Portraits of Jefferson Diverge Sharply at Trial
June 17, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
On the first day of arguments in ex-Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-La.) criminal trial Tuesday, federal prosecutors and defense attorneys offered disparate portraits of the former lawmaker, as well as his family and his business deals.
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Earmark Recipients Filled Dicks’ Coffers
June 17, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Last year, Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) secured five defense earmarks for private companies in his hometown of Bremerton, Wash., worth a total of $10 million. Four of the companies shared something in common — they were all represented by the PMA Group, the now- defunct lobbying firm that has spurred an investigation of earmarks by the House ethics committee.
Missteps Mark Disclosure Reports
June 16, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) may have suddenly and inexplicably become one of the richest Members of Congress last year.
Jefferson Case May Set Precedents
June 16, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Although he is no longer a Member of the House, the outcome of ex-Rep. William Jefferson’s (D-La.) corruption trial could resonate on Capitol Hill with its potential to create stricter limits for future federal corruption investigations.
Majority Senses Ethics Reprieve
June 15, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
House Democrats breathed a sigh of relief last week when the ethics committee confirmed an investigation that likely centers on some of the party’s most senior appropriators. The reaction was a testament to the success of the Republican pressure campaign to keep the heat on Democrats for dragging their feet on confronting the mounting controversy.
Disclosures Cause Headaches
June 15, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The devil really is in the details, at least when it comes to Congressional financial disclosure reports. Even before the House and Senate released lawmakers’ annual financial disclosures Friday, some Members had already filed amendments to the reports, which cover the 2008 calendar year.
McCrery Tapped as a Witness for Jefferson
June 10, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Former Rep. Jim McCrery (R) will serve as an expert witness on behalf of fellow Louisianan and ex-Rep. William Jefferson (D) in his criminal corruption trial.
Murtha Apparently Moved Earmark Between Brother’s Clients
June 3, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
In early 2005, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) apparently added language to a tsunami relief bill shifting $8.2 million from a former client of his brother’s lobbying firm to a new client of the same firm.
An Earmark’s Path Feeds Debate
May 20, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
On March 17, 2008, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) wrote a letter requesting a $1.6 million earmark for an Ohio company to build collapsible polyurethane fuel storage tanks for the military. This unremarkable earmark is interesting mostly because of the lobbyist for the company that makes the storage bladders: Mary Anne Walsh, who had been Ryan’s chief of staff until she left his office a year and a few days before Ryan wrote the letter.
Senate Earmark Disclosure Varies Widely
May 20, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Most Senators appear to be technically complying with the chamber’s earmark disclosure rules, but a lack of uniformity in how earmarks are reported can make it difficult to get an accurate picture of how the practice is being used by different Members.
Ethics Office Gets a Taste of Mass Complaints
May 20, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
In what is likely the first mass-mail appeal to the Office of Congressional Ethics to open an investigation, a conservative blog and its readership began distributing a form letter last week requesting a probe of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
Ethics Panel Eyes Sánchez Sisters
May 19, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The House ethics committee is reviewing whether the chamber’s rules were broken when Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) put three of Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s (D-Calif.) aides on her own payroll in late 2006 because of a budget shortfall in her sister’s office.
Argon Talks to Feds
May 14, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
At the request of the federal government, a Virginia-based defense contractor with close ties to Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) is providing information for a criminal investigation in Florida surrounding allegations that three men skimmed money from earmarks, according to sources familiar with the case.
Jefferson Appeal Is Before High Court
May 13, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The Supreme Court on Thursday is scheduled to consider whether it will revisit constitutional Speech or Debate Clause protections under an appeal from ex-Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.).
The court could announce as early as Monday whether it will accept the case for its 2009-2010 session, which begins in October. Alternately, the court could delay its Thursday discussion of the case — although it would not cite a specific reason — and reschedule its conference for a later date.
Air Force Program Built on Earmarks
May 12, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
In 2006, the Air Force created a technology development program at a Florida air base with the understanding that it would cost no Air Force money to run. Instead, contractors who would be doing business with the new unit would lobby Congress for the earmarks to support its work.
Ethics Case Disclosures Still Distant
May 6, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The Office of Congressional Ethics could wrap up a half-dozen investigations as early as next week, but public disclosure of those probes is unlikely to occur until mid-July at the earliest.
According to its first quarterly report, the OCE is conducting as many as six investigations that will ultimately be passed on to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct along with recommendations that the inquiries either be dismissed or investigated further.
Florida Case Involves Firms Close to Murtha
April 30, 2009
A federal court in Florida is scheduled to begin a criminal trial next month featuring an intriguing cast of characters, with multiple links to the PMA Group and other entities in the orbit of Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) that are under investigation by the FBI. Neither Murtha nor PMA is mentioned in the Florida case.
Bishop Rings Up Big Legal Bill
April 28, 2009
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) paid $25,000 in legal fees to the Atlanta branch office of law firm Greenberg Traurig in mid-March, according to campaign finance reports. According to a review of electronic Federal Election Commission records, the one-time disbursement is the only payment that Bishop’s campaign has made for legal services since at least 2001, the earliest year for which searchable electronic reports are available. Bishop was first elected to the House in 1992.
Old Friend Names School for Duncan
April 27, 2009
In a recent ceremony in Knoxville, Tenn., Lincoln Memorial University official Pete DeBusk helped to dedicate the institution’s new law school in honor of Rep. John Duncan (R-Tenn.). DeBusk, a Tennessee businessman who serves as chairman of the university’s board of trustees, said Friday it was his decision to name the Lincoln Memorial University-John J. Duncan Jr. School of Law.
Bill Covers Spending After Death
April 23, 2009
Federal candidates would be allowed to designate an executor to dole out funds from their campaign war chests in the event of their death, under a bill that cleared the House on Wednesday.
Thompson’s College Scores
April 21, 2009
House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) is seeking earmarks worth millions of dollars for homeland security projects at the small Mississippi college that he attended, though the school could not explain what the earmarks are for and does not yet appear to have the capacity to provide the services that Thompson wants to fund.
No Interest, Penalties for Hill’s Homestead Errors
April 13, 2009
The District of Columbia will not impose interest payments or penalties on a handful of House lawmakers who inadvertently received a property tax break intended for city residents, reducing the one-time corrective bills by a combined $23,000.
Stevens Case a Blow to DOJ
April 2, 2009
Criminal defense lawyers on Wednesday said the Justice Department’s decision to abandon the prosecution of former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) underscores the burden on prosecutors not to cheat to get a conviction of a high-profile target.
Mollohan Foundation Has Little Family Money
March 30, 2009
Despite the impression left by its name, there is not much Mollohan money in the Robert H. Mollohan Family Charitable Foundation.
PMA’s End Is Near, But Firm Keeps Suing
March 23, 2009
Despite the fact that the firm will be closing its doors shortly, the PMA Group has filed several lawsuits against its clients in recent weeks for failure to pay a combined $150,000 in fees the firm believes it is owed, and more suits are apparently in the works.
Hill Staffers to Testify in Latest Abramoff Scandal Trial
March 19, 2009
Federal prosecutors indicated Wednesday that a cadre of former House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee aides will be called to testify in the corruption trial of Fraser Verrusio.
Rangel Probe Hits 6 Months; When Will It End?
March 18, 2009
The House ethics probe of Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) will stretch into its sixth month next week, but individuals familiar with the chamber’s investigative process suggest there’s little way to predict when the inquiry will wrap up.
PMA, Clients Shared Deep Ties
March 17, 2009
The PMA Group, the lobbying firm with close ties to key House Democrats that was raided by the FBI last fall, has deep financial ties with many of the firms that it was lobbying for, according to a Roll Call review of financial records.
Graves’ Friend Gets a Soapbox
March 9, 2009
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), the ranking member on the Small Business Committee, invited an old friend who is also a business partner of Graves’ wife to testify at a hearing last week.
It was the second time that Graves had invited his friend and neighbor Brooks Hurst to testify before a Congressional hearing on renewable fuels, and the second time Graves has declined to mention that his wife and Hurst are investors together in renewable fuels plants in Missouri.
PMA Earmarks Survive
March 5, 2009
The Senate on Wednesday rejected a proposal to strip from the omnibus spending bill a series of earmarks associated with a lobbying firm now under federal investigation, despite warnings from reformers that lawmakers would be forced to answer for their vote in the coming election cycle.
Ethics Training Is All Reruns
March 3, 2009
Since House Members mandated annual ethics training for their aides two years ago, the sessions have become must-see TV on the chamber’s intranet — even though there’s nothing but reruns.
Renzi Scores a Win Over Prosecutors on Transcripts
March 3, 2009
An Arizona judge last week ordered federal prosecutors to turn over grand jury records to ex-Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.), giving the former House Member a small victory in his fight against federal corruption charges.
Indiana University Shares $3M Non-Earmark
March 2, 2009
Tucked into the 2009 omnibus spending bill that Congress is now deliberating is a $3 million provision that is not identified as an earmark and has no sponsor’s name attached, but it appears to be the legacy of Lee Hamilton (D-Ind.), a revered Member who left the House a decade ago.
Members Eye Refunds Over Probes
February 23, 2009
Dozens of House and Senate lawmakers are contemplating whether to purge their campaign accounts of as much as a combined $5 million in contributions, as federal investigators pursue separate probes of two major donors.
PMA’s Contributions Are Proving Difficult to Track
February 23, 2009
Tracking Federal Election Commission records of campaign donations attributed to the PMA Group is a comedy of errors, misinformation and mysteries, making it difficult to determine exactly how much money people affiliated with the firm have donated to campaigns.
War Chests Used to Pay Legal Bills
February 11, 2009
Even among those with established defense funds, lawmakers facing legal scrutiny continue to rely primarily on campaign cash to finance their defense strategies, according to a Roll Call analysis of legal spending.
Gregg Says He’s Not Target of Abramoff Probe
February 5, 2009
Although a former top aide to Sen. Judd Gregg (R) allegedly accepted more than $10,000 in gifts from disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and associates, the New Hampshire Senator said Wednesday that he is not a target in the Justice Department’s ongoing probe.
Rangel’s Finances Under Review
February 4, 2009
The House ethics committee is conducting a detailed investigation of the finances of Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), his office said Tuesday, though Rangel continues to contend that he expects the allegations against him to be quickly dismissed after the committee is formally organized for the 111th Congress.
Report: All Is Quiet on Ethics Front
February 2, 2009
For the second year in a row, the Senate Ethics Committee conducted no investigations that resulted in disciplinary actions, according to the panel’s annual report.
Six Degrees of Alan Mollohan
January 29, 2009
On March 22, 2004, Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) collected just over $300,000 for his re-election campaign, more than half the total that he spent for the two-year election cycle.
Of the donations he collected that day, at least $100,000 came from individuals tied to companies that have addresses in the office park built around the Alan B. Mollohan Innovation Center and operated by the West Virginia High Technology Cooperative, a foundation that Mollohan helped create.
Rangel Money Is Returned
January 27, 2009
Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) confirmed Monday that he has returned campaign contributions from Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), in expectation that the House ethics committee will soon renew its investigation of the senior Democrat.
Ethics Overseers Get Started
January 22, 2009
The fledgling House Office of Congressional Ethics will host an open meeting on Friday to evaluate its proposed rules and procedures, which include guidelines for how the independent panel will accept grievances.
Judge Goes After Stevens Prosecutors
January 15, 2009
U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan on Wednesday lambasted federal prosecutors for failing to reveal that an FBI agent was denied whistle-blower status after alleging misconduct by his fellow investigators in the case against ex-Sen. Ted Stevens’ (R-Alaska).
Ethics Report Tallies Inquiries
January 12, 2009
The House ethics committee scrutinized nearly two dozen Members and aides in the 110th Congress, the panel revealed in its biennial report.
Watchdog Offers Scandal Tips
January 8, 2009
After years of ginning up news stories exposing the misdeeds of Members of Congress, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is now offering to help Members avoid such stories in the future.
Ethics Panels Facing Slow Start
January 7, 2009
With the exit of two indicted House Members and a convicted felon from the Senate — along with a handful of other lawmakers shadowed by federal inquiries — ethics reform appears unlikely to return to the spotlight in the 111th Congress.
Ethics Rules Get Minor Tweak for 111th
January 6, 2009
House Democrats will leave the chamber’s ethics rules largely untouched in the 111th Congress following major revisions in the last session, senior Democratic aides said Monday.
Although several government watchdog groups urged Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) to make adjustments to existing rules — including those governing disclosure of job negotiations and how quadrennial convention parties are funded — the House Rules Committee appears to have fine-tuned only one guideline.
Obama Seat Still a Prize
December 11, 2008
The chaos following Tuesday’s arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) for allegedly conspiring to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s Senate seat has not cooled the ardor of ambitious Land of Lincoln politicians who want to succeed Obama in the Senate.
GOP Seeks High Ground, but Truce Likely to Hold
December 10, 2008
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) urged Republican lawmakers this week to reclaim the high ground on Congressional ethics, but his call appears unlikely to reignite a long-dormant ethics war even as allegations of misconduct touched several Democratic lawmakers in recent days.
Fossella Sentenced to Five Days
December 9, 2008
Rep. Vito Fossella was ordered Monday to serve five days in jail on a drunken-driving charge, but his imprisonment will likely be delayed because the New York Republican plans to appeal his case before a jury.
Stier: Detecting a Bad Breast Cancer Bill
July 1, 11:28 a.m.
Who could blame hundreds of Members of Congress for joining with a colleague and breast cancer survivor, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), in co-sponsoring legislation aimed at promoting breast cancer education? The problem, according to leading breast cancer scientists and advocacy groups, is the bill would do more harm than good. Read Full Article
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