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Coconut Road
A futile walk down Coconut Road?
Written by Paul Blumenthal on May 1, 2008 - 9:55am.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young | Earmarks (see all terms)
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young | Earmarks (see all terms)
Source Name
Politico
Snippit
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
Written by Paul Blumenthal on April 30, 2008 - 10:34am.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young | Earmarks | William Jefferson (see all terms)
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young | Earmarks | William Jefferson (see all terms)
Source Name
The Hill
Snippit
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.
House Set to Consider Coconut Road Bill on Suspension Calendar
Written by Paul Blumenthal on April 29, 2008 - 9:22am.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young | Earmarks (see all terms)
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young | Earmarks (see all terms)
Source Name
Roll Call
Snippit
The controversial Coconut Road earmark investigation is set for a vote in the House this week, but there likely won’t be anything contentious about it.
Young Cries Foul After Senate Calls for Investigation
Written by Paul Blumenthal on April 28, 2008 - 2:30pm.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Source Name
Congressional Quarterly
Snippit
Rep. Don Young says the Senate overstepped its authority when it voted to seek a federal investigation of an altered earmark.
House leaders don’t force Young ethics probe
Written by Paul Blumenthal on April 22, 2008 - 9:46am.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Source Name
The Hill
Snippit
House Democratic and Republican leaders are declining to take action to compel the ethics committee to investigate the notorious Coconut Road earmark.
Getting to the Bottom of Coconut Road
Do lawmakers really want to get to the bottom of the Coconut Road earmark? It looks more and more doubtful by the minute. The story of Coconut Road is one of those earmark stories where a congressman, Alaska Rep. Don Young, inserted an earmark for a campaign contributor in Florida for a project that the local community, in Florida mind you, not Alaska, did not want. Even worse, the earmark was inserted after the transportation bill it was attached to had passed Congress. Bills can't be signed by the President if they've been edited after passage. That's against the rules, laws, and the Constitution. So yesterday, lawmakers in the Senate decided they were going to pursue action against those who inserted the earmark language after bill passage.
Written by Paul Blumenthal on April 18, 2008 - 11:10am.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young | Speech and Debate (see all terms)
Senate calls for Justice probe
Written by Paul Blumenthal on April 18, 2008 - 10:10am.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Source Name
Politico
Snippit
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.
Congress May Seek Criminal Probe of Altered Earmark
Written by Paul Blumenthal on April 17, 2008 - 10:15am.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Source Name
Washington Post
Snippit
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.
Reid wants DOJ probe of Coconut Rd.
Written by Paul Blumenthal on April 16, 2008 - 10:32am.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young (see all terms)
Source Name
The Hill
Snippit
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.
Coburn pushes Coconut Road probe
Written by Paul Blumenthal on April 14, 2008 - 10:47am.
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young | Tom Coburn (see all terms)
Read more: Coconut Road | Don Young | Tom Coburn (see all terms)
Source Name
The Hill
Snippit
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.
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Today's Ethics Watch
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. (New York Times)
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. (Washington Post)
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. (Washington Post)
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. (The Hill)
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. (GovExec)
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. (The Hill)
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. (Politico)
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. (The Hill)
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. (Roll Call)
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. (Politico)
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. (Washington Post)
[ More in the Archive ]
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. (Washington Post)
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. (Washington Post)
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. (The Hill)
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. (GovExec)
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. (The Hill)
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. (Politico)
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. (The Hill)
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. (Roll Call)
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. (Politico)
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. (Washington Post)
[ More in the Archive ]