Graves Edict Prompts Questions
November 2, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
With the House ethics committee’s release last week of a robust investigation into allegations against Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), ethics experts said what should have been a potentially minor matter could noticeably influence new ethics probes.
Read the full articleFive CBC Members Likely to Be Cleared
November 5, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The House ethics committee is likely to exonerate five members of the Congressional Black Caucus who were accused of taking an improper trip to the Caribbean, according to sources familiar with the case.
Five CBC Members Likely to Be Cleared
November 5, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The House ethics committee is likely to exonerate five members of the Congressional Black Caucus who were accused of taking an improper trip to the Caribbean, according to sources familiar with the case.
Odd Subpoena Imperils Inquiry
October 27, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
An unusual arrangement concocted last week by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to share subpoenaed documents with the House ethics panel could create enforcement hurdles in its search for mortgage documents.
Young Faces Bribery Accusation
October 26, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
In preparation for his sentencing in an Alaska bribery scheme, former oil executive Bill Allen released a tantalizing tidbit about the long-running legal allegations swirling around Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska): Allen told the Justice Department in 2007 that he had provided Young with more than $100,000 worth of gifts that the Congressman never reported.
House Committee Issues Subpoena in Countrywide Probe
October 24, 2009, 9:20 A.M.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee issued a subpoena Friday night demanding loan information related to all current and former House Members who may have received mortgages from Countrywide Financial's VIP loan program — but it will take precautions not to identify incumbent lawmakers during its investigation.
House Panel Agrees on Countrywide Subpoenas
October 23, 2009, 11:36 P.M.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee agreed Friday night to demand loan information related to all House Members, House aides and federal employees in a seven-page subpoena targeting a VIP program offered by the mortgage lender Countrywide.
Towns Pays for Unlisted Receipts
October 22, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) paid a Federal Election Commission fine of nearly $5,000 in September, according to his most recent campaign finance report.
Carter Refiling Disclosure Forms to List Exxon Profits
October 22, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) acknowledged Wednesday that he failed to disclose nearly $300,000 in profits from the sale of Exxon stock in 2006 and 2007, and his office said he will file amended financial disclosure forms with the House ethics committee as soon as possible.
Exxon Shares Net No Profit for Carter
October 21, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) appears to have pulled off an unusual feat: selling more than $100,000 worth of Exxon Mobil Corp. stock — when it was selling at historic highs — without making a profit, according to financial disclosure forms filed by the Congressman.
Ex-House Aides Could Testify in Ring Retrial
October 20, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
When former House aide-turned-lobbyist Kevin Ring returns to court for a new trial on public corruption charges in June, a lineup of former House staffers could testify in his defense — despite previously invoking their Fifth Amendment rights — as the statute of limitations on crimes related to the case runs out.
Events Complicated by ‘Evolving’ Ethics Rules
October 6, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
For the past decade, the Congressional Black Caucus Political Education & Leadership Institute has sponsored an annual policy conference in Mississippi to discuss everything from health care to clean energy and infrastructure.
Ring Case Is Handed Over to Jury
October 6, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
A federal jury began deliberations Monday in the public corruption trial of former lobbyist Kevin Ring and could soon issue a verdict in only the second case to challenge the government’s charges stemming from its investigation of disgraced ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Grayson Chases Telecom Firms
September 24, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
A D.C. court ruling last week stood out because of the unusual plaintiff — Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) — who is trying to force telephone companies to return to consumers unused balances on prepaid calling cards. But to Grayson, the case must have sounded familiar: The issues and conclusions were nearly identical to a case Grayson brought in California six years ago against some of the same telephone companies.
Buchanan’s Sales Yield No Profit
September 23, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Despite multiple high-stakes real estate transactions, Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) reported an unprofitable year in the real estate business in 2008.
Ethics Panels Clash in Public
September 17, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The House ethics committee and Office of Congressional Ethics clashed publicly Wednesday over the investigation of a Republican lawmaker, exposing the often prickly relationship between the two oversight bodies.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Are a Bit Opaque in Filings
September 16, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) has an unusual approach to filing his annual financial disclosure forms: Despite rules requiring Members of Congress to disclose their spouses’ employers, Lewis never mentions on his form that his wife is on his Congressional payroll.
Trial Likely to Re-Open Abramoff Chapters
September 9, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
A cast of former Congressional aides and lobbyists who have pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the influence-peddling investigation of ex-lobbyist Jack Abramoff are expected to emerge from the shadows this month as the criminal trial of a former “Team Abramoff” deputy gets under way.
Jefferson Found Guilty of Bribery Charges
August 6, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
A federal jury found ex-Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) guilty Wednesday of 11 criminal charges including conspiracy to solicit bribes, money laundering, wire fraud and a pattern of racketeering activity.
House Orders Up Three Elite Jets
August 5, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Last year, lawmakers excoriated the CEOs of the Big Three automakers for traveling to Washington, D.C., by private jet to attend a hearing about a possible bailout of their companies. But apparently Congress is not philosophically averse to private air travel: At the end of July, the House approved nearly $200 million for the Air Force to buy three elite Gulfstream jets for ferrying top government officials and Members of Congress.
PMA Probe Moves Quietly
August 4, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Nearly two months after the House ethics committee acknowledged it is investigating lawmakers’ ties to the PMA Group — a statement made in the wake of demands for public accountability — little is known about the inquiry because the panel is using a process that limits the amount of information it has to release.
Jefferson Jury Hears Final Arguments
July 30, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
In a final attempt to sway jurors in the criminal trial of ex-Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), federal prosecutors and the defense attorney reiterated their starkly different portrayals of the former House Member in closing arguments Wednesday.
Ethics Will Tinker With Travel Rules
July 29, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The House ethics committee plans to tweak the chamber’s travel rules to cut down on paperwork two years after the House effectively banned lobbyist-sponsored junkets with stringent restrictions on privately sponsored trips.
Bishop Pays $55K to Lawyers
July 22, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Rep. Sanford Bishop’s (D-Ga.) campaign racked up $55,000 in legal expenses to the law firm Greenberg Traurig in the first half of 2009, according to campaign finance reports.
The Georgia lawmaker, who has not detailed any other legal expenses in reports filed with the Federal Election Commission since at least 2001, paid $30,000 to Greenberg Traurig’s Washington, D.C., office on June 4. He had issued a $25,000 payment to the firm’s Atlanta office in March.
Rangel Reports Big ’09 Legal Expenses
July 21, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
Among the five House lawmakers known to be under investigation by the House ethics committee, only Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) has reported payments to attorneys in the first half of this year, according to Federal Election Commission reports.
Appropriations Panel Routinely Destroyed Old Earmark Requests
July 14, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The House ethics committee has announced that it is investigating the links between earmarks and campaign contributions, but if investigators are looking at any activity prior to 2007, they could run into a problem: The documents underlying those earmarks may have been destroyed.
Murtha-Linked Firm Charged
July 8, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
The Justice Department this week filed criminal charges against a defense contractor who has received millions of dollars worth of earmarks from Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), bringing together two parallel cases that are swirling around a host of firms with ties to the Congressman.
Murtha Earmarks Funded Garment Company’s Sonar Project
July 7, 2009, 1:00 A.M.
For the past several years, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) has funneled more than $3 million in earmarks to a company in his district to build an underwater “swimmer detection” sonar system for the Navy to use to protect its docks and ships.
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.
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.
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.
Chun: Cyber Attacks Demand Strong Public-Private Response
Nov. 6, 12:35 p.m.
The federal government is increasingly taking a leadership role in improving the nation’s cybersecurity. But, with a threat that is quickly growing and more sophisticated each day, it’s clear that the government — for all of its good intentions — cannot win this battle without a robust commitment from technology companies. Read Full Article
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