Another example of possible Congressional Corruption
In Praising Speaker Pelosi, Dick Morris cites an example of the kinds of controversies she will encounter:
Pelosi now faces the challenge of whether to let West Virginia Democratic Congressman Alan Mollohan head the Appropriations subcommittee, which oversees the FBI, an organization which plans to spend part of the money Mollohan lets them have investigating Mollohan! Formerly the ranking Democrat on the House ethics committee — until his scandals forced him to step down — Mollohan has increased his assets from less than $500,000 in 2000 to more than $6.3 million in 2004. His investments, which generated less than $80,000 in 2000, reaped between $200,000 and $1.2 million in 2004.How did he do it? He got federal funding earmarked for certain companies that his friends either owned or worked for, then got his buddies to pick up half the tab for joint real estate investments with him and his family. For example, he got FMW Composite Systems $4.4 million in earmarks and then teamed up with its CEO to buy a $900,000 farm, which the Mollohans and FMW’s chief split 50-50. The congressman told The New York Times that the thought that the deal might represent a conflict of interest “did not occur to me� when he — literally — bought the farm.
Now, under FBI investigation, can he really be trusted to head the subcommittee that controls the Bureau’s funding?
Let’s keep an eye on this and keep up the pressure to aim for the highest possible level of integrity in our Congress.
7 Responses to “Another example of possible Congressional Corruption”
Great idea. Where was this enthusiasm to root out corruption 6 years ago? One Year ago?
The toothless reforms voted in after the Abrahmoff revelations show that both sides of the aisle are neck deep in selling their influence. Be real nice if they started nailing more elected officials to the wall somehow. But how do you get people without a conscience to police themselves?
Dick Morris praising Pelosi? I’m not sure this is the type of publicity that Pelosi wants. Morris has his own shady history and is prone to making rather idiotic comments (such as that Republicans would lose control of the House in 2002 if Bush didn’t invade Iraq before midterm elections). He isn’t exactly the cream of the crop as far as political punditry goes.
End the fiction of corporate personhood and you end the corrupting influence of money on politics. The speech of a corporation is “commercial speech,” not “free speech” guaranteed by our Bill of Rights, to which companies have no right.
“But how do you get people without a conscience to police themselves?”
Good question there Slamfu. Both sides feed at the trough and aren’t willing to part with it. Ironic that we the people are powerless to force them to stop because there is only two choices (both of them bad).
Corruption results from pressure congressmen and women feel to fundraise 24/7. They start as soon as they begin their new terms. That has become their main focus-schmoozing with big, corporate donors keeps them in office, and they don’t forget them after they win. Maybe that also answers the other thread on how ignorant our representatives are on the basics of the issues of the day. Its not their top priority. Fundraising is.
Maybe MvdG can shed some light here. Do you think there is as much corruption in more pluralistic governments? Would a third party help us? It seems to me that no matter how many sides there are, there will always be ways to exploit. The Oil for Food program comes to mind…