By Kevin Bogardus, The Hill, June 18, 2007

18 Jun 2007 // A report released Monday by an ethics watchdog group highlighted the nexus of members of Congress and their relatives through campaign funds and lobbying.

Titled “Family Affair,” the 151-page report outlines what House committee and subcommittee chairmen and -women — all 337 of them — have done for family members over the past three election cycles.

“It shows that many more members of Congress are paying their family members than people realized. Now we have learned that this happens all the time,” said Melanie Sloan, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), which released the report.

The document names 41 Democrats and 55 Republicans from 33 different states. Among the findings, CREW learned that 64 lawmakers paid relatives through their campaign committees or political action committees (PACs); 24 have relatives who lobby Congress; 19 used campaign or PAC money to pay a business where a family member is employed; and 17 used campaign funds to contribute to relatives’ campaigns.

Though many of the payments are legal, CREW hopes the report will trigger action to modify the Federal Election Commission Act as well as changes to and stronger enforcement of existing House rules.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) introduced legislation roughly two weeks ago that would prohibit PAC and campaign money being paid to candidates’ and members’ spouses, except to reimburse travel costs, while disclosing any payments to immediate family members. Prominent Democratic leaders, such as Reps. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) and Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), have cosponsored the bill.

“I hope it is going to lead to stronger enforcement ... we want to shine the light on these practices so constituents can see for themselves. It seems to me all the facts should be out,” said Sloan.

Another bill, authored by Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.), would disclose associations between lawmakers and their leadership PACs, which are often obscured to the public.