Monday, February 6, 2012

Where was Meeks last night?

From the NY Post:

Rep. Gregory Meeks is a super fan of Super Bowl fund-raising.

The Queens Democrat has thrown pricey parties at the last four games, buying up tickets not available to the general public and selling them to donors willing to shell out big bucks.

And while he uses the gridiron to garner the green for campaign coffers, the embattled congressman keeps his plans super-secret.

Two weeks ago, his fund-raising agency said he was holding a $5,000-a-ticket event this weekend. A few days later it said the Super Bowl party was up in the air.

Meeks’ office, meanwhile, refused to say whether he’s going to Indianapolis for Super Bowl XLVI between the Giants and New England Patriots.

The lawmaker, who is ranked as one of the poorest members of Congress, likes to venture out on the dime of his campaign and political action committees or take junkets sponsored by corporations and lobbyists.

He holds an annual Las Vegas fund-raiser at a posh hotel, even skipping a 2008 congressional hearing on an auto-industry bailout package in favor of Sin City.

Junkets have taken Meeks from Nigeria to Norway. In October, he and his wife traveled to Turkey for an eight-day excursion sponsored by the Turkey Coalition of America and another group. The trip’s total value was $17,307.

To get to the Super Bowl, all Meeks has to do is pick up the phone.

The NFL said it makes tickets available at face value — $800, $900 or $1,200 — to elected officials but refused to discuss who was buying. Television networks also provide tickets but were mum on purchasers.

Meanwhile, tickets for regular fans were selling on StubHub for $2,000 and up.

As long as the pols or their PACs pay for the tickets, the practice does not violate congressional gift rules, but some say it is ethically troubling because the officials are getting something not available to the public.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The people should have a forum to determine issues that are put to a national vote to curb congress reaching into our pockets. Meeks is out of control and practices like his are over the top greedy - make it against the law to do this - stop these crooks already!

FlushingRepresenter said...

Politicians baby. And you thought those young people smoking weed in the park were the criminals?