Not exactly a surprise that the House Ethics Committee isn't investigating a member of Congress. Not a surprise at all, but this time, there's a reason relating to a federal investigation:

The House ethics committee said Wednesday it will put off for now an expanded investigation into whether Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. or his representatives tried to buy President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.

The committee revealed that the deferred investigation now includes allegations that Jackson, a Democrat, improperly used his staff in Washington and Chicago to mount a public campaign to secure the Senate seat.

The committee acted at the behest of federal prosecutors who already are investigating former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The panel normally defers investigations when requested by law enforcement, to avoid interference with prosecutors.

Yesterday, CREW designated Rep. Jesse Jackson one of the 15 most corrupt members of Congress.

Alaska has always had a presence on CREW's list of most corrupt members of Congress. This year is no different. And, as the Anchorage Daily News notes, this is the third time that Rep. Don Young has been designated one of the most corrupt:

Republican Rep. Don Young has made his third annual appearance on the "Most Corrupt" list of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. The group references an ongoing FBI investigation, saying that "ethics violations stem from the misuse of his position to benefit family and friends and to steer millions of dollars in earmarks to corporations in exchange for contributions to his campaign committee and political action committee."

In 2007, all three members of Congress from Alaska -- Senator Ted Stevens, Senator Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young -- were included in CREW's report naming the most corrupt members of Congress.

"The Mouth of the Potomac," the political blog of the NY Daily News, examined our new report, CREW's Most Corrupt, focusing on its hometown designee, Rep. Charles Rangel:

Rangel makes the list for his unusual rental arrangements, use of congressional letterhead to raise money, his Caribbean trips, tax problems with his Dominican villa, favors to contributors, shoddy financial disclosures, tax-payer paid car storage and the ongoing ethics probe into much of that, CREW says.

CREW has long been regarded as a liberal bunch, but with this list, there are now more Democrats in their current hall of shame than Republicans, with the Dems holding eight spots to the GOP’s seven.

And if you’re wondering what inclusion on the list portends, of the 48 legislators CREW has named in the five years since it started the list, 27 are out of office (pdf).

Today, CREW released its fifth annual report on the most corrupt members of Congress. CREW also launched the report’s tandem website, www.CREWsMostCorrupt.org, which offers short summaries of each member’s transgressions as well as the full-length profiles and all accompanying exhibits.

CREW’s Most Corrupt Members of Congress provides a detailed analysis of the unethical and sometimes illegal activities of 15 congressmen and women who have most egregiously betrayed the public’s trust.

New to this year’s list are Senators Roland Burris and John Ensign, and Representatives Nathan Deal, Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Pete Visclosky. After a two year absence, Rep. Maxine Waters has reappeared in the study for unethical activities unrelated to the conduct that landed her on the list in the past. A detailed list of those who have previously graced the report can be found on the website.

Of this year’s list of 15, at least 12 are under investigation: Reps. Ken Calvert, Jerry Lewis, Alan Mollohan, John Murtha, Pete Visclosky and Don Young are under Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations, while Sens. Roland Burris and John Ensign and Reps. Charles Rangel and Laura Richardson are under congressional ethics committee investigations. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. is under investigation by both the DOJ and the Office of Congressional Ethics and Rep. Vern Buchanan is being investigated by the Federal Election Commission.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today:

With the economy in a free-fall, unemployment rates at record highs and health care solutions still nowhere in sight, members should be spending their time looking for answers to the nation’s problems, not finding new ways to enrich themselves. The members of Congress profiled in CREW’s Most Corrupt report have betrayed those who voted them into office. This report holds them accountable for their bad choices.

The 15 most corrupt members of Congress are:
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA)
Sen. John Ensign (R-NV)
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV)
Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

Rep. Jerry Lewis was named to CREW's list of most corrupt members of Congress in 2006, 2007 and 2008.  Now, we're learning of a different honor for Lewis. He's getting his portrait painted with the help of some corporate PACs.  Al Kamen has the info.:

Just because there's still a Justice Department investigation rattling around you doesn't mean lobbyists can't contribute to buying a portrait for you to hang in your congressional committee's hearing room. But don't reach for those checkbooks. The effort to raise $30,000 for a portrait of Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), former chairman and now ranking GOP member of the House Appropriations Committee, has met its goal, we hear.

The investigation, a subset of the probe of disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, apparently has been dormant for a while, indicating Lewis is in pretty good legal shape. And even if the investigation heats up, there's no worry that Lewis's portrait won't be hanging soon in the hearing room -- even if he's indicted and convicted. After all, former House Ways and Means Committee chairman Dan Rostenkowski (D-Ill.) pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud in the House Post Office scandal and did over a year in the slammer, and his portrait proudly hangs in that hearing room.

The project seems pretty cheap, less than half the $64,000 budgeted for House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.). "They shopped it around," explained one source when asked about the wholesale fee for Lewis's mug.

Naomi Seligman, deputy director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, spotted the donations after getting a tip. Looks as if it didn't take much to get to the asking price. For example, the Van Scoyoc Associates PAC ponied up $2,500 in July, as did the National Association of Realtors in August. Mattoon & Associates forked over a grand; ditto for American Airlines' PAC.

Last month, U.S. Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) filed a defamation lawsuit against his opponent, Al Franken.   CREW's report, The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and 4 to watch), was a factor in that lawsuit.  Coleman was one of the "4 to watch" -- and one of the four Senators featured in the report.  Yesterday, a judge dismissed the lawsuit and our report was also a factor in that decision:

A Minnesota judge threw out a lawsuit Thursday against Al Franken by Republican Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), who claimed his Democratic opponent had defamed him in ads.

Judge Barbara L. Neilson ruled claims by a watchdog group against Coleman referenced in the Franken ads are “substantially accurate, if not literally true.”

Coleman and Franken remain locked in a tight contest for the incumbent’s Senate seat that is headed for a recount. Final results might not be known until December.

Coleman’s suit centered on a claim in a Franken ad that Coleman is the “fourth most corrupt” Senator, attributed to the nonpartisan watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). Neilson ruled it did not meet the law's standards for defamation.

“Because the statement made in the Franken advertisements accurately captures the 'gist' or 'sting' of Senator Coleman’s placement in the CREW listing...there is not probable cause to believe that a violation of the statute has occurred," Neilson wrote. She also rejected claims by the Coleman campaign that CREW was not “bipartisan,” contrary to the organization’s claims.

Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) has been named to CREW's list of most corrupt members of Congress for the past four years:

Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) is a third-term member of Congress, representing Florida’s 24th congressional district.  Rep. Feeney’s ethics violations stem from his relationship with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and three trips he took in apparent violation of House travel and gift rules. Rep. Feeney was included in CREW’s 2005, 2006, and 2007 congressional corruption reports.

On Tuesday, Feeney lost his bid for re-election:

Republican Feeney, whose ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff became a major political liability, garnered just 41 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. The three-term lawmaker took the unusual step in September of publicly apologizing for a 2003 trip to Scotland for which Abramoff paid. State Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, a Democrat, will succeed Feeney in Florida’s 24th District.

Last month, Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas wrote to U.S. Representatives Ric Keller and Tom Feeney asking them to defend their effectiveness.  Keller apparently did.  Feeney didn't respond to Thomas' request.  Instead, he launched into an attack on CREW, prompting this rebuke from Thomas:  "CREW isn't the problem, Tom. You are"

Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Thomas wrote to U.S. Representatives Ric Keller and Tom Feeney asking them to defend their effectiveness.  Keller apparently did.  For four years in a row, CREW has designated Feeney as one of the most corrupt members of Congress.  Feeney didn't respond to Thomas' request.  Instead, he launched into an attack on CREW:

Now compare that to Feeney, who spent his entire letter obsessing over the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. This group (CREW) lists Feeney as one of the most corrupt members of Congress, to which Tom responds it is a liberal, partisan group.

However, CREW has six Democrats on its list, including Charlie Rangel, the corrupt liberal darling of New York. And why, of all Republicans out there, would CREW decide to pick on Feeney.

And, in fact, Feeney already has admitted the big charge CREW has rung him up on and apologized for it. I'll put a link to their section on Feeney and you can draw  your own conclusions.

CREW isn't the problem, Tom. You are. Do you see John Mica, Mel Martinez or Ric Keller on that list? Why do you think that's the case?

What Feeney should have done, if either he or his press office had any sense, was admit his mistake, taken one shot at CREW, and then like Keller moved on to issues. What? Tom couldn't come up with any legislation of interest to Central Florida to mention?

Tom gets so wrapped up with things, Tom DeLay comes to mind, that he obsesses, gets tunnel vision and self-destructs. And obviously his staff either isn't smart enough or is too intimidated to call him on it.

Over the next few weeks, we'll shine the spotlight on the most corrupt members of Congress as named in our aptly named report, CREW's Most Corrupt. 

Today, we're starting with Senator Ted Stevens.  We'll be writing a lot about the Senator from Alaska over the next few weeks as his corruption-related trial starts in less than two weeks.  That alone explains why he earned the "most corrupt" designation.  But, there's more.  From our report:

Ted Stevens (R-AK) is a seventh-term senator, representing Alaska.  Sen. Stevens is the ranking member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and sits on several other Appropriations subcommittees.  Sen. Stevens’ ethics issues stem from his ties to the VECO Corporation; earmarks he has inserted for companies that paid his son, Ben Stevens; his relationship with his brother-in-law, lobbyist William Bittner; his relationship with Alaskan real estate developers Jonathan Rubini and Leonard Hyde; and the activities of his non-profit, The Ted Stevens Foundation.  Sen. Stevens was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 29, 2008 on seven counts of making false statements. Sen. Stevens was included in CREW’s 2007 congressional corruption report.

Federal Indictment

On July 29, 2008, Sen. Stevens was indicted by the Department of Justice for making false statements on his financial disclosure forms.  The indictment alleges that beginning in May 1999 through August 2007, Sen. Stevens engaged in a scheme to conceal “his continuing receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of things of value” from VECO and its chairman, Bill Allen, by failing to report them on his financial disclosure forms.  The things of value included home improvements to the Girdwood residence, automobiles, household goods, and tools, totaling over $250,000. Sen. Stevens pleaded not guilty to all seven counts on July 31, 2008.

According to the indictment, as part of the scheme, while Sen. Stevens was receiving gifts from VECO, he used his official position on VECO’s behalf.  VECO asked Sen. Stevens for: funding and assistance with international VECO projects and partnerships, including some in Pakistan and Russia; multiple federal grants and contracts to benefit VECO, including grants from the National Science Foundation to a VECO subsidiary; assistance on federal and state issues in connection with the effort to construct a natural gas pipeline from Alaska’s North Slope region.

By failing to include gifts from VECO and Mr. Allen on his personal financial disclosure forms from 2000 through 2006, the government has alleged that Sen. Stevens made false statements in violation of the Ethics in Government Act.        

Ben Stevens

Sen. Stevens has repeatedly used his legislative powers to benefit companies that have hired his son, former Alaska State Senator Ben Stevens, as a consultant.  Sen. Ted Stevens pushed through legislation for Cook Inlet Region, Inc., Special Olympics, North Pacific Crab Association, Bearing Sea Crab Effort Reduction Fund, Norquest Seafood, Adak Fisheries and Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference while they were paying his son consulting fees.

By using his position to provide legislative assistance or earmarks to companies that hired his son as a consultant, Sen. Stevens may have accepted bribes, committed honest services fraud and engaged in improper conduct that reflects upon the Senate.            

William Bittner, Jonathan Rubini and Leonard Hyde

William Bittner is Sen. Stevens’ brother-in-law, an Anchorage lawyer and a Washington, D.C. lobbyist.  In 1997, Mr. Bittner approached his friend, Mr. Rubini, about possible investments for Sen. Stevens.  Mr. Rubini arranged for Sen. Stevens to be part of a new syndicate, JLS Properties, whose members were Mr. Rubini, Leonard B. Hyde, Stuart Bond and Sen. Stevens. All partners except Sen. Stevens were required to personally guarantee any debts that the syndicate might acquire, as well as provide additional capital as needed for syndicate projects. The three other partners each invested $200,000, while Sen. Stevens invested just $50,000.  JLS Properties was very successful and by the start of 2001, Sen. Stevens’ investment was worth between $250,000 and $500,000.  In 2003, Sen. Stevens reported that his investments with Mr. Rubini, Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Bond were worth between $750,000 and $1.5 million.

Elmendorf Housing Project

In 2000, Mr. Rubini and a group of investors including Mr. Bittner, Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Bond bid on a $450,000,000 federal contract to build private housing at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. When the Air Force tried to back out of the deal, Sen. Stevens stepped in and helped resolve the matter in Mr. Rubini’s favor.

National Archives and Records Administration Relocation Project

In 1998, the National Archives and Records Administration (“NARA”) began the process of securing a new facility for documents in Alaska. In 1998 and 1999, Sen. Stevens earmarked more than $1.7 million for a site selection study to determine where in Anchorage NARA’s new archives building would be located.  A particular piece of property owned by a group of retired school teachers was selected for the site, but the teachers were never told. Sen. Stevens earmarked more money to purchase the land.  At that point, Mr. Rubini and Mr. Hyde bought the land from the teachers and then turned around and sold the land to NARA at a significant profit. Despite the government’s purchase of the land, the new NARA building was never built. Officials at NARA confirm that they were contacted during the summer of 2007 by staff on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services and International Security, which is investigating NARA’s purchase of property from Mr. Rubini and Mr. Hyde.

If Sen. Stevens used his position to financially benefit Mr. Bittner, Mr. Rubini and Mr. Hyde in exchange for being included in real estate deals that allowed him to reap significant profits, he may have accepted bribes, committed honest services fraud, accepted illegal gratuities and engaged in improper conduct which reflects upon the Senate.

The Ted Stevens Foundation (a/k/a the North to the Future Foundation)

The North to the Future Foundation, previously the Ted Stevens Foundation, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation founded in 2000 to promote increased communications among Alaskans, encourage amateur athletics and “to honor the career of Senator Ted Stevens by making the papers and mementos of his career available to the public and to support programs similar to those he has supported.”  The foundation’s chairman is a lobbyist and treasurer of the Sen. Stevens’ campaign committee and many of its donations come from businesses that need Sen. Stevens’ legislative assistance.

If Sen. Stevens provided legislative assistance in exchange for donations to his foundation, he may have accepted bribes or illegal gratuities and engaged in improper conduct which reflects upon the Senate.

Yesterday, CREW released our report on the 20 most corrupt members of Congress -- and four to watch.  That was our fourth edition of the report and once again, there was no dearth of members with corruption related issues.

We've already seen widespread coverage of the CREW's Most Corrupt.

Several of the named members, like Ted Stevens, are making news on their own.  His corruption trial begins in two weeks.

Many others are receiving attention for their designation as among the most corrupt members of Congress.   The Washington Post highlighted several:

The watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is out with its annual rankings for corruption in Congress. Several who've been in the news lately include: Alaska lawmakers Sen. Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young; Rep. Rep. Rangel; Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.); and Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.).

The Memphis Commercial Appeal wrote about Marsha Blackburn:

On Wednesday, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a good-government watchdog group, added U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., to its list of the 24 "most corrupt members of Congress" over her repeated failure to file accurate campaign-finance reports.

The Sacramento Bee highlights the five members of Congress -- and the one to watch from California:

Five California members of Congress dot the list of the "most corrupt" lawmakers in Washington, according to the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics.

This year, just as last year, California has more members on the list than any other state in the union.

Last year, the Californians included were Republican Reps. Ken Calvert, John Doolittle, Duncan Hunter, Jerry Lewis and Gary Miller.

Hunter, who is retiring, didn't make this year's list.

But Rep. Laura Richardson, whose housing and financial woes have been heavily covered, made the cut. She is one of only seven Democrats among the 24 lawmakers the group identified.

Once again, this report has struck a chord.  We'll keep posting the coverage.