Blog | Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington

Four former Spitzer aides charged with "violating the state’s Public Officers Law"

crew — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:03:36 -0500

Developing story out of New York based on an on-going investigation of aides to former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. This scandal, involvinb former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, pre-dates the scandal that forced Spitzer's resignation:

The state Commission on Public Integrity filed its long-awaited report today on Troopergate and charged three former aides to Gov. Eliot Spitzer and the former State Police Superintendent Preston Felton with violating the state’s Public Officers Law.

You can read the report here.

The commission’s 68-page report found that former Spitzer aides Richard Baum, Darren Dopp and William Howard, as well as Felton, violated sections of the Public Officers Law by conspiring to release travel records on the use of state aircraft by former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.

Baum, Spitzer’s former chief of staff, and Howard, former department of homeland security assistant secretary, have reached settlement agreements with the commission. Dopp and Felton are fighting the charges.

Baum and Howard were charged with violating one count of the Public Officers Law; Dopp was charged with two counts, and Felton was charged with three counts.
Dopp faces up to a $10,000 fine on one of the counts, while Felton faces up to $10,000 on each of two counts, according to commission spokesman Walter Ayres.

Spitzer was not charged.

Alaska's Governor now facing ethics-related probe

crew — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:10:10 -0500

It's never a dull moment in Alaska. You may recall that all three members of Alaska's Congressional Delegation, Senator Ted Stevens, Senator Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young, made CREW's list of the most corrupt members of Congress, Beyond DeLay.

Now, the relatively new Governor, Sarah Palin, is in hot water and may be facing a legislative investigation. Via the ever informative Anchorage Daily News:

Alaska Senate leaders want an investigation of whether Gov. Sarah Palin pressured and then fired the public safety commissioner because he wouldn't get rid of a state trooper who had gone through a bitter divorce with Palin's sister.

"I'm fairly confident at this point that what we're going to see is the appointment of an independent investigator," said Anchorage Democratic Sen. Hollis French, chairman of the judiciary committee.

Palin denied any wrongdoing Monday and said she welcomed an investigation.

"I've said all along, hold me accountable," Palin told reporters in Juneau. "And I'm telling the truth when I say that there was never pressure put on Commissioner Monegan."

The governor said she didn't think any conversations she, her husband, Todd, or members of her administration had with the commissioner about Mike Wooten should have been taken as pressure to get rid of the trooper.

There are still on-going federal investigations involving Senator Stevens and Rep. Young.

Rangel filed an ethics complaint -- against himself

crew — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:10:19 -0500

The Hill reports on this latest development:

Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday followed through on his promise to file an ethics complaint against himself, but he also offered a vigorous defense of his effort to solicit support for a New York City educational center bearing his name.

The powerful Ways and Means Committee chairman acknowledged in a letter to the House ethics committee that he sent out more than 100 letters, using congressional letterhead, that asked leaders of charitable foundations, companies and business leaders to support the City College of New York (CCNY).

A top Rangel aide hand-delivered a four-page letter with a five-page addendum to the ethics panel late Wednesday morning. In it, the lawmaker asked the panel to determine whether he had “inadvertently failed to comply with the House Ethics Rules regarding the use of congressional letterhead.”

Tom DeLay won't ask for Presidential Pardon, but he might not have to actually ask

crew — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:30:29 -0500

Just because DeLay isn't asking for a pardon, doesn't mean that a pardon for DeLay won't be discussed. According to The Hill, sometimes pardons are given without a request:

Tom DeLay’s legal advisers are ruling out seeking a presidential pardon for the embattled former House majority leader.

DeLay (R-Texas), who declined to comment for this article, resigned from Congress more than two years ago after being indicted, and remains embroiled in legal proceedings in Texas and Washington.

With Bush’s second term winding down, DeLay is the most prominent politician and Bush ally who could benefit from presidential clemency.

But Richard Cullen, who is representing DeLay in the federal investigation against him, said there should be no question of a pardon.

“I would rule it out,” he said. “No one has suggested that Mr. DeLay is guilty of a crime. He has stated clearly that he has not committed a crime.”

Okay. But this is critical:

Legal experts say a person does not need to request a pardon to receive one from the president.

Margaret Colgate Love, the U.S. pardon attorney from 1990 to 1997, said: “Historically, most people who have been pardoned have asked to be pardoned, but there have been exceptions.”

Love said President Clinton commuted the sentences of Puerto Rican nationalists without receiving requests.

“I understand there were a number of people who were the beneficiaries of final grants who didn’t ask.”

Raising money for retirement: PACs used as "a personal piggy bank"

crew — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:30:08 -0500

Marketplace took a look at leadership PACs -- and how members of Congress keep raising money that will never be spent on campaigns:

For ambitious legislators, there's an essential tool for accumulating power -Leadership Political Action Committees. They allow members of congress to raise cash and donate it to their political allies' campaigns. But when a politician retires, these accounts can also become a personal piggy bank....

...Take Michael Oxley, the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. Oxley retired from Congress a little over a year ago with more than $135,000 in his PAC account, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Those reports show in the year after he retired, Oxley's PAC spent more than half its cash, $74,000, on perks for himself and friends including Colorado ski trips, meals in New York, and tickets to Broadway shows.

CREW's Melanie Sloan offered perspective:

And Oxley's not alone, according to Melanie Sloan. She runs the watchdog group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

Melanie Sloan: As we'll see more and more members retire with greater and greater amounts of money in these leadership PACs, there are going to be real questions about whether legitimately that money should be spent on your next vacation to the Bahamas.

This year, close to 30 members of Congress who run these accounts are retiring. FEC reports show that in total their PAC accounts contain more than $2 million. How they'll spend the money remains to be seen.

House Judiciary Committee wants to investigate Scott Bloch

crew — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:14:57 -0500

Last week, we reported on the resignation of Scott Bloch's deputy, which included scathing criticism of his boss. Yesterday, House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers announced that he would be investigating Bloch:

A House panel has announced an investigation into Scott Bloch, head of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, after an outgoing aide said Bloch's failure to resign is hurting the agency.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., said Friday he hopes to talk in the near future to Bloch's former top deputy, Jim Byrne, whose scathing resignation letter came to light Friday.

"The mission, independence and very existence of the Office of Special Counsel are -- and shall remain -- at risk unless and until this agency is afforded a ... leader who is capable of putting OSC's mission and OSC's people ahead of political agendas and personal vendettas," Byrne wrote.

Citing charges Bloch improperly interfered with OSC work, Conyers said the letter bolsters "long-standing concerns" that "partisanship has influenced the outcome of investigations."

FBI agents in May raided OSC offices and Bloch's home as part of a grand jury probe into whether Bloch destroyed computer files sought in an investigation that Bloch illegally retaliated against agency whistleblowers.

Former Representative, now inmate, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, wants Presidential Pardon

crew — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:35:01 -0500

Few members of Congress personified the culture of corruption like Randy "Duke" Cunningham. He's serving time in federal prison, but wants George Bush to get him out. Via TPM Muckraker:

Despite his stint in federal prison, Randy "Duke" Cunningham hasn't lost hope.

The convicted former Republican lawmaker from California has submitted a petition for a presidential pardon, according to the New York Times.

The 66-year-old inmate is about 19 months into a sentence of eight years and four months.

Melanie Sloan: "We need transparency in library contributions"

crew — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:14:48 -0500

The issue of funding for presidential libraries has been thrust front and center following the controversy surrounding Stephen Payne. Melanie Sloan explained to the Houston Chronicle the need for transparency in this process:

The case of Houston businessman Stephen Payne — who solicited a donation to Bush's presidential library from a client seeking access to White House officials — underscores the weakness of a system that allows anonymous donations from Americans and foreigners alike, according to a leading watchdog group.

"We need transparency in library contributions for the same reason we have it in campaign contributions: so the public can see if there is a relationship between contributions and government action," said Melanie Sloan, the executive director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.

CREW has asked the Justice Department to investigate Payne, who was caught on tape suggesting that the family of a deposed president of a Central Asian country seeking to rehabilitate his reputation contribute to the Bush library.

Scott Bloch's deputy resigns noting "political agendas and personal vendettas"

crew — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:25:49 -0500

CREW never had much confidence in Special Counsel Scott Bloch. Last April after Bloch announced plans to investigate the White House political operaition, Melanie Sloan said:

Having transformed OSC into a virtual black hole for legitimate complaints of retaliation, Bloch is decidedly not the right person to tackle the issues of misconduct and illegality that surround top White House officials. There is a serious question as to whether Bloch will just provide cover for an administration that has been covering for him.

Yesterday's Bloch's deputy, James Byrne, resigned. Seems he shares some of CREW's concerns:

Byrne's reasons for quitting are outlined in a July 10 letter to Bloch. The letter was obtained by The Associated Press.

In it, Byrne writes that the Office of Special Counsel needs a leader who does not put political agendas and personal vendettas ahead of its mission and employees.

Rep. Rangel wants ethics investigation -- and wants it "expedited"

crew — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 08:27:16 -0500

Obviously, the House Ethics Committee should grant Rep. Rangel's request for an investigation of his fundraising practices. CREW's Melanie Sloan sees a violation of the rules:

"I will be calling for it to be expedited so that I can get on with my work," said Rangel, who has scheduled a 10 a.m. news conference today to address the controversy.

Rangel has written letters on congressional stationery and has sought meetings to ask for corporate and foundation contributions for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College of New York. Some of those he has approached have business interests before his committee, which has broad jurisdiction over tax and trade matters.

House ethics rules allow lawmakers to solicit money for certain kinds of nonprofit groups but bar the use of official resources, such as office equipment and supplies. They specifically ban the implied endorsement that accompanies use of congressional letterhead.

John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and the nonpartisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington separately called this week for the ethics committee to look into Rangel's fundraising.

"It totally violates the rule," Melanie Sloan, executive director of the watchdog group, said this week.