, according to campaign finance reports.
NAM discloses member list The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) disclosed certain member companies on Thursday after failing to win a reprieve from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Clinton introduces bill to post contractor violations on the Web Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., has introduced a bill that would force contractors to self-report criminal actions or government overpayments to agency inspectors general under the threat of potential disbarment or suspension. The misconduct would then be made publicly available on a searchable Web site.
Rep. Abercrombie questions ethics of ethics bill handling Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) is challenging actions by his Democratic leaders and plans to ask the ethics committee to determine whether House rules were broken during a recent ethics vote.
A futile walk down Coconut Road? The House agreed Wednesday to ask the Justice Department to investigate the now infamous Coconut Road earmark, but don’t hold your breath waiting for indictments.
Young, Jefferson quiet as Coconut Road earmark nears vote in House Reps. Don Young (R-Alaska) and William Jefferson (D-La.) are keeping mum on whether they will vote for a bill that includes language calling on the Department of Justice (DoJ) to investigate the notorious Coconut Road earmark when that measure comes to the House floor Wednesday.
Ethics Complaints Sheathed Even though both Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) recently called for the ethics committee to investigate members of the other’s party — fighting words by any standard — neither took the next step of triggering an investigation, effectively pulling their punches.
New disclosure reports lack clarity The much-touted new lobbying disclosure reports are now available. But beware: They do little to make it easier to track the nation’s influence class.
Lawmakers Want Hearing on Ties Between Sect, Defense Contracts The Defense Department has contracted with three companies that are closely tied to the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and some lawmakers want to know if money from those deals supported the sect, whose ranch was raided this month after allegations of child abuse.
Pearce Made Millions on Sale On Aug. 18, 2003, an executive from Key Energy Services testified during a House natural gas task force field hearing co-chaired by Reps. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and Heather Wilson (R-N.M.). Six weeks later, Key Energy closed a deal to buy the assets of Pearce’s oil services company, apparently for $12 million, more than double the value of the company that Pearce had claimed on his financial disclosure forms.
Friends of the Earmark Make Themselves Heard The hottest document on Capitol Hill is an anonymous six-page white paper that defends, of all things, earmarks -- those much-maligned home-state projects that lawmakers shoehorn into spending bills.
Party Time Convention ethics rules have made party-going lobbyists even more skittish than usual. And while many have said they plan to eschew the conventions completely, the C2 Group is taking a stand: The party must go on.
Ethics Panel Admonishes Domenici The Senate Ethics Committee admonished Senator Pete V. Domenici, Republican of New Mexico, on Thursday for creating an “appearance of impropriety” by telephoning the top federal prosecutor in New Mexico at home shortly before the 2006 midterm elections to ask whether an indictment was imminent in a politically sensitive case.
A Calming Edit at LegiStorm Personal signatures and home addresses have been removed from Member and House staff financial-disclosure forms posted on the Web site LegiStorm — with the House picking up the tab to make the changes.
Breaux-Lott's Fat 1st Quarter Less than four months after he left office, former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) has already scored a major payday downtown. The firm he founded with former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.) earned at least $945,000 during its first quarter in business, according to House filings.
House leaders don't force Young ethics probe House Democratic and Republican leaders are declining to take action to compel the ethics committee to investigate the notorious Coconut Road earmark.
No slowdown on K Street Much changed and much stayed the same Monday when all of K Street scrambled to file the first-ever quarterly accounting of lobbying firm revenues.
Making Time The National Association of Manufacturers on Monday angled for borrowed time in its effort to resist complying with a new lobbying disclosure requirement it says would violate its constitutional rights.
Former Justice official charged in Abramoff lobbying probe A former high-ranking Justice Department official is being accused of criminal conflict of interest in the latest case stemming from the investigation of disgraced GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Lobby Industry Set to Open Itself Up To Greater Scrutiny Under New Rules Barring a last-minute reprieve by the courts, corporations, lobbyists and big trade associations will have to file Monday the most extensive public disclosures ever of their efforts to influence Congress, representing the first overhaul of Washington's influence industry in the wake of the jailing of lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Ethics Law Isn't Without Its Loopholes The optimistically named Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 was supposed to prevent lobbyists from securing undue influence by taking members of Congress to intimate dinners at fancy restaurants.
Dodd Courts Lobbyist As lawmakers struggle to contain the fallout from the widening housing crisis, a lobbyist for mortgage brokers is in talks to leave his K Street perch to become a top staffer to Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Chairman Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).
Pentagon, FBI Probing Air Force Contracts Federal authorities have begun investigating a contracting arrangement between the Air Force and an intelligence firm called Commonwealth Research Institute, according to documents and people familiar with the case.
Senate calls for Justice probe The Senate voted 63-29 Thursday to recommend that the Justice Department investigate the role a staff member for Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) played in changing legislation after it passed both houses of Congress but before it was sent to the White House for the president’s signature.
Gillibrand returns contributions The $2,250 refund check that arrived in the mail at his home on Monday took David Kruczlnicki by surprise. The check came with a letter informing Kruczlnicki, president and chief executive officer of Glens Falls Hospital, that U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-Greenport, was refunding his campaign contribution as part of a new policy to no longer accept contributions from executives or leaders of companies or organizations that have requested congressional earmarks.
Congress May Seek Criminal Probe of Altered Earmark The Senate moved yesterday toward asking the Justice Department for a criminal investigation of a $10 million legislative earmark whose provisions were mysteriously altered after Congress gave final approval to a huge 2005 highway funding bill.
Members Offered New Video Platform A private company is hoping Members will pony up cash for their own YouTube-like program — one that has the franking commission’s approval.
Reid wants DOJ probe of Coconut Rd. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has called for a Justice Department investigation into a notorious earmark in the 2005 highway bill that was changed to build the Coconut Road interchange after Congress approved the measure but before it reached President Bush’s desk for his signature.
Baucus staffers in lobbyist pipeline Since 1996, one-fifth of U.S. Sen. Max Baucus' highest-paid staff members have left their jobs to become lobbyists, usually for industries regulated by the powerful committee that Baucus heads, a Missoulian State Bureau analysis shows.
Lobbyists contract out reporting obligations Congressional efforts to rein in lobbyists are helping to create a cottage industry in Washington: businesses that help them comply with a raft of new regulations.
Coburn pushes Coconut Road probe Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) plans to pursue an investigation into the notorious $10 million Coconut Road earmark by offering an amendment next week to a massive bill making technical corrections to the 2005 transportation bill.
House May Create Link to YouTube Web-savvy Members may eventually be able to post videos to a YouTube page of their own — one that is scrubbed clean of outside advertisements and political leanings.
FBI taped lawmaker calls FBI wiretaps picked up the voices of several members of Congress in their conversations with Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.).
Profits on Sales Go Unreported Dozens of financial disclosure forms filed by Members of Congress last year were apparently inaccurate, failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income from stock sales and other transactions, but the Members believed their forms were correct because the House ethics committee approved them.
Pork Barrel Remains Hidden in U.S. Budget Sometimes on Capitol Hill, lawmakers find that it pays to ask nicely instead of just ordering the bureaucrats around. With great fanfare, Congress adopted strict ethics rules last year requiring members to disclose when they steered federal money to pet projects. But it turns out lawmakers can still secretly direct billions of dollars to favored organizations by making vague requests rather than issuing explicit instructions to government agencies in committee reports and spending bills.
Companies get millions from Congress in earmarks Most of the earmarks sought last year by members of Congress from Missouri and Illinois directed the money to public or non-profit groups, but area lawmakers also snagged more than $200 million for private companies, a Post-Dispatch analysis found.
Study finds lawmakers invested $165m in defense Members of Congress have as much as $196 million collectively invested in companies that do business with the Defense Department, earning millions since the onset of the Iraq war, according to a study by a nonpartisan research group.
A Bungled Start For Bundling Rule Last year, wrangling over disclosure of bundled campaign checks nearly derailed the Democratic effort to overhaul lobbying and ethics rules. The provision survived, helping earn the broader package praise from government reform advocates who called it the most significant in a generation. It appears they spoke too soon.
Congress pushes to make more information public Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, are pushing legislation to make Congress' activities more transparent after winning support last year to set a deadline for federal agencies to respond to requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act.
Rep. Murtha aide used campaign cash for rifle Rep. John Murtha’s (D-Pa.) top aide spent more than $2,000 of campaign money to buy a rifle and other items for himself at a National Rifle Association (NRA) charity auction, raising questions about whether the transaction violated House ethics rules and campaign finance law.
House, DOJ Discuss Raids The House of Representatives and the Justice Department are in negotiations over new protocols and procedures for law enforcement searches of Congressional offices — talks that began in the wake of the controversial May 2006 raid on Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-La.) Capitol Hill office.
Supreme Court Won’t Intervene in Jefferson Raid Case The Supreme Court today turned down a government request to reverse a lower court finding that an FBI raid on Rep. William J. Jefferson's congressional office violated the Constitution.
Senator pushes alternative to full CRS report access A bill urging the Senate to make Congressional Research Service reports publically available is stalled in the Senate Rules Committee and may be the latest of a series of such efforts to fail. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., and eight co-sponsors last fall introduced a resolution that would allow the CRS reports available to lawmakers and their aides to be posted on a public Web site.
No Disclosure on Departing Lawmakers' Job Search Democrats promised an unprecedented era of transparency and openness when they imposed new rules on colleagues who shop for their next jobs while still in Congress. But those new requirements are delivering little, if any, disclosure about who might be voting on an issue of interest to an employer-in-waiting.
Renzi Trial Won't Start Soon Despite a tentative trial date of April 29, Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) is likely to be out of Congress long before the case actually goes before a jury, several legal experts said last week.
Ex-congressman’s role in water project blasted Opponents of a proposed $1.7 million water project in Cohasset are crying foul because the family of an out-of-state former congressman who helped secure taxpayer funds for the project owns property that would benefit from the work.
Feinstein grills Mukasey about closed corruption unit Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Wednesday called on Attorney General Michael Mukasey to explain the decision to eliminate the public corruption unit in Los Angeles that has been investigating Rep. Jerry Lewis's (R-Calif.) ties to a lobbying firm.
Library of Congress tests Web 2.0 photo archive The Library of Congress has turned to the popular online picture-sharing community of Flickr for help with tagging the library's voluminous photo archives.
Ex-CIA official in bribery case might face additional charges A federal prosecutor from San Diego signaled yesterday that the government is considering bringing new charges, including an additional conspiracy allegation, against Kyle “Dusty” Foggo, the former No. 3 official in the CIA who became ensnared in the bribery scandal involving Randy “Duke” Cunningham.
Shine the Light Democratic Reps. Brian Baird (Wash.) and Louise Slaughter (N.Y.) are retooling their effort to impose some rules on the booming but shadowy political intelligence industry. The pair have had little luck pushing a proposal aimed at banning what some call the last legal form of insider trading: buying and selling stocks based on nonpublic Congressional information that has the power to move the markets.
Study Finds Record Education Earmarks Congress set aside a record $2.3 billion in pet projects for colleges and universities last year for research on subjects like berries and reducing odors from swine and poultry, according to an analysis by The Chronicle of Higher Education to be published on Monday.
Failure to File Discloses Weakness in Law The Sheridan Group has earned more than $3.3 million over the past three years lobbying for a handful of disease and anti-poverty groups. By law, all of that work should have been disclosed in semiannual reports to the Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House.
Illinois Aide Claims Earmarks Credit A top aide to Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) has used his employment with the House to help win local races, repeatedly claiming in campaign literature and public meetings that he is responsible for securing millions in federal earmarks for the village of Oak Lawn, while also racking up thousands in campaign contributions from companies with business before Lipinski’s Congressional committees.
Public satisfaction with e-government hits lowest level since 2005 The public's affection for federal government Web sites waned for the third straight quarter during the first quarter of 2008. The score of 72.4 (out of 100) for the e-government portion of the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index was a half point lower than last quarter and the lowest reading since 2005.
Treasury tops worst FOIA responders The Treasury Department has won the 2008 Rosemary Award, an annual citation that an open-government group gives to the federal agency it says responds most poorly to Freedom of Information Act requests.
Coburn plans counterpunch on pet projects Earmark foes are preparing to force a vote that would oblige senators to disclose all campaign contributions connected to their pet projects.
House Creates a Panel to Watch Over Lawmakers' Behavior In the wake of a string of Congressional misconduct and corruption cases, the House on Tuesday created an independent panel to investigate suspected wrongdoing by lawmakers, despite deep reservations from rank-and-file lawmakers from both parties.
Pro-Life Groups Hit by GOP Lawmaker’s Alleged Fraud Rep. Rick Renzi, R-Ariz., allegedly defrauded dozens of pro-life organizations for hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund his first congressional bid, according to an analysis of the recent indictment against him, a state insurance claim and an interview with an insurance lawyer involved in the case.
House Dems consider forcing vote on earmarks House Democratic leaders have grown irritated at what they consider hypocritical calls for earmark reform by Republicans, and are contemplating calling their bluff with a moratorium on pet spending projects.
Dem division forces second delay on ethics House Democratic leaders failed to convince enough of their colleagues to support a leadership plan to impose a new layer of ethics scrutiny on lawmakers, forcing leaders late Wednesday to cancel a vote on the measure for the second time in as many weeks.
Choose reform or panel post, Putnam warns House GOP conference Chairman Adam Putnam (Fla.) is threatening that Republicans who refuse to comply with new earmark standards could lose their committee assignments.
A Jammin' Fundraiser and Convention Ethics At the 2004 Democratic convention, F/S Capitol Consulting lobbyist Tom Hogan helped plan each detail of his firm’s shindig at Prezza restaurant in Boston’s North End. But this year, with a brand-new and sometimes ambiguous ethics regime in place, Hogan will leave the specifics to someone else.
Tough cop role taken by Senate on ethics issue The Senate Ethics Committee has emerged as the tougher policeman of congressional behavior than its House counterpart, the Standards of Official Conduct Committee, which has become embroiled in a fracas over ethics enforcement in the lower chamber.
Renzi pleads not guilty Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 35 federal charges, including extortion, conspiracy, money laundering and wire fraud.
Former Murkowski aide admits conspiracy guilt The federal corruption investigation reached into the office of former Gov. Frank Murkowski on Monday when his chief of staff, Jim Clark, agreed to plead guilty to a felony conspiracy charge involving the defunct oil-field company Veco.
Pelosi plots ethics course House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) worked to salvage plans for an independent ethics office Monday, seeking to win over a Democratic Caucus that has shown itself to be cool to the idea of more scrutiny of members’ activities.
Alaska delegation promises to publicize every earmark Citing a new era of "sunlight and transparency," Alaska's congressional delegation will begin disclosing every request from the state for specially earmarked federal money. A $20 million earmark sought by the Mat-Su Borough for a ferry project? A $15 million allocation for dredging in the Port of Anchorage? $1.6 million for National Weather Service data buoys in Alaska?
Earmark Season Arrives A dozen protesters carrying signs with anti-earmark slogans and pig-shaped balloons were huddled against the cold across the street from the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City last Wednesday night when a dark sedan bearing Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) pulled up to the hotel.
After Threat Failed, Renzi Offered Bill In a May 2005 meeting with Resolution Copper Mining, a company trying to engineer a federal land swap near Superior, Ariz., Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) allegedly told company officials that he would not support the deal unless they bought his former business partner’s property.
House Ethics Panel to Review Renzi Case The House ethics committee voted Thursday to empanel an investigative subcommittee to review whether Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) violated the chamber’s code of conduct or other rules in connection to his recent indictment on 35 counts of extortion, money laundering and conspiracy.
Rules revolt, ethics fiasco House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) efforts to bring about a new day on House ethics appeared to collapse Wednesday, with Democrats on a key committee openly rebelling against an ethics measure backed by leadership.
Ortiz Bet on China Deal Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) and his chief of staff each invested thousands of dollars in a Chinese telecommunications project in 2005 with a Texas businessman whose company paid nearly $20,000 to fly them to China the year before and later became a donor to Ortiz’s campaigns.
Vote on outside ethics office expected Thursday The House will likely vote on a bill imposing a new layer of ethical scrutiny on member activity this Thursday, according to the lawmaker leading the effort.
Concrete legislative favors unclear in Rep. Renzi case Throughout the 26-page indictment of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) and his business associates, federal prosecutors allege that the lawmaker made a series of legislative promises in exchange for proposed land deals.
Earmark Fight Heads To Senate Hoping to bring the House fight over earmark reform to the Senate, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) will propose a full one-year moratorium on considering bills with earmarks as part of the fiscal 2009 budget resolution, the lawmaker said Monday.
Staffer Financial Disclosures to Go Online The Web site that puts the salaries of Congressional aides online is set to launch a feature today that exposes even more information about staffers’ money matters: PDF downloads of their financial disclosure forms.
Senators Diverting Campaign Funds to Kin Under long-standing congressional ethics rules, corporations, unions and other large organizations cannot directly pay senators stipends. But their contributions to senators' election campaigns can be paid without limit to the children, spouses, in-laws and other relatives of the lawmakers, in a practice that has aroused controversy but is fully legal.
Blogger, Sans Pajamas, Rakes Muck and a Prize Of the many landmarks along a journalist’s career, two are among those that stand out: winning an award and making the government back down. Last week, Joshua Micah Marshall achieved both.
Democratic majority good for K Street's bottom line New limits on the access lobbyists have to lawmakers have not hurt K Street’s bottom line as several top lobbying shops reported strong revenue growth in 2007.
Boehner Defies Order to Remove Earmark Site House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) is refusing to take down a Web site promoting the GOP’s earmark reform efforts, defying a directive from Chief Administrative Officer Dan Beard to move the site to a new domain name.
Defiant Young refuses to talk about legal bills Alaska Congressman Don Young said Wednesday he's cooperating with the Justice Department but refused to give details or answer questions about his huge legal bills. "I have a right to spend my money as I wish to spend it, and we are going to continue to do what I think we have to do to get this issue behind us," he said.
U.S. Investigates Whether Lott Had Role in Mississippi Judge Case Federal agents are investigating whether former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott knowingly played a role in an alleged conspiracy in 2006 to influence a Mississippi judge presiding over a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against famed plaintiff attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, according to people familiar with the situation.
McCain’s Ties To Lobbyist Worried Aides Aides to Sen. John McCain confronted a telecommunications lobbyist in late 1999 and asked her to distance herself from the senator during the presidential campaign he was about to launch, according to one of McCain's longest-serving political strategists.
Army Blocks Public’s Access to Documents in Web-Based Library The Army has shut down public access to the largest online collection of its doctrinal publications, a move criticized by open-government advocates as unnecessary secrecy by a runaway bureaucracy.
Defense Contractor Sentenced to 12 Years for Bribery Brent R. Wilkes, a California defense contractor and prominent GOP campaign contributor, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison yesterday for lavishing a Republican congressman with money, prostitutes and other bribes in exchange for nearly $90 million in work from the Pentagon.
Corruption case against Foggo moved to Virginia; Wilkes charges dropped Federal prosecutors agreed Thursday to move the corruption case of former Central Intelligence Agency official Kyle “Dusty” Foggo to Virginia and hinted he will face more charges in the future. In addition, prosecutors said they will drop charges in that case against Foggo's lifelong friend and co-defendant, former Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes.
House chairman calls for ban on earmarks in fiscal 2009 spending bills House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., called for the suspension of all earmarks in fiscal 2009 appropriations bills and said Tuesday he would not make such requests this year.
Lawmakers Put Out New Call for Earmarks The window for Congressional earmarks is open once again. Lawmakers from both parties are inviting constituents and lobbyists to recommend pet projects that could be financed by the federal government as the 2008 earmark season gets under way.
Candidates’ Earmarks Worth Millions Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton helped secure more than $340 million worth of home-state projects in last year's spending bills, placing her among the top 10 Senate recipients of what are commonly known as earmarks, according to a new study by a nonpartisan budget watchdog group.
Quantifying the Earmark Scene Every club has its benefits. For members of the Appropriations committees, the benefits include the ability to dole out to themselves vastly larger sums of money for earmarked projects than to their rank-and-file brethren.
SeaLife was good deal for ex-aide to Stevens New documents have emerged in Seward showing that a $1.6 million earmark in 2005 by Sen. Ted Stevens was engineered so it would lead to the purchase of property owned by his former aide, Trevor McCabe, an Anchorage fisheries lobbyist.
Watchdogs press Pelosi to change ethics rules Six watchdog groups are calling on Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to withdraw the official House ethics guidelines on lobbyist-sponsored convention parties and rewrite them to comport with a new, stricter Senate interpretation.
Manufacturing group sues over ethics law The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is suing the federal government over the new lobbying and ethics law, saying the measure infringes on their constitutional rights for freedom of association.
Meeks to pay $63,000 in FEC fines for financial improprieties Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) has agreed to pay $63,000 to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for using funds from his campaign committee for personal expenses, misstating its finances and accepting contributions above federal limits during the 2004 election cycle.
Earmarks Still Pose Challenge Despite the passage of new earmark rules in the House and Senate last year, the definition of what an earmark is and what disclosure is required remains a moving target.
The party's (not quite) over The Senate Ethics Committee said Monday that lobbyists or lobbying organizations cannot pay for parties honoring senators at national party conventions.
Lobbyists find more ways to bond with lawmakers Most of the thousands of lobbyists work across the city, in and around K Street. In the past decade, 18 lobbying firms, corporations and labor unions have purchased town houses or leased office space near the Capitol, joining more than a dozen others that had operated there for years, according to real estate records.
GOP Rep. denies quid pro quo with lobbyist Former Rep. Bill Lowery (R-Calif.), whose relationship with Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) helped trigger a federal probe of the veteran lawmaker, continues to donate money to Lewis’ leadership PAC despite the ongoing investigation.
Congress Far Behind on E-mail Archives While Congress has been sharply critical of the executive branch for large gaps in its e-mail archives, both the House and the Senate would fare much worse if their own e-mail preservation systems were to come under the same scrutiny.
Don Young opens a legal defense fund Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who is under FBI investigation and faces a tough reelection fight, opened a legal defense fund earlier this month, according to House filings.
Study Finds Government Ethics Lapses A new study, released yesterday by the nonprofit Ethics Resource Center, found that nearly 60 percent of government employees at all levels -- federal, state and local -- had witnessed violations of ethical standards, policy or laws in their workplaces within the last year.
Attorneys probe deepens The federal investigation into the firing of nine U.S. attorneys could jolt the political landscape ahead of the November elections, according to several people close to the inquiry.
Loophole on event tickets splits panels The Senate and House ethics committees have split over whether to allow lobbyists to take advantage of a longstanding loophole in the congressional gift ban in the wake of sweeping ethics reform passed last year.
Obama surfaces in Rekzo’s federal corruption case For the first time, Democratic White House hopeful Barack Obama has surfaced in the federal corrupton case against his longtime campaign fund-raiser, Tony Rezko, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
More Lawmakers Give Up Earmarks A growing number of lawmakers in Congress are voluntarily giving up one of the biggest perks of office — at the risk of alienating their constituents.
Feds call for 60-year sentence for Wilkes Federal probation officials are recommending that Brent Wilkes, the Poway defense contractor who was convicted of bribing former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, should be sentenced to 60 years in prison, according to court records.
Wicker’s Earmark Elicits Criticism Sen. Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican congressman appointed to replace Trent Lott in December, last year obtained a $6 million earmark for a defense contractor whose executives were among his top campaign contributors and were represented in the matter by Wicker's former congressional chief of staff, according to federal records.
Hill Web Sites Lauded and Criticized The Congressional Management Foundation officially releases its “Gold Mouse Report” today, recognizing Member, committee and leadership offices that best use their Web sites as constituent communication tools. About 17 percent of the Web sites earned an A in 2007, garnering a gold, silver or bronze mouse award from the nonprofit, nonpartisan group.
Landrieu fights back against bribery charge Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), a top target for national Republicans in November, is battling with a government watchdog group that is alleging the senator may have violated federal bribery laws by earmarking funds to a campaign contributor.
Clash brews on ethics A handful of reform-minded freshman Democrats emboldened by a sense that 2008 voters want change and an end to the power of Washington special interests plan to press their case for stronger ethics enforcement when Congress returns later this month.
Congressional Crackdown on Lobbying Is Already Showing Cracks The party sponsored by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States to celebrate the Senate majority leader, Bill Frist, at the New York Yacht Club was one of the more over-the-top events of the Republican National Convention in 2004, featuring 10 bars and more than a half-dozen special vintage Scotches. The group held a similar soiree that year for Senator Tom Daschle, the minority leader, at the Democratic Convention in Boston.
House May Add Outside Watchdog For Ethics A House task force yesterday recommended creating an independent Office of Congressional Ethics that would have the power to initiate reviews of lawmakers' behavior.
Congress Is Still Pursuing Earmarks It has a been a difficult few years for earmarks, the pet spending projects that lawmakers pursue in Congress. They have been linked to felony cases, blamed for the national debt, stripped from the budget, exposed to public scrutiny and subjected to ridicule. Yet earmarks and the lawmakers who love them will not be denied.
Congress Eases Access to Gov’t Records Congress on Tuesday struck back at the Bush administration's trend toward secrecy since the 2001 terrorist attacks, passing legislation to toughen the Freedom of Information Act and increasing penalties on agencies that don't comply.
Senator wants probe of Young’s Florida earmark An Oklahoma senator who has long been critical of pork-barrel spending in Congress asked today for an investigation into money that was earmarked for a study of a highway interchange abutting environmentally sensitive land in Florida.
Lobbyists are turning away from approps. Earmarks survived the changeover in Congress and Democratic pledges of reform, but several lobbying firms are starting to turn away from appropriations work in favor of new sources of revenue. Lobbyists say a variety of factors have them rethinking business models built on what critics call pork-barrel spending.
Lawmakers still getting free trips overseas The new congressional ethics rules have curbed corporate-sponsored travel for lawmakers — but that doesn’t mean they’ve been grounded.
An earmark Christmas Congressional negotiators have added scores of new earmarks to a massive 3,565-page spending bill that lawmakers had only a few hours to review before an expected vote Monday evening. Democratic leaders did not make the bill available for public viewing until late on Sunday night.
Stevens Adds Millions in Earmarks to Omnibus Despite scrutiny from investigators representing at least five federal departments and agencies, a midsummer raid of his home by law enforcement officials and a home-state governor increasingly hostile to earmarks, GOP Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska is showing no signs of abandoning earmarks and directed spending, netting interests in the state more than $88 million in this year’s omnibus, according to a review by Roll Call.
Republican With Links to Abramoff Is Sentenced Italia Federici, who served as lobbyist Jack Abramoff's conduit to the top ranks of the Interior Department, was sentenced yesterday to two months in a halfway house during a day in court that touched on her romantic liaisons, tax evasion and conduct before the Senate.
Senate Passes FOIA Bill Reversing a trend toward secrecy, federal agencies would have to be more responsive to Freedom of Information Act requests under legislation approved by the Senate Friday.
Ethics Clears Way for Convention Parties The party will go on. That was the call that lobbyists and ethics experts sounded after the House ethics committee put out its advisory memo Tuesday on the new rules for soirees at the upcoming Democratic and Republican national conventions.
OMB Offers an Easy Way to Follow the Money Robert Shea is a Republican insider with a head for business and a yen for federal program performance standards. Gary Bass is a government watchdog with a mean bite who wants openness and knows how to get it.
‘Earmark’ analysis shows money follows power Money follows power. Political action committees and executives of at least 20 companies that received defense contracts through earmarks shifted their political donations this year from defeated Republican incumbents to their Democratic replacements, a USA TODAY analysis found.
Obey earmark proposal stirs opposition from both parties A proposal to eliminate all congressional earmarks to meet the White House’s steep demands on domestic spending ran into deeply skeptical senators from both parties Tuesday, signaling that many lawmakers will fight to keep their pet projects as Democrats struggle to finalize their year-end budget plans.
Ethics plan to take heat from all sides Caught in the middle of a tug-of-war between watchdog groups and House colleagues, Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) has been struggling to put the finishing touches on a proposal for a new House ethics office.
GOP Plans a 'Butcher Shop' to Chop Earmarks With House Democratic leaders poised to introduce and pass a massive appropriations bill today covering funding for nearly every federal agency, Republican staffers and outside interest groups prepared for a frenetic race to figure out what is in the bill before it gets to the president’s desk.
Hoyer Is Proof of Earmarks’ Endurance Even as House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer has joined in steps to clean up pork-barrel spending, the Maryland congressman has tucked $96 million worth of pet projects into next year's federal budget, including $450,000 for a campaign donor's foundation.
Congressional earmarks lose luster for Alaska The Palin administration, citing a need to improve the state's credibility, plans to ask Alaska's congressional delegation for far fewer earmarks in the coming year.
McCaskill turns a deaf ear to earmarks Until now, Sen. Claire McCaskill’s unwavering stand on earmarks — pet projects funded by individual members of Congress — has amounted to little more than a curiosity. But curiosity has begun to morph into outright frustration from fellow Democratic lawmakers back home. They say her principled position is costing Missouri millions.
Rep. Jefferson wants trial delayed Rep. William Jefferson’s lawyers, citing the mountain of evidence and documents prosecutors have amassed against the Louisiana Democrat, are asking the presiding judge for a two- to four-month delay of his trial, which is set to begin Jan. 16.
'Wicked Witch' targeted over a dinner in Waikiki Jack Abramoff called her the Wicked Witch of the West. “WWW” for short in his e-mails. And he wanted to burn her. Joan Plaisted, a career foreign service officer, was ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) in 1998, when the island nation hired Abramoff and his firm to battle the United States on a multibillion-dollar aid agreement.
Ex-Congressman’s Aide to Plead Guilty to Conspiracy Former representative Curt Weldon's chief of staff has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy charges for allegedly helping a consulting firm that Weldon championed obtain federal funds and for concealing money the firm paid him and his wife, according to court papers unsealed today.
Ensign Tells Feinstein He Won't Budge on Filing Bill Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) on Monday turned down an offer to break the logjam on a bill requiring Senators to file their campaign finance reports electronically. Those reports are currently filed on paper only and must be scanned into computers.
Contractor Lends Wings to Graves Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) has accepted perhaps thousands of dollars worth of free flight time in a vintage airplane owned by a contracting firm in his district that also is a major source of funds for Graves’ campaigns.
Sens. Cochran, Stevens lead in earmark tally Senior Republican appropriators in the Senate have collected more money in earmarks than any other members of Congress, even though President Bush and GOP leaders have forcefully criticized “pork-barrel spending.”
Alaska corruption scares off energy company A major Midwest energy company cites Alaska's political corruption scandal for its unexpected decision not to submit a natural gas pipeline application.
Secrecy Invoked on Abramoff Lawsuits The Bush administration is laying out a new secrecy defense in an effort to end a court battle about the White House visits of now-imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Trent Lott’s Brother-In-Law, Nephew, Indicted On Federal Bribery Charges Prominent Mississippi trial attorney Richard "Dickie" Scruggs, the brother-in-law of outgoing GOP Sen. Trent Lott, was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on charges that he and four other men tried to bribe a Mississippi state court judge.
Mica expects to reverse earmark for Coconut Road before recess Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, expects Congress to pass a bill before the December recess that will reverse Rep. Don Young’s (R-Alaska) now notorious Coconut Road earmark.
Young’s earmark helps three fishing companies Some of the toughest money in America is made fishing for king and snow crab in the tempestuous Bering Sea. But some crab boat owners also do well on the opposite coast in Washington, D.C.
Congress discloses intel earmarks for first time In a break with tradition, Congress has revealed close to $80 million in earmarks boosting spy technology and training as part of the 2008 defense appropriations bill.
Loophole Allows Overseas Trips Trips to foreign locales such as Saudi Arabia and Canada may be on the rise despite the implementation of new gift and travel rules that prohibit most travel covered by private funding sources.
Household Exception for House Thanks to new, narrowly written House earmark disclosure rules, when House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) earmarked $235,000 for a fitness center serving low-income residents of Columbia, S.C., he did not have to publicly disclose that his daughter works for the city-owned center as its marketing and membership director.
Ruling Will Cripple Probes Of Lawmakers, U.S. Says A little-noticed aspect of an appellate court decision could sharply limit investigations of members of Congress and hamper ongoing corruption probes, the Justice Department said this week in a motion seeking an emergency stay of the ruling.
'Brothers' Stevens, Inouye share defense-earmark haul Sens. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) call each other “brother,” and that brotherly relationship is paying off in defense earmarks worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
FBI Probes Continuing The FBI this summer examined the personal financial records of two House Republican appropriators in ongoing probes into their earmarking activities. The inquiries into California Reps. Jerry Lewis and Ken Calvert — made July 24 by two agents in a local FBI field office — appear to be aimed at updating records a federal agent from Riverside, Calif., first pulled more than a year earlier.
The semi-secret world of campaign bundlers Johnny Taylor Jr. is connected. The Charlotte businessman has friends all over the country who will hop on a plane and arrive at his house with a check for $2,300. That's the cost of having a chat in a private setting with a presidential candidate.
Louisiana Rep. Jefferson Accused Anew Prosecutors are accusing Rep. William J. Jefferson of Louisiana of soliciting bribes in two suspected schemes that are separate from the bribery charges he already faces, according to a published report.
Bush showed more than '08 hopefuls Front-runners for the Democratic presidential nomination have repeatedly criticized President Bush for his administration’s penchant for secrecy, but Bush was more transparent in revealing his biggest fundraisers in 2004 than the White House hopefuls have been this cycle.
Watchdogs divided over ethics plan After months of delay, the House ethics task force has wrapped up its work and will recommend an independent ethics office within the House, but the move immediately prompted a split among ethics watchdog organizations.
Wamp Calls For Total Reform Of Earmarks Congressman Zach Wamp joined Congressmen Jack Kingston of Georgia and Frank Wolf of Virginia on Thursday to introduce a concurrent resolution to establish a Joint Select Committee on Earmark Reform that would make a full study and comprehensive recommendations on earmarks.
Feinstein Works to Remove GOP Block of Transparency Bill For months, the Senate Republican leadership have worked to block a Senate bill that would make campaign contributions to Senate candidates immediately and easily searchable. Perhaps figuring that honey works better than vinegar, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) wrote Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) yesterday to ask if he would compromise on the latest effort to sink the bill.
E-Government bill clears senate government panel The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee easily adopted a bill Wednesday reauthorizing legislation to improve the accessibility of online government information another five years.
Feingold, Obama go after corporate jet travel Two Democratic lawmakers are urging the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to adopt a rule change that would limit the influence corporations have on legislators by requiring federal candidates and officials from their leadership political action committees and campaigns who fly on non-commercial jets to pay the full charter cost.
A Stevens Earmark Funds a 'Ferry to Nowhere' The $20 million earmark penned by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) for a ferry project in the state — part of new defense spending legislation signed by President Bush earlier this week — could be a financial boon for those close to the lawmaker, including several figures in a high-profile federal political corruption probe in Alaska.
Earmarks in, Reforms out of THUD Measure House and Senate Democrats have inserted at least 18 previously undisclosed earmarks into the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies spending bill totaling more than $24 million, while taking steps to limit access to key budget documents prepared for appropriators by federal agencies.
Golf Tournaments Eyed in Corruption Case The Justice Department is investigating whether an Alaska oil contractor used golf tournaments to funnel cash to Rep. Don Young, people close to the corruption investigation said.
Earmarks 'airdropped' for freshmen More than a fifth of the earmarks added late to three conference reports on House and Senate spending bills were sponsored by either freshmen or those vulnerable to tough reelection battles in 2008.
Earmarks Now Everybody’s Business Who put a million dollars for an "Extended Cold Weather Clothing System" into the 2008 defense spending bill President Bush signed yesterday? The item is one of thousands that can be found on EarmarkWatch.org, a new Web site that enlists voters' help monitoring congressional spending.
‘I’ll Sell My Soul to the Devil’ When the FBI came looking for corruption in Alaska politics, it found an excellent perch in Suite 604 of the Baranof Hotel in Juneau, the state capital. There, a profane septuagenarian named Bill Allen did business throughout a 2006 special session called to set taxes on the oil industry. With hundred-dollar bills in his front pocket for ease of access when lawmakers turned up with their hands out, the oil-services company executive turned in a bravura performance before the pinhole camera that federal agents installed opposite his favorite chair.
One Lawmaker's Waste Is Another's Namesake Buried deep in the largest domestic spending bill of the year is money for a library and museum honoring first ladies. The $130,000 was requested by the local congressman, Representative Ralph Regula, Republican of Ohio. The library was founded by his wife, Mary A. Regula. The director of the library is his daughter, Martha A. Regula.
Donations for Young, then an earmark Virginia transportation officials recognized in the late 1990s that the growing stream of tractor-trailer rigs rumbling north and south along I-81 through the Shenandoah Valley would eventually clog the four-lane highway.
Clinton tops 2008 rivals, gets $530M in earmarks Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) has won tens of millions of dollars more in federal earmarks this year than her rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, even though two of them have significantly more Senate seniority.
New Ethics Plan Already Under Fire More than six months past their deadline, leaders of a special task force established to overhaul the House ethics process remain coy about the group’s work, even as reform advocates consider attacking a forthcoming proposal as too weak.
Clyburn sponsors golf earmark in defense bill House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.), a passionate golf player, sponsored a $3 million earmark in the 2008 military spending bill for a program that attracts disadvantaged and minority children to the game of golf.
Federal Cash Rebuilds Airstrip on Graves' Land Rep. Sam Graves’ (R-Mo.) airplane hangar here is littered with tools, engine parts and a half-built aircraft fuselage. A World War II-era airplane and Jeep sit prominently on display near the entrance. But Graves’ oil-drenched playground may soon become a political liability for the four-term lawmaker, who is facing his toughest re-election battle yet.
Davis Hit for Aid to Wife's Campaign The Democratic Party of Virginia filed a complaint with state and federal election officials on Friday asking for an investigation into Rep. Tom Davis’ (R) campaign contributions to the re-election campaign of his wife, state Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis (R).
Even Cut 50 Percent, Earmarks Clog Military Bill Even though members of Congress cut back their pork barrel spending this year, House lawmakers still tacked on to the military appropriations bill $1.8 billion to pay 580 private companies for projects the Pentagon did not request.
A Contractor, Charity And Magnet for Federal Earmarks Concurrent Technologies began two decades ago doing metalworking research in Pennsylvania's struggling rust belt. In the years since, the Johnstown, Pa., company has become a federal contracting chameleon.
Industries Paid for Top Regulators’ Travel The chief of the Consumer Product Safety Commission and her predecessor have taken dozens of trips at the expense of the toy, appliance and children's furniture industries and others they regulate, according to internal records obtained by The Washington Post. Some of the trips were sponsored by lobbying groups and lawyers representing the makers of products linked to consumer hazards.
GOP turns ethics tables Senate Republicans said Thursday they would invoke new ethics rules to block Democratic efforts to send to President Bush the first appropriations package of the 110th Congress.
Senate Judiciary Committee Passes Beefed-Up Anti-Corruption Bill The Senate Judiciary Committee passed legislation Thursday morning that would strengthen anti-corruption laws and provide $100 million more for corruption investigations over the next four years.
GOP Appropriators Join List of Lawmakers Who Want New Earmark System A small group of Republican appropriators is working to restructure the earmarking system from within. The effort is part of an uncoordinated series of attempts to re-examine how special projects are doled out.
Cunningham-linked contractor paying big campaign finance fine Defense contractor Mitchell Wade, who pleaded guilty to bribing former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, is now paying the second-largest campaign finance penalty in the history of the Federal Election Commission.
Watchdogs questioning earmarks for companies under investigation Two watchdog organizations are urging House and Senate appropriators to remove earmark requests in the 2008 defense-spending bill benefiting BAE Systems and ProLogic, two companies that are allegedly under federal investigation.
White House won’t release Abramoff documents, Waxman says House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) says the White House is improperly withholding roughly more than 600 pages of documents related to imprisoned former GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff, and he wants them handed over to his committee by Nov. 6.
Religious Earmarks on the Rise A review of fiscal 2008 appropriations bills shows that scores of religious organizations across the country are being singled out by Members of the House and Senate for federal funding. These earmarks cover a wide array of organizations and activities — from earmarks for local Catholic Charities USA organizations to funding for research programs at private universities to faith-based drug treatment and jobs programs.
Specter’s pet project: Sexual abstinence A glance at the earmarks secured by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) in recent years prompts the question: Does Pennsylvania have a problem with sex?
FBI investigating Stevens’ fishing bills Federal authorities investigating Sen. Ted Stevens are trolling the Alaska fishing industry for evidence of whether the powerful Republican pushed seafood legislation that benefited his lobbyist son.
It's Farm Bill Time, and Pork Is on the Menu Fresh off their successful defeat of the “hippie museum” project backed by New York Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Senate conservatives have begun the tedious process of scouring the chamber’s $280 billion farm bill for provisions they can use to lampoon the earmarking process and hopefully pull from the bill.
MURTHA INC. If John Murtha were a businessman, he'd be the biggest employer in this town. The powerful U.S. congressman has used his clout on Capitol Hill to create thousands of jobs and steer billions of dollars in federal spending to help his hometown in western Pennsylvania recover from devastating floods and the flight of its steelmakers.
Allen drops blackmail bombshell in Kohring trial testimony Former Veco Corp. chief executive Bill Allen, on the witness stand for a second day Monday, revealed that his nephew tried to blackmail him over work done on U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens' home.
Senators earmark $70 million for their old schools Having a graduate in the U.S. Senate is not only a source of pride for colleges and universities, it can also mean wads of cash from the federal government.
Galante Donors Gave To Senator Contributions from associates and friends of now-indicted garbage executive James Galante to the 2004 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman have sparked the interest of federal investigators.
Defense Contractor Denies Bribery A defense contractor emphatically denied bribing former U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham as he took the stand in his own defense Friday.
House gets subpoena for Doolittle probe e-mails The top administrative officer in the House has been subpoenaed for e-mails related to the ongoing criminal investigation of Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.), according to a notification read on the House floor Thursday.
Bill Tackles Public Corruption Lawmakers could soon be handing the Justice Department new ammunition in its fight against Congressional corruption. The Senate Judiciary Committee today will mark up a bill that will give federal prosecutors more time and resources to uncover wrongdoing by lawmakers while toughening anti-corruption laws already on the books.
As Campaigns Chafe at Limits, Donors Might Be in Diapers Elrick Williams's toddler niece Carlyn may be one of the youngest contributors to this year's presidential campaign. The 2-year-old gave $2,300 to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
GOP?senators hunt for Democratic earmarks Following in the footsteps of their House counterparts, Senate GOP budget hawks have targeted more Democrats than Republicans in their hunt for earmarks.
Companies Seeking Immunity Donate to Senator Executives at the two biggest phone companies contributed more than $42,000 in political donations to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV this year while seeking his support for legal immunity for businesses participating in National Security Agency eavesdropping.
A senator's Puerto Rican friendship draws scrutiny Puerto Rico Gov. Aníbal Acevedo-Vilá has for years counted on his longtime friend in Washington, Robert Menendez. First in the House and then in the Senate, the New Jersey Democrat has long advocated positions on some of the most politically volatile issues on the island — most notably the debate over Puerto Rico’s relationship with the U.S. — that comport with Acevedo-Vilá’s views.
Real Estate Boom for McHenry Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) took to the House floor late last spring and ripped into Democrats for blocking his proposal requiring Members to disclose the existence and value of their personal residences.
Part of Abramoff Case Sent to Maryland Federal prosecutors in Maryland are handling part of the Jack Abramoff lobbying case because of a possible conflict of interest at Justice Department headquarters, an official with knowledge of the case said Friday.
GOP Moves to Halt Money for Woodstock Hippies used to say if you remember Woodstock, you weren't really there. Republicans say presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton can forget about getting $1 million in taxpayer funds for a Woodstock museum.
Approps staffer will fight subpoena An Appropriations Committee staffer, with the help of the House General Counsel’s office, is fighting a grand jury subpoena issued as part of the investigation into Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.).
Donor Bundling Emerges As Major Ill in ‘08 Race The bundling of political donations once was an innocuous play in the game book of Washington political operatives. Now, the fund-raising practice has grown so widespread, and some of its practitioners so brazen, that bundling has become the chief source of abuse in the American campaign-finance system.
McCaskill introduces bill prohibiting lobbyist seat-saving at congressional hearings At 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jay Moglio was standing at the head of a line at the corner of Second and C streets near the Capitol. By 7 a.m., when the building opened, he was first in line for a seat at a 10 a.m. Senate Commerce Committee hearing on consumer complaints about cell phones. But Moglio, a bicycle courier, had no intention of attending.
Mack letter supported Coconut Road Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) sent a letter to a Florida university expressing his support for an interchange at Coconut Road, a $10 million earmark that has raised red flags and stirred controversy since its belated insertion into the 2005 highway bill.
State will give feds clear field in investigations State prosecutors will back off an investigation of election campaign polling practices to avoid interfering with an ongoing federal corruption probe, Gov. Sarah Palin announced Tuesday.
Timing of gifts stirs ‘earmark’ debate Days after a Senate committee approved $1 million for a Woodstock concert museum, the project's Republican billionaire backer and his family contributed $29,200 to help the Democrats who requested the money, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Charles Schumer.
GOP Leaders Trying to Push Doolittle Out With polls showing his presumed Democratic opponent beating him in 2008, embattled Rep. John Doolittle (R-Calif.) is under pressure from House Republican leaders to retire at the end of this term.
South Carolina Probing Graham Theft South Carolina law enforcement and federal election officials are investigating whether a former staffer for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) stole more than $200,000 from Graham’s campaign coffers during a more than four-year period ending in 2005.
Legal spending mounts, Young campaign reports U.S. Rep. Don Young continued to spend thousands of dollars of campaign donations on attorneys through the summer, according to financial reports filed by his campaign on Monday. The reports, to the Federal Election Commission, show that over the past three months, Young spent $184,708 on legal fees.
CRS memo feeds into Rep. Young's transportation earmark controversy The Congressional Research Service has issued a memo outlining the constitutional violations that occur when lawmakers, staff or enrolling clerks make substantive changes to bills after they pass the House and Senate.
$4.5 million for a boat that nobody wanted Tucked away on Seattle's Portage Bay, a sleek, 85-foot speedboat sat idle for years — save for an annual jaunt to maintain its engine. The Navy paid $4.5 million to build the boat. But months before the hull ever touched water, the Navy gave the boat to the University of Washington. The school never found a use for it, either.
Jefferson wants trial moved Pressing his case to move his trial, U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-New Orleans, argued Monday that he is the only congressman in the past 30 years to be prosecuted outside Washington or his home state.
Wade describes dreading dinners with Cunningham Mitchell Wade, a Washington, D.C., consultant and a key figure in the Randy “Duke” Cunningham corruption scandal, testified Friday in the bribery trial of Brent Wilkes to a pattern of meals and gifts given to Cunningham in exchange for lucrative government work for Wilkes's firm.
House Aide Subpoenaed in Lobbying Probe A House aide has been subpoenaed by a grand jury in Los Angeles investigating ties between a lobbyist and Rep. Jerry Lewis, the top Republican on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
Jefferson makes second court appearance Prosecutors and attorneys for Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) faced off in an Alexandria, Va. courtroom Friday over his defense team’s motions to drop conspiracy and bribery charges against the lawmaker.
Getting Around Rules on Lobbying In recent days, about 100 members of Congress and hundreds of Hill staffers attended two black-tie galas, many of them as guests of corporations and lobbyists that paid as much as $2,500 per ticket.
Official says Cunningham pressured him for Wilkes A contracting official with the Department of Defense testified Wednesday that he got three phone calls from former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham in 1998, and felt he was being pressured on behalf of Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes.
Investigations of Members on Rise Federal investigators are hinting that a fresh wave of campaign-related theft and corruption investigations of Members of Congress are moving through the pipeline, signaling that indictments may be on the horizon.
FBI investigating Torricelli’s company The FBI is probing accusations that former U.S. Sen. Robert Torricelli and his associates in a medical services business benefited from the lobbying efforts of a Puerto Rican official who received campaign contributions from them, a spokesman said yesterday.
Cunningham may be called on by defense Former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham has admitted accepting $2.4 million in bribes, but the lawyer for Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes told a federal jury yesterday none of it came from his client.
Official's Ties to Contractor Are Scrutinized The Justice Department is investigating ties between Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso R. Jackson and a friend of Mr. Jackson’s who was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by him for rebuilding work in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, federal officials said Thursday.
Wilkes is lambasted as bribery trial gets under way Not long ago, Poway defense contractor Brent Wilkes was an ordinary businessman heading a start-up company with one employee and few prospects for the future.
Firm tangled in Jefferson case received $450,000 A company whose executives have been named by federal prosecutors as co-conspirators in the indictment of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) was awarded a $450,000 grant from a government agency that the congressman allegedly influenced, according to public records.
Mica seeking to cut pork at Coconut Road Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), the ranking member of the House Transportation Committee, is working to reverse a controversial change to the 2005 highway bill that was made after Congress cleared the measure but before it was signed by the president.
Senate Clarifies Rule on Double-Booking Flights Senators should soon be able to fly freely again after quietly agreeing to an amendment Wednesday that clarifies that the chamber’s ethics rules allow them to book multiple flights home and choose the trip that best fits their schedules.
Subpoenas withdrawn against 12 members in Cunningham case A lawyer for Brent Wilkes, a defense contractor accused of bribing former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.), withdrew subpoenas of a dozen House members after a judge said he was prepared to quash them.
A Lucrative Center for Visclosky, PMA In a former cornfield 10 miles south of the blighted core of Gary, the once-thriving steel capital, stands an ultra-modern technology incubator that locals hope will spark an economic resurgence. Built with $7 million in federal money secured by Rep. Peter Visclosky, the tech center has been a pet project for the 12-term Democrat from this Rust Belt district in the northwest corner of the state.
Cunningham may testify in Wilkes's trial Former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.) may provide some of the most powerful testimony against the businessman accused of bribing him, Brent Wilkes, as well as co-conspirator John Michael, both of whose trial begins Wednesday.
Prosecutors Lay Out Case Against Jefferson Before searching Rep. William J. Jefferson's New Orleans home in August 2005, FBI agents confronted him with a video that showed him accepting $100,000 from a government informant, according to a prosecution document filed yesterday in federal court in Alexandria.
Penney’s group was in charge of 2004 earmark In 2004, Alaska state officials came across a puzzling sentence deep inside a bill recently passed by Congress. It said only this: "$2 million is for the Kenai River; $1 million for the Russian River." That's all.
Panel Has Claim to Stevens Tapes The Senate Ethics Committee has broad legal authority to listen to FBI tape recordings made of Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska) telephone conversations, should the panel launch an inquiry into corruption allegations against the seven-term lawmaker.
Reyes PAC Gets PMA Cash A new political action committee created by the brother of Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) raised $50,000 this spring almost entirely from staff and clients of powerhouse lobbying shop PMA Group, and within weeks, those same donors reaped millions of dollars in earmarks from Reyes and other Members of Congress closely affiliated with PMA.
Cunningham corruption trial set to begin Tales of hookers in Hawaii, lavish Capitol Hill dinner parties, private jet junkets and free-flowing cash are expected to be heard when a trial for two men tied to the tawdry corruption of former U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham begins in San Diego on Tuesday.
Stevens, Worker at Odds Over Fundraising Sen. Ted Stevens' campaign has no evidence a contracting firm paid workers to help run the Alaska senator's fundraisers, the campaign treasurer said, disputing one employee's claim that he parked cars and performed odd jobs while on the contractor's payroll.
Ensign vows to keep e-filing bill in limbo One Senate GOP leader, with the apparent support of fellow senior Republicans, said Thursday that his party would continue to insist on a vote on forcing groups that file ethics complaints to disclose their donors before the Senate approves electronic campaign-finance filing.
Prosecutors subpoena Calif. lawmaker Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif., indicated Thursday he planned to fight a Justice Department subpoena for 11 years of records as part of the Jack Abramoff bribery investigation.
Verdict may have implications for Stevens A jury found former Alaska state House Speaker Peter Kott (R) guilty of taking bribes from former Veco Chief Executive Bill Allen, a decision that may have implications for Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), who is under FBI investigation for his ties to Allen.
Watchdog group urges probe of highway earmark linked to Young A watchdog group asked the House ethics committee on Wednesday to investigate how a $10 million earmark for a Florida highway interchange, which was backed by Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, was inserted into a bill that already had won final congressional approval.
Ensign scrambles to explain objections to disclosure bill Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) found himself in a tough position Tuesday as he tried to explain why there had been a secret hold on popular bill aimed at forcing candidates for the Senate to disclose their campaign-finance reports electronically.
Mystery Still Surrounds Senate Filing Hold Despite the entry of Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) into the controversy over who is blocking a bipartisan Senate campaign finance bill, Democrats and government watchdogs said Tuesday that they are still nonplussed as to who is holding up the measure and why.
Senate Looks to Fix Travel Rule The Senate Rules and Administration Committee is discussing ways to clarify a provision in the new ethics law that has effectively blocked Senators from booking seats on multiple flights home at one time, and at least one key GOP Senator says he is considering a legislative remedy for the massive travel headache.
Griles begins prison term The highest-ranking Bush administration official to be convicted in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal is behind bars.
Ensign steps forward on campaign disclosure bill A bill to force senators to file their campaign finance reports electronically may get new life after Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) on Monday night disclosed that he had been secretly blocking the plan for months.
Critics See Ruse in Senate Earmark Rules Less than two weeks after the Senate’s new earmark rules took effect, critics are accusing Democrats of providing less openness than promised. Only appropriations earmarks will be subject to challenge via points of order, not the abundant special provisions scattered through authorization bills.
Leaders Mum on Stevens Despite multiple federal investigations and new allegations aimed at Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Senate Republican leaders continue to stand by their colleague and are unlikely to take action unless federal authorities indict him for any wrongdoing.
DOJ appeal reopens battle over Jefferson raid The Justice Department is seeking to overturn a D.C. Circuit appeals court ruling that the FBI raid on Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-La.) office last year violated the Constitution.
Vitter earmarked federal money for creationist group Sen. David Vitter, R-La., earmarked $100,000 in a spending bill for a Louisiana Christian group that has challenged the teaching of Darwinian evolution in the public school system and to which he has political ties.
Congressional ‘pork’ down sharply under new disclosure rules The number and overall cost of congressional pet projects added to the national defense budget are both down sharply, in the first appropriations season since Congress moved to require members to attach their names to so-called earmarks in spending bills.
Alaska Ends Plan for ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ The state of Alaska on Friday officially abandoned the "bridge to nowhere" project that became a nationwide symbol of federal pork-barrel spending.
The Sound Of Silence Hear that? That silence is the sound of my phone not ringing. It's been a familiar quiet since I first started trying to get some answers about Rep. Don Young's (R-AK) Coconut Road earmark last month.
FBI Taped Sen. Stevens The FBI, working with an Alaska oil contractor, secretly taped telephone calls with Sen. Ted Stevens as part of a public corruption sting, according to people close to the investigation.
Senate rules referee is put on the hot seat The Senate parliamentarian, usually a quiet referee of the chamber’s everyday business, has found himself at the center of a hot dispute over earmarks.
Records of Ex-DeLay Aide Sought A federal grand jury has subpoenaed House records connected to a one-time aide to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay who has been caught up in the Jack Abramoff influence-peddling scandal.
Contractor: Worked for Stevens on Veco’s dime A construction worker who oversaw renovation of Sen. Ted Stevens' home said his company also paid him to help run fundraisers for the Alaska Republican, a practice that appears to violate federal campaign finance laws.
House GOP?to launch new earmark offensive House Republican leaders will launch a new offensive in the fight over earmark reform Thursday morning, seeking to expand earmark disclosure requirements to tax and authorization bills.
Mr. Murtha's Money Every private entity that Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) favored with an earmark in this year’s defense bill recently has given political money to the lawmaker, according to an analysis of House Appropriations and federal elections records by Roll Call and Taxpayers for Common Sense.
New ethics rule could lead to Rep. Filner probe A new House ethics rule passed in early June is coming back to haunt Democrats. The House ethics committee must empanel an investigative subcommittee to review the assault allegations against Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) or submit a report to the House describing its reasons for not doing so by midnight Wednesday (Sept. 19-20).
House Members Resist Subpoenas in Case Linked to Cunningham Bribery Scandal More than a dozen House members from both parties have been served with subpoenas in the case of defense contractor Brent Wilkes, who is facing charges stemming from the bribery conviction of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham.
U.S. Accused of Pressing Alaskan for Plea The Justice Department inappropriately put pressure on a former state representative to consider pleading guilty in a corruption case, said his lawyer, who wants a federal judge to review the department’s actions.
Pelosi, Dems praise lobbying reform House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Friday hailed President Bush’s decision to sign lobbying reform legislation, which Congress passed by overwhelming margins this summer.
Allen says Veco staff worked on Ted Stevens home remodel Ex-Veco Corp. CEO Bill Allen admitted in court Friday that he had company employees work several months on a remodeling project at the Girdwood home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens.
Ethics Ground Rules About to Change for Senators Life in the Senate is about to change. Senators will no longer be able to take gifts or junkets from lobbyists. Senate spouses will be banned from the lobbying business, unless they were lobbyists before their spouse’s most recent election or before they married a senator. Senators and their top aides will have to notify the Ethics Committee within three days when they begin negotiating new jobs. Those are some of the changes that will take effect when President Bush signs a lobbying overhaul bill (S 1).
Hsu thrived in ‘bundling’ system The story of Hsu, the major Democratic fundraiser who turned out to be a fugitive from justice, is a tangled one that stretches back more than 15 years. But more recent developments in the world of campaign finance helped create the environment in which a man like Hsu could be welcomed into the company of people like the Kennedys and Clintons.
Waxman Chases Abramoff Leads The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is poised to dive back into the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal in coming weeks, according to several sources who say Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) has issued letters to a range of Abramoff associates seeking information about his contacts with the White House.
Businessman admits to bribing 3 former Alaska legislators The former head of an oil field service company admitted yesterday in court that he bribed three Alaska legislators, including the son of a US senator who is the target of a federal investigation.
Stevens mentioned in FBI video During a secret meeting to discuss what prosecutors say was a dirty deal to keep Alaska oil taxes low, two oil contractors said they had a powerful ally coming to town who could help build support for the plan: Sen. Ted Stevens.
Volz Is Sentenced to Probation, Community Service Former congressional aide Neil Volz was sentenced to two years probation after admitting he served as a conduit of information and favors between disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and convicted U.S. Representative Bob Ney.
Lobbying on the Side A top staff member in the office of Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) also maintains a state-level lobbying practice in Missouri, an arrangement that legal experts say raises ethical concerns but that the Congressman’s office defends as completely legal and in compliance with all House rules.
Gov’t Lawyers Were With Lawmaker’s Aides Two aides to GOP Rep. John Doolittle who appeared before a federal grand jury last week were accompanied by House attorneys rather than private lawyers, The Associated Press has learned.
Earmark Gone, Indian Project Is One-Winged From the scrub and gravel, a building rises here in the shape of a giant eagle — a striking symbol, its creators say, for an American Indian cultural facility and a judicial center.
Inside The Hidden World Of Earmarks One of Washington's great mysteries is exactly how much money companies rake in from their lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. Sure, companies have to disclose how much they spend on the hired guns or in-house government affairs staffers who press their interests before regulators and Congress. And the population of lobbyists has clearly exploded--which suggests that their clients, at least, think they're getting a good deal. But no one outside the lobbying firms and corporate boardrooms has ever known just how much all those lobbyists bring in.
Cleland Leaves Disability Group Former Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) has withdrawn from the board of directors of a charity with close ties to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) in response to a Roll Call investigation of the group’s limited achievements and close ties to a broad network of people and companies Murtha has aided.
The Race for President Saying 'No' to Lobbyists' Money … Well, Sort Of John Edwards and Barack Obama have been the most vocal among the Democratic presidential hopefuls in decrying the influence of lobbyists on government, to the point of both men declaring they will not take campaign contributions from federal lobbyists or political action committees.
Jefferson's Team Shifts Focus to DOJ Lawyers for Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) filed a flurry of motions Friday accusing the government of an array of misdeeds — from violating the rules of evidence to racism — in an apparent effort to turn the focus of the case from the conduct of the Congressman to the conduct of the investigation.
Pet Projects’ Veil Is Only Partly Lifted Rep. Rahm Emanuel was extremely proud when the House passed a major spending bill early this year that contained not a single special-interest project. "This is an earmark-free bill," the Illinois Democrat jubilantly declared on Feb. 1.
Inside Rep. Weller’s Nicaragua land deal The rolling surf of the Pacific Ocean crashes onto white sand beaches below a lush hillside in southwest Nicaragua, a picture of tropical paradise by anyone's definition. These days, paradise is for sale. Contact the seller, Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.).
Prosecutor forced to retire A veteran prosecutor assigned to the lobbying probe of Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, is being forced to retire. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Emmick, 54, took early retirement in 2004 and has returned under one-year appointments since then.
Catching fish, netting earmarks up in Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens has quietly steered millions of federal dollars to a sportfishing industry group founded by Bob Penney, a longtime friend who helped the Alaska Republican profit from a lucrative land deal, according to public records and officials from the state.
Congress Making a Cautious Return to R&D Earmarking, Says AAAS Budget Analyst After a one-year moratorium on the controversial practice of earmarking federal funds for favored domestic projects, congressional lawmakers have returned to the practice but with earmarks that are smaller and more transparent, says a new AAAS analysis.
Ethics Flap a Headache, But Not a Migraine, for Florida Republican The ethics questions raised about Florida Republican Rep. Tom Feeney — stemming largely from his participation in a golfing trip to Scotland organized in 2003 by since-convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff — thus far have had a relatively low profile. But they were enough to prompt Feeney, the three-term incumbent from Florida’s 24th District, to set up a legal expense trust fund.
Doolittle Aides Subpoenaed in Probe Two of GOP Rep. John Doolittle's top aides have been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury investigating ties between Doolittle, his wife and jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Abramoff, Scanlon and key former aides continue to talk With a busy autumn ahead for the Jack Abramoff investigation, prosecutors may be trying to send former aides — and even Abramoff himself — a message: Play nice with us and we’ll play nicer with you.
Cunningham figure says he was trying to help government A key player in the corruption case of former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham told a federal court that he was acting out of patriotism and not for personal gain when he provided the congressman with money and favors, according to court transcripts unsealed yesterday.
Inquiry Focuses on Former Aide to Menendez A federal investigation of Senator Robert Menendez over potential conflicts of interests with recipients of government financing has shifted focus to the lobbying work of his former chief of staff and confidante, according to lawyers and others familiar with the case.
New ethics legislation could affect Cabinet-level executives New ethics legislation, which has passed both chambers of Congress but still needs President Bush's signature, would extend the cooling-off period for very senior executives who leave government from one year to two years.
Now a Lobbyist, an Ex-Senator Uses Campaign Money When he was last running for the United States Senate from New Jersey in 2002, Robert G. Torricelli collected donations from thousands of people who apparently wanted to see him re-elected. They might be surprised to see how he spent a portion of their money.
Highway Bill Took Young On Cross Country Fundraising Tour When developer Daniel Aronoff wanted an interchange built in Florida, Rep. Don Young (R-AK) came through -- after Aronoff arranged a $40,000 fundraiser for him. But Florida wasn't the only remote state where the Alaskan congressman proved popular in 2005. A massive transportation bill was making its way through Congress, and Young, as the chairman of the transportation committee, was in a powerful position.
No Graphic Photos Found in Foley E-Mails U.S. House officials, in rebuffing efforts by Florida investigators to access former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley's congressional computers, said they found no sexually explicit photos in e-mails they reviewed, according to a letter obtained Thursday by The Associated Press.
Foley, Police at Odds Over Computers Florida's top police agency said Wednesday its investigation into former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley's lurid Internet communications with teenage boys has been hindered because neither Foley nor the House will let investigators examine his congressional computers.
FAA Chief To Become Aerospace Lobbyist The nation's chief defense-industry lobbying group has selected Marion C. Blakey, administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, as its new chief executive.
Senate earmark battle turns very personal A battle between the offices of Sens. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) over a controversial earmark intensified earlier this month, displaying how debates on Capitol Hill sometimes can turn personal.
Young’s $10M earmark focus of inquiry A Justice Department corruption task force is investigating whether Alaska Congressman Don Young took campaign cash in return for securing $10 million for construction of a proposed Florida highway ramp that would give a windfall to a local real estate developer, a source familiar with the inquiry said Friday.
Florida officials reject Young’s road earmark Local officials in Florida decided Friday to send back the surprise $10 million Coconut Road earmark that Alaska U.S. Rep. Don Young slipped into the 2005 highway bill when he was chairman of the House Transportation Committee.
In Alaska, scandal flows like crude There are generally two views here about the career trajectory of Bill J. Allen, an oilman and political wheeler-dealer who over four decades built his VECO Corp. into one of the state's largest and most influential companies. He was driven by greed, or by a thirst for political power.
FBI probes contracts to company with ties to Stevens The FBI is investigating the National Science Foundation's award of $170 million in contracts to the oil field services company that oversaw renovations on U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens' home, McClatchy Newspapers has learned.
Dem majority triggers mixed results for K St. Patton Boggs appears likely to continue as the reigning king of K Street with a revenue growth of nearly 9 percent, according to mid-year lobbying reports filed to Congress Tuesday.
Elsewhere along Washington’s lobbying corridor, though, results were decidedly more mixed.
Indicted donor poses quandary for GOP?lawmakers who accepted funds Seven vulnerable House Republicans face difficult decisions about whether to return contributions from a major Republican donor who was charged last week on 23 counts of bankruptcy fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and perjury.
Ney’s Chief of Staff Wore Wire, Was Key To Boss’s Conviction When Will Heaton went to work for Rep. Robert W. Ney in 2001, he was 23 years old and still in awe of the members of Congress he had come to know years earlier as a congressional page. Within six months, the Ohio Republican promoted the fresh-faced neophyte to be the youngest chief of staff in Congress.
In Fundraising’s Murky Corners Linda Chavez rose to prominence in the 1980s as a tart-tongued Reagan administration official and candidate for the Senate, eventually becoming a well-known Latina voice on social issues and President Bush's choice to lead the Labor Department. With her conservative celebrity came book deals, a syndicated column, regular appearances on the Fox News Channel -- and a striking but little-known success at political fundraising.
Arts Groups Await Funding Impact as `Earmarking’ Is Scrutinized President George W. Bush and some members of Congress argue that earmarks, which have been at the center of recent bribery scandals, should be eliminated. At a time when corporate support for the arts has been steadily shrinking, arts group are defending earmarks as an important, if a bit unseemly, way to get much-needed funding.
Guilty-plea files may be unsealed Federal prosecutors said yesterday they would agree to release portions from some sealed transcripts concerning the guilty plea of a key figure in the Randy “Duke” Cunningham investigation.