From the NY Times:The Office of Congressional Ethics has sent corporate donors and fund-raising hosts more than three dozen requests for documents involving eight members who solicited and took large contributions from financial institutions even as they were debating the landmark regulatory bill, according to lawyers involved in the inquiry.
The requests are focusing on a series of fund-raisers last December, in the days immediately before the House’s initial adoption of the sweeping overhaul, which could win final approval this week. Some of the fund-raising events took place the same days as crucial votes.
For example, on Dec. 10, one of the lawmakers under investigation, Representative Joseph Crowley, a New York Democrat who sits on the Ways and Means Committee, left the Capitol during the House debate to attend a fund-raising event for him hosted by a lobbyist at her nearby Capitol Hill town house that featured financial firms, along with other donors. After collecting thousands of dollars in checks, Mr. Crowley returned to the floor of the House just in time to vote against a series of amendments that would have imposed tougher restrictions on Wall Street.
That same day, Representative Tom Price, a Georgia Republican on the Financial Services Committee, scheduled what he called a “Financial Services Luncheon” at the Capitol Hill Club, as part of a fund-raising push that netted him nearly $23,000 in contributions from the industry in a two-month period around the vote.
In an area where the rules are murky, the investigators are taking an aggressive stance on what constitutes unethical conduct. The independent ethics office, led by a former federal prosecutor, has clashed repeatedly with lawmakers on the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, who have accused it of over-reaching. Given this history, observers believe it is unlikely that the committee will admonish any members, even if the investigators recommend action.
Some lawyers advise politicians to forgo fund-raising events in the midst of debates to avoid an appearance problem.
8 comments:
Of course there won't be consequences. Politicians are a special class of people and rules and laws don't apply to them. This is why they get more corrupt as time goes on. They are never reprimanded. They are above the law and can do whatever they want and get away with it. What do you think would happen to the average Joe? The public has to stop rewarding bad behavior and lock these criminals up. Don't vote for anyone who even is suspicious of an impropriety. Look at slush fund Quinn -- she was re-elected after that incident and nothing happened to her. That's why we are in such a sorry state of affairs.
Joe Crowley is one of the most effective fundraisers who is also one of the most ineffective representatives in Congress in bring home the bacon and responding to his constitutionals needs and issues. Let's convince him he is a lame duck. Or push for congressional term limits.
Better him than me!!!
where are all of the n.y.c. democrat townhall meetings taking place so we the taxpayers can question these elitists supposedly controlling our lives and safe guarding our family's.
how many of the recent russian/communist spies infiltrated the U.S.government through these left wingers? ie. the State Dept? now led by a former new york state democrat/liberal senator .
we will never know exactly what secret information was stolen from our government, because the spies were traded out so quickly by our left wing elitists.
Ummm...did you notice the party registration of some of the people mentioned in that article, Senator McCarthy?
'how many of the recent russian/communist spies infiltrated the U.S.government through these left wingers? ie. the State Dept? now led by a former new york state democrat/liberal senator ."
Oh, mother of DOG, will you ever get over that commie baiting crap.
It's OVER old man.
i suggest you comrades see commieblaster.com......your president's comrades are mostly socialists and communists.
they do not get the advise and consent treatment from our senate anymore.
many lies in our presidents bills and laws lately,why?
i suggest you comrades see commieblaster.com......your president's comrades are mostly socialists and communists.
they do not get the advise and consent treatment from our senate anymore.
many lies in our presidents bills and laws lately,why?
Oh this guy again.
You actually think Obama chosen by the CFR and Rockefeller who's good friends with Cheney would put a "commie" in the White house? Your out of your mind.
You read the Washinton Post story on the endless amount of money spent on Homeland Security groups right? It goes into the many trillions. Obamas spending on Iraq and Afghanistan a little more than Bush also.
Watch the video.
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/256.html
No one gets to be a serious candidate for President of the United States without being under their control and domination and all White Houses pick Rockefeller employees for its top slots.
Nixon had Henry Kissinger (a Rockefeller agent), Reagan had Bush Sr, and Bush Jr. has Dick Cheney.
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