Which party has a 'culture of corruption'?

Which party has a "culture of corruption?"

Of course there are bad apples in any organization. But the Democratic Party for years has accused the Republican Party of fostering a "culture of corruption." It has been a recurring campaign theme since the summer of 2005*. But upon closer examination, it appears that the political left is where there is a problem with corruption.

Even more examples are available if you look for the word "corruption" on this page.

The word "suspicious" doesn't even begin to describe the stuff on this page.

Subsections on this page:

Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson,
Representative Maxine Waters,
Mr. and Mrs. John Conyers,
Former DC Mayor Marion Barry,
Senator Chris Dodd,
Sandy Berger,
Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit,
Congressman John Murtha,
Congressman Barney Frank,
Congressman Charles B. Rangel of New York,
Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois,
and his protégé, Senator Roland Burris of Illinois.

Other related pages:

Yung Yuen "Norman" Hsu
William J. Jefferson
President Obama's Culture of Corruption
The Sestak scandal
The Solyndra scandal
The Fast and Furious scandal
Voting fraud

Please remember that the American system of justice includes a presumption of innocence: Anyone who is accused or suspected of a crime is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Not Just A Democrat Dirty Trick, But A Crime. A few years ago, as part of its strategy of facilitating voter fraud as a means of winning close elections, the Democratic Party undertook a campaign to secure as many Secretary of State offices in swing states as possible. From those perches, the Democrats would be in a position to oversee elections and enforce (or decline to enforce) election laws. That strategy has been quite successful, but the Democrats suffered a setback in Iowa in 2010 when conservative Republican Matt Schultz won an upset victory in the Secretary of State race. Since then, Iowa Democrats have targeted Schultz. That targeting has taken a sinister turn — a criminal one, in fact — as the Des Moines Register reports.

Former Obama Staffer Busted for Stealing Iowa Secretary of State's Identity. Barack Obama's 2008 Iowa New Media Director was arrested Friday for attempting to use the identities of Secretary of State Matt Schultz, and/or his brother Thomas, with the intent to falsely implicate the Secretary Schultz in illegal or unethical behavior. Zach Edwards, 29, of Des Moines, currently works for Link Strategies, a Democrat-affiliated organization with ties to Iowa Senator Tom Harkin.

Does Iowa Electoral Fraud Scam Lead To White House? The fact that Soros and various other Democratic heavy hitters made it a priority to take over secretary of state offices suggests that larger forces may be at work. If Democrats do not come clean on this, immediately, this could well mean that people are being protected. If they are, we are looking at some of the highest political crimes ever. Stealing an election by toppling a secretary of state is fundamentally anti-democratic. A full investigation by a special prosecutor is in order. If evidence is found of a conspiracy to defraud democracy, someone should go to jail for this, and we aren't just talking about Edwards.

Dead People and Other Voters. Years ago the Democrats learned that the surest way to win a tight election was to have just the right number of dead people ready to vote. It worked in Texas in 1948 and Illinois in 1960 and may have worked in South Carolina in 2010 if Attorney General Eric Holder hadn't left well enough alone. ... Holder may soon regret his action which, like nearly everything else done by the Obama Administration these days, is intended to help get Mr. Obama reelected.

Man on probation, fined for role in tea party scam. A former Oakland County Democratic Party operative was sentenced to a year of probation and ordered to pay more than $2,500 in fines and court costs for his role in creating fake tea party candidates during the 2010 election in an effort to siphon off support for Republican candidates. Jason Bauer, 31, of Waterford said nothing Wednesday [1/11/2012] as Oakland County Circuit Judge James Alexander, a former official with the county's Republican Party, told Bauer: "This is as heinous as someone who tries to kill somebody else."

Dawn Howard now focus of election fraud investigation. A woman twice disqualified from candidacy for Congress is now at the center of a voter fraud investigation. ... On Friday morning [1/13/2012], the elections board began an investigation that can ultimately lead to felony election fraud charges and a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison. "There is some evidence that someone has attempted to forge signatures of electors," said Board Chairman William Cline.

Congressman Sanford Bishop (D-GA), His Scandal and the Pigford Cover-Up. Representative Bishop has represented South Georgia's second district for nearly 20 years. He's an under the radar member of the Congressional Black Caucus, seemingly without the temperament or ambition to achieve the high visibility of a John Conyers or Maxine Waters. His relative anonymity has allowed him to avoid much close scrutiny but because of his active role in helping to cover up the Pigford scandal, we are keeping a close eye on him and his race for reelection in 2012. For those of you not familiar with Congressman Bishop, here's a quick recap of some of his career low lights.

Democrats Embrace Voter Fraud. Already, Team Obama is putting voter fraud policies in effect to tilt the election. Eric Holder's stance on the right of individual states within the U.S. to require voter identification is the most obvious example. Several court cases have already upheld the states' right to require voter identification. Furthermore, many studies have shown that requiring voter identification prevents voter fraud and is no more illegal than requiring identification to obtain Medicare or Medicaid or social security payments. ... More recently, Team, Obama is speeding up the immigration process and rushing illegal aliens to citizenship, often ahead of those who have waited, patiently and legally, for years.

Assemblyman William Boyland & aide enter not-guilty pleas to corruption charges. Brooklyn Assemblyman William Boyland Jr. and his chief of staff pleaded not guilty Wednesday [1/4/2012] to a federal indictment charging them with soliciting bribes from undercover FBI agents. Boyland and Ry-Ann Hermon are charged in a 19-count indictment alleging multiple pay-to-play schemes in the legislator's Bedford-Stuyvesant and Brownsville district involving carnivals and real estate development.

Democratic fundraiser convicted of engineering $21 million bank fraud scheme. A Democratic fundraiser was found guilty Friday [12/30/2011] of engineering a $21 million bank fraud scheme. Courtney Dupree was convicted of vastly overstating the billings of his Long Island City-based lighting company GDC Acquisitions in order to fraudulently obtain a loan from Amalgamated Bank. Dupree sat stone-faced as the verdict was read in Brooklyn Federal Court. He faces up to 30 years in prison.

Report: Questions raised about judicial nomination for Schumer's brother-in-law. The White House's nomination of Kevin McNulty for a federal judgeship did not garner much attention, but now some anonymous voices are griping about McNulty's connection to Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). McNulty is married to Schumer's sister, Fran, although the White House's announcement of his nomination for the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey on December 16 did not say so.

Federal grand jury indicts Indianapolis councilman. A federal grand jury in Indianapolis on Tuesday [12/20/2011] indicted a City-County Council member and two associates linked to a foundation under investigation for more than two years on multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering.

Officials Plead Guilty in New York Voter Fraud Case. A total of four Democratic officials and political operatives have now pleaded guilty to voter fraud-related felony charges in an alleged scheme to steal a New York election. The latest guilty pleas expose the ease with which political insiders can apparently manipulate the electoral system and throw an election their way, by the forging of signatures of unsuspecting voters that are then cast as real votes.

Voter fraud is real. The state chairman of Indiana's Democratic Party resigned Monday [12/12/2011] as a probe of election fraud in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary widened. State law requires a presidential candidate to gather 500 valid signatures in each county to qualify for the ballot. Barack Obama may not have met it. Investigators think 150 of the 534 signatures the Obama campaign turned in for St. Joseph County may have been forged. Yet Democrats say that measures to guard against vote fraud are racist Republican plots to disenfranchise minority voters.

Woman faces felony absentee ballot fraud charge. A veteran Pike County educator and former county commissioner faces two felony charges in connection to a voter fraud case. Pike County District Attorney Gary McAliley said Karen Tipton Berry, 59, of Glenwood, turned herself in to investigators with the district attorney's office on Tuesday. Court records show investigators with the Pike County District Attorney's Office charged her with felony absentee ballot fraud and felony first-degree perjury.

Meeks' Crony Ahmad Indicted in $50 Million Fraud. On Friday, a federal grand jury in Brooklyn, New York indicted Edul Ahmad, a Guyanese businessman who was last month arrested in a $50 million mortgage-fraud scheme. Ahmad made an unsecured personal loan to Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) that was repaid only after Meeks' finances came under scrutiny by the FBI.

Indiana Democratic Party Head Resigns as Fraud Probe Heats Up. The chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party announced his resignation Monday [12/12/2011], as investigators probe allegations of election fraud stemming from the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. Dan Parker, who served for seven years, did not cite the scandal as a reason for his decision. But the uproar over possible fraud in a race for the White House has already claimed the job of one county Democratic Chairman, who sources say was forced out because of the allegations.

Why It's So Easy To Destroy Republicans. If one examines the voting patterns over the last few decades it appears that Republican voters are particularly picky and principled about whom they vote for. Democrats on the other hand are more interested in what's being promised to them than in a candidate's character. ... There is no other explanation for the long careers of Ted Kennedy, (Chappaquiddick - Google it), Barney Frank, Chris Dodd (Countrywide - Google it) Charlie Rangel and last but certainly not least, William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton. They elected and reelected a president that had more question marks on his character than all the GOP candidates combined and it made no difference at all.

Richardson inquiry quietly brewing. A federal grand jury said to be investigating former Gov. Bill Richardson is expected to meet again next week in Albuquerque. After battling repeated scandals in the latter years of his eight-year tenure, the globe-trotting Richardson is back under the microscope. This time, several news outlets report that the two-term Democratic governor and onetime Cabinet secretary for President Bill Clinton faces accusations that he raised $250,000 from supporters to quiet a woman who had threatened to file a sexual-harassment complaint.

E-mails questioned huge contract for firm with ties to Obama administration. A series of e-mail exchanges between officials at the Department of Health and Human Services shows growing alarm at the amount of projected profit from a government contract for a drug company whose controlling shareholder is a longtime Democratic Party activist.

Blagojevich sentenced to 14 years behind bars. After learning he will spend the next 14 years in prison, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich said "this is a time to be strong." Judge James Zagel sentenced Blagojevich to 168 months in prison on Wednesday afternoon [12/7/2011]. Blagojevich was hunched over in his seat, listening intently as Judge James Zagel handed down the 14-year prison sentence Wednesday.

The Editor says...
I predict he will serve a maximum of five years and will then be pardoned by Barack Obama.

Holder, Blago, Richardson: Triangle of Sleaze. It was a rough week for the corruptocracy. White House officials better ho-ho-hold on tight because the sleigh ride isn't going to get any smoother. On Wednesday, disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, D-Ill., received a 14-year prison sentence for scheming to sell President Barack Obama's Senate office, along with several other pay-for-play schemes.

N.J. Mayor Resigns Amid Male Prostitution Scandal. The mayor of Medford, N.J., Chris Myers, has resigned following months of allegations that the married father had hired a male prostitute while on a trip to California in October 2010.

Pelosi Leads List Of Conflict Of Interest Dems. The brewing scandal is complicated, but here's the Reader's Digest version: After a Pelosi staffer left to lobby on behalf of credit-card giant Visa, Pelosi delayed bringing to the House floor a bill to end lucrative "swipe fees" for Visa and other credit providers. The bill couldn't have come at a worse time for Visa. It planned to launch an $18 billion public stock offering, so stalling Hill action became a priority. The San Francisco-based company curried favor with Pelosi by pumping cash into her re-election efforts, earning its CEO a rare one-on-one meeting with the speaker. At the same time, Visa offered her husband a VIP cut of the IPO.

Mass GOP to Kerry: 'Come clean'. The Massachusetts Republican Party today lashed out at Senator John Kerry, saying he should provide a better explanation of stock trades detailed in a recently released book about insider trading by members of Congress. The book by a conservative researcher at the Hoover Institution says Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, made hundreds of thousands of dollars from trades of shares in medical companies at the same time Kerry was working on health care legislation on Capitol Hill.

Ethics panel extends Jackson probe. The House Ethics Committee announced Friday [12/2/2011] that it needs more time to complete its review of ethics charges stemming from allegations that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) acted improperly in seeking appointment to President Obama's former Senate seat in 2009.

Ethics Committee decision may haunt Rep. Jackson reelection bid. The House Ethics Committee will decide in less than three weeks whether to formally investigate Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) over allegations that he tried to improperly obtain President Obama's former Senate seat. The secretive Ethics panel's decision — set to be made by Dec. 2 — could put the nine-term Illinois lawmaker in a highly precarious and dangerous position leading into his heated March 20 primary election.

Blago Gets 14 Years; Ethics Committee Must Now Act on Jesse Jackson, Jr. Yesterday, former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years in prison for, among other things, attempting to "sell" the US Senate seat that was once held by President Barack Obama. Blagojevich's punishment comes on the heels of the U.S. House Ethics Committee's decision to continue its investigation into Congressman Jesse Jackson's role in the same scheme.

Case of Jesse Jackson, Jr. is Test for House Ethics Commitee. Last week, the United States House of Representatives Ethics Committee voted to end its temporary deferral of a case against Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL). The US Justice Department had requested the deferral but has since withdrawn that request. The case had been deferred for over two years.

'Throw them all out' sounds like a good start. Hoover Institution scholar Peter Schweizer is making huge waves this week with advance coverage of his book "Throw Them All Out" on "60 Minutes" and in a Newsweek piece by Peter Boyer. CBS and Newsweek focused on Schweizer's contention that because Congress exempts itself from laws it imposes on the rest of us, senators and representatives can engage in insider stock trading with impunity. Among the most outrageous examples, according to Schweizer, is that of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who, with her millionaire husband, bought between $1 million and $5 million (members of Congress only have to report such investments in broad categories rather than nickels and dimes like the rest of us) in an initial public offering from Visa.

Comptroller John Liu's fundraiser arrested on fraud charge. The feds today busted a New Jersey man for allegedly steering illegal contributions to city Comptroller John Liu. Xing Wu Pan is accused of using phantom or "straw" donors to conceal illegal contributions that that exceeded limits for citywide office, according to the complaint filed by Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara and New York FBI Director Janice Fedarcyk. Pan is charged with attempted wire fraud and conspiracy.

Pelosi's investments questioned in CBS report. [Steve] Kroft asked Pelosi why she and her investor husband, Paul Pelosi, bought an initial public offering of stock in Visa, the San Francisco-based credit card company, in March of 2008. The same month, former House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., introduced the Credit Card Fair Fee Act, which would have given merchants the power to negotiate lower fees with credit card companies. The bill, hostile to the credit card industry, was passed by the committee but never brought to the floor. Pelosi was speaker at the time, and controlled which legislation came to a vote.

Another NY Democrat Caught With His Pants Down. You won't be reading this story in any national news outlets since the offender is a Democrat. Put an "R" behind his name and it would go viral.

$600 million missing at MF Global. A government regulator said in court Wednesday [11/2/2011] that roughly $600 million is missing from the books of bankrupt brokerage MF Global. The firm, headed by former New Jersey governor and Goldman Sachs CEO Jon Corzine, filed for Chapter 11 protection on Monday following a panic from investors over its holdings of risky European debt.

Corzine, top Obama fundraiser, under FBI investigation. Jon Corzine, now the center of an FBI investigation into the handling of hundreds of millions of dollars invested in his securities firm, was one of the leading Wall Street fundraisers for President Obama's campaign and suggested to investors that he might take a top administration post if the president were re-elected.

Corzine Out as Search for MF Global Funds Continues. The missing customer money at MF Global is still missing. On Friday [11/4/2011], funds from the bankrupt brokerage firm suddenly surfaced at JPMorgan Chase. Washington and Wall Street, for a moment, were hopeful it was the money they had been searching for all week. But then, just as quickly, nearly everyone agreed it was not the missing money, and the hunt was on again.

Trial begins for ex-Democratic Party treasurer. When Dwayne Adams was chosen in 2008 to serve as treasurer of the Bexar County Democratic Party, $202,000 sat in a party bank account intended solely to pay for that year's primary election. A year and two bounced checks later, it contained $158, according to prosecutors and witnesses as testimony began Wednesday [11/2/2011] in Adams' felony embezzlement trial. Adams, 56, could face up to 20 years in prison if jurors find him guilty of misappropriating or outright stealing between $100,000 and $200,000 from the political organization.

House to launch ethics investigation of Rep. Laura Richardson. The House Ethics Committee voted Thursday [11/3/2011] to launch an investigation into whether Rep. Laura Richardson pressured her congressional staff to work on her campaign, adding to her political troubles as she faces a tough reelection campaign next year.

Report: Ethics panel launches investigation into Rep. Richardson. The House Ethics Committee announced on Friday [11/4/2011] that it has launched an investigation into Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.). The investigative subcommittee is looking into whether the three-term lawmaker violated House rules and pressured her congressional staff to work on her campaign. Richardson's investigation is the third probe into a black lawmaker that the secretive Ethics panel has launched this year. Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) are also under investigation.

Rep. Laura Richardson charges ethics committee with discrimination. Rep. Laura Richardson suggested Thursday [11/3/2011] that the House Ethics Committee is targeting non-white members of Congress following a decision by the committee to open an investigation into the California Democrat's conduct. The committee voted unanimously Thursday to create an investigative subcommittee to probe complaints that Richardson threatened to dismiss members of her congressional staff if they did not work on her 2010 re-election campaign, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Rep. Richardson to Face Full Ethics Probe? The House Ethics Committee may soon conduct a complete investigation of Congresswoman Laura Richardson (D-CA). She has been under investigation for some time now for allegations that her staff undertook political activities while working on government time. As reported this week by John Bresnahan in Politico, Ethics Committee staff members have been looking into potential Richardson violations since last year.

Shredding Kathleen Sebelius. If a private health insurer had engaged in the kind of criminal obstruction that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has been tied to in her home state of Kansas, it would be a federal case. Instead, it's a non-story in the Washington press.

California Democrat Party Loses Millions to Fraud. California Democrat uber-finance guru, Kinde Durkee, apparently has been practicing accounting methods of the Solyndra kind. As a result, she's been accused of fraud for potentially misappropriating as much as $7.5 million in campaign funds for as many as 53 liberal candidates and issues committees in the Golden State. The amount is the difference between what California Democrats says has been reported by the bank, and the amount that was reportedly raised by the various campaigns that Durkee was treasurer for.

Puerto Rico Official Accused of Cheating on Electric Bills. Education Secretary Jesus Rivera on Wednesday was the center of Puerto Rican media attention after El Nuevo Dia newspaper reported that he sought to use electricity without paying for it. ... In another similar case, the former director of AEE, Alberto Escudero, lasted just two days in the post after he was accused of being in arrears on his electric bill and altering the power meter at his former residence.

DOE in the headlights. The Obama administration made $533 million disappear by giving it to a " green" company named Solyndra. Next came a "green" company named SunPower that manufactured photovoltaic solar panels. This time the money was upped to $1.2 billion of taxpayer money. This company was supposed to manufacture photovoltaic solar panels for its California solar valley ranch. Amazingly it just happens to be that the company had converted an old auto plant to a manufacturing plant for the panels. Guess where the plant was located, of all things, in the Congressional District of a strong supporter, Rep. George Miller, D.-Calif. Another surprise was that the lobbyist for SunPower just happened to be the son of Rep. Miller. But of course that did not influence the senior Miller as he advocated for the loan.

Did someone mention Solyndra?

Pelosi's disclosure belated in husband's land deal. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's husband, a real estate developer and investment banker, stands to make millions of dollars in a previously undisclosed residential real estate project in California as a partner with the father of a woman Mrs. Pelosi helped become ambassador to Hungary, records show. Paul F. Pelosi's investment in Russell Ranch is worth at least $5 million and possibly as much as $25 million in a deal put together by his friend and longtime business associate, Angelo Tsakopoulos, patriarch of a multimillion-dollar real estate development firm, according to Mrs. Pelosi's latest personal-disclosure statement.

More solar companies led by Democratic donors received federal loan guarantees. A Daily Caller investigation has found that in addition to the failed company Solyndra, at least four other solar panel manufacturing companies receiving in excess of $500 million in loan guarantees from the Obama administration employ executives or board members who have donated large sums of money to Democratic campaigns.

Campaigning Philadelphia judges say Democrats sought $10,000 donations. The city's Democratic Party organization invited 27 Philadelphia judges to a buffet breakfast this week and asked them to pay $10,000 each to assure party support when they face yes-or-no retention votes in November, according to judges who attended. The figure is double what the party asked from sitting judges two years ago.

$737 Million Green Jobs Loan Given to Nancy Pelosi's Brother-In-Law. It's increasingly hard to tell the government's green jobs subsidies apart from the Democrats' friends and family rewards program.

Wind Power's Political Payoff. Tom Carnahan, of the Missouri Carnahans, arguably that state's most prominent political family, is listed on President Obama's campaign website as a host of the St. Louis fundraising extravaganza amid widespread unemployment and tanking markets. Coincidentally, of course, Carnahan's energy development firm, Wind Capital Group, is the recipient of a $107 million federal tax credit to develop a wind power facility in his state.

Fraud Case Rocks Democratic Party. Kinde Durkee was arrested Sept. 2 and accused by federal authorities of stealing campaign funds and using the money to pay for an array of personal expenses, including mortgage payments, cosmetics and nursing-home care for her mother. Based in Burbank, Calif., the 58-year-old had long managed money for scores of Democratic campaigns.

Take from the rich, give to the rich. [Scroll down] So we have a president whose administration is as pure as sewer sludge. This is far from being the only looting of the Treasury by this administration and the previous one in its last stages. TARP and the UAW bailout are two quick examples of shady billion-dollar deals. Sarah Palin calls it crony capitalism. She is being polite. It is corruption.

Elizabeth NJ school board president:
I didn't know my children were receiving free lunches. Amid a growing criminal investigation, the president of the Elizabeth Board of Education said today she has repaid the school district $2,682 to cover the cost of six years of free meals her children were not entitled to.

Former clean energy official succumbs to power of green. The former chief financial officer for an organization devoted to promoting green energy admitted Tuesday he succumbed to the allure of another green — cash money. Cameron J. Potter pleaded guilty Tuesday [9/13/2011] before U.S. District Judge Thomas Phillips to bilking the Department of Energy of more than $400,000 intended for legitimate use by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy to promote renewable energy sources, typically dubbed "green energy."

More about solar power and green jobs.

Solargate Unraveled. Corruption is not an energy policy. Emails released to the Washington Post before Wednesday's hearings on the $535 million stimulus loan guarantee issued to now-bankrupt Solyndra Inc. reveal the extent of, and resistance to, White House pressure to get the loan approved so Vice President Joe Biden could announce it at a Sept. 4, 2009, groundbreaking event. The White House has denied applying pressure or even monitoring the review process, saying the stimulus loan guarantee was a good "investment."

Is LightSquared the New Solyndra? Last week, Air Force General William Shelton, Commander of Air Force Space Command, told Congressional leaders in a closed-door session that the White House tried to pressure him to change his testimony to favor a company that turns out to be a major donor to the Democratic Party. ... LightSquared is funded by Harbinger Capital, a hedge fund owned by Philip Falcone, a major donor to the Democratic Party. LightSquared's CEO, Sanjiv Ahuja, is also a major donor to the Democratic Party.

A Congresswoman's Cause Is Often Her Husband's Gain. [Scroll down] But the congresswoman's efforts also benefited her husband, a physician whose nephrology practice directs medical services at the hospital's kidney care department — an arrangement that expanded after her intervention and is now reflected in a $738,000-a-year contract with the hospital. Ms. Berkley's actions were among a series over the last five years in which she pushed legislation or twisted the arms of federal regulators to pursue an agenda that is aligned with the business interests of her husband, Dr. Larry Lehrner.

For 'briefing,' $20,000 lunch is on the House. A congresswoman who has been investigated by authorities for misuse of public money billed $20,000 to taxpayers for an elaborately catered luncheon this summer, the only one of its size funded by the public. Rep. Laura Richardson, California Democrat, used her congressional office fund, normally set aside for expenses such as payroll, computers and paper, to host a multicourse luncheon May 20 in her district, records released this week show.

Another politician forced to resign. New Jersey democrat Louis Magazzu, 53, admitted sending the photos to the woman he said he had been corresponding with online for several years. He claims she requested the pictures but was working with an 'avowed political enemy' at the time and that he did not know.

Quinn appoints Burkes' daughter to $117,000-a-year post. Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday [7/27/2011] gave a highly paid position to the daughter of the Illinois Supreme Court justice who swore him into office and a powerful Chicago alderman who was a major campaign donor. Attorney Jennifer Burke, 41, was named to the Illinois Pollution Control Board, a post that pays $117,043, Quinn's office said.

Document suggests witness tampering by Sen. Tom Harkin's office. A top aide to Iowa Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin supplied an answer last year to a thorny question a friendly witness would face the next day at a pivotal hearing on for-profit colleges, raising questions of witness tampering, an email obtained by The Daily Caller shows.

Election commission rules Edwards must pay back $2.3 million. Former Presidential candidate John Edwards will have to pay back over 2 million dollars in federal matching funds given to his 2008 campaign for president, the Federal Election Commission ruled on Thursday. The commission voted 6 - 0 against Edwards and contends his campaign was in "excess of the Candidate's entitlement."

Rep. Wu Talks with Pelosi about Sex Allegation. Congressman David Wu is facing calls for his resignation over a young woman's reported accusation that she had an "unwanted sexual encounter" with the Democrat three weeks after his election victory in November.

Pressure mounts for Oregon Rep. David Wu to resign. U.S. Rep. David Wu spoke briefly to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi by telephone Saturday [7/23/2011] after Pelosi's meeting at the White House to discuss the federal debt ceiling.

Report: Rep. Wu accused of 'unwanted sexual encounter'. Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) has been accused of having an "unwanted sexual encounter" with a young woman, the Oregonian reported Friday [7/22/2011].

Rep. Wu to Resign Following Accusations Over Sexual Encounter. Democratic Rep. David Wu, facing eroding support from his party, plans to resign following allegations that he had a forced sexual encounter with a young woman last year. The Oregon congressman said Tuesday [7/26/2011] that he would step down pending "resolution" of the debt-ceiling crisis.

David Wu resigns. Democratic Rep. David Wu (Ore.) resigned from the House on Tuesday, just days after news broke that Wu had been accused of having an "unwanted sexual encounter" with a teenage girl.

Rep. David Wu could be eligible for $1M in pension, benefits. Rep. David Wu could be eligible for pension and benefits worth more than $1 million in his lifetime, according to an analysis by the National Taxpayers Union. Wu, D-Ore., first elected in 1998, announced Tuesday [7/26/2011] he will leave Congress.

A fitting end for Wu and his entourage. [Scroll down] No, I haven't forgotten that Bob Packwood was a red-blooded Republican, but his transgressions don't belong in the same conversation with the sordid adventures of Wu and fellow Democrats Sam Adams and Neil Goldschmidt.

A fitting end for Wu and his entourage. [Scroll down] No, I haven't forgotten that Bob Packwood was a red-blooded Republican, but his transgressions don't belong in the same conversation with the sordid adventures of Wu and fellow Democrats Sam Adams and Neil Goldschmidt.

Suburban school official, board member indicted in kickback scheme. A former North Chicago school board member and her district's transportation director were accused Thursday of taking kickbacks totaling at least $800,000 over 10 years from contractors who had been awarded lucrative school bus contracts. Gloria Harper, 59, of North Chicago, was a member of the board of North Chicago Community Unit School District 187, and Alice Sherrod, 59, of Gurnee, was in charge of transportation for the 4,000 students, prosecutors said in announcing a 26-count indictment against them and three contractors.

Democratic Rep Laura Richardson could face jail time for ethics violations. New documents disclosed in a complaint from the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) appear to show California Democrat Rep. Laura Richardson and her staff clearly violating congressional ethics rules and potentially federal law. The documents show Richardson using official taxpayer resources for political events, including fundraisers.

Obama's Suspicious Connections to Clean Tech Companies Receiving Federal Money. Having friends in Washington is one of the quickest and dirtiest paths to success, but when President Barack Obama is the one helping you out by discriminately favoring your company's products over others, very few in the media seem to care.

DC Schools 'Cheating' Scandal Heats Up. The story involves possible cheating on tests by "erasure corrections," bonuses handed out to those teachers and principals overseeing the testing, and [Michelle] Rhee's feigned innocence about the matter. ... If Rhee's "double-digit growth" numbers sound too good to be true they probably are. A March 2011 report in USA Today investigated an abnormal amount of erasures occurring on standardized tests in 103 public schools for the 3 years Rhee was at the helm.

Is Another Ballot Heist Coming? The integrity of American elections ought to be above reproach. Unfortunately, recent history suggests that when candidates are desperate, serious hanky-panky is not out of the question. The 2000 Florida Presidential election was severely marred by Al Gore's botched election robbery. The massive vote fraud in Palm Beach County stands as immutable proof of the extent that crooked Democrats will go to steal an election. After botching the robbery in "ballot box boiler rooms," the Democrats resorted to stall tactics, the courts, and endless recounts to steal the election for Gore. The only mistake the voter frauds made is that they did not destroy enough valid votes.

Cars owned by inmates now belong to Commissioner Price. In the wake of an FBI investigation of Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price, documents uncovered by [WFAA] raise questions about how Price obtained a large number of expensive vehicles, many previously owned by county inmates. ... With at least eight of Price's vehicles there were questions as to who owned the car — questions resolved by a secretive county board that issued him clear title.

Why Weiner can't quit: The New York Post may have discovered why Anthony Weiner is so reluctant to resign from Congress: he can't afford to. According to the post, Weiner is not a lawyer, like so many of his congressional colleagues, nor does he have any business experience. Weiner is truly a public parasite, a purely professional politician. Politics has been his entire life experience since his start as a congressional staffer and he knows no other means of earning a living.

What if Rep. Weiner were Rev. Weiner? Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows: Priests who engage in lewd conversations with teenagers are suspended from ministry for committing a "boundary violation," and are charged with sexual abuse. But Rep. Anthony Weiner can send pornographic images of himself to young girls and he is free as a bird. Indeed, the majority of New Yorkers say he should not resign.

Barney Frank's Friends with Benefits. If you want to watch a corruptocrat start sputtering like Porky Pig with allergies, confront him with three simple words: conflict of interest.

State lawmaker's son charged with Medicaid fraud. Gregory Campbell, the son of Democratic state Rep. Daphne Campbell, has been snared in a $299,000 Medicaid scheme in which he is accused of fraudulently billing the agency for clients he didn't provide any services for. The charges include grand theft, organized fraud, and Medicaid fraud, all first-degree felonies.

Top official from Obama-backed black chamber faces criminal charges. A top official from the U.S. Black Chamber, Inc. — the Obama-backed, rival upstart to Harry Alford's National Black Chamber of Commerce — has a checkered past and faces criminal charges from allegations he exploited a Hurricane Katrina victim.

Rangel aide admits: I'm a tax cheat, too. You know what they say about birds of a feather. James Capel, a former top aide to Rep. Charles Rangel, 'fessed up in Manhattan Criminal Court to being a tax cheat yesterday — just like his embattled boss. Capel, who earned nearly $160,000 running Rangel's New York office before leaving the job in February, pleaded guilty to one count of failure to file a tax return and two counts of tax fraud, all misdemeanor charges.

Rep. Anthony Weiner had more than $2000 in upaid parking tickets. Rep. Anthony Weiner has a little bit of 'splaining to do. The self-appointed scourge of diplomatic scofflaws in Manhattan, Weiner racked up more than $2,000 in parking tickets around Capitol Hill. From 2007 to March of this year, Weiner's ticket total was $2,180 for violations near the Capitol and at Reagan Washington National Airport, Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper, reported Tuesday [3/29/2011].

Rock Island state's attorney pleads guilty, resigns. Rock Island state's attorney Jeff Terronez has pleaded guilty to providing alcohol to a minor a day after he said he would resign his post.

The Editor says...
There is no mention in this article of Mr. Terronez's party affiliation; therefore, he must be a Democrat.

Wisconsin Judge Sumi's Conflict(s) of Interest. FreedomEden's Mary writes: "Jake Sinderbrand, son of Judge Maryann Sumi, poses a bit of a problem for his mother." Sumi is the county judge who on Friday temporarily blocked implementation of the collective bargaining-related law passed by the Wisconsin legislature and signed by Governor Scott Walker. ... You see, Jake Sinderbrand is "a former field manager with the AFL-CIO and data manager for the SEIU State Council." Both organizations have members who are employed in Wisconsin's public sector. That's already a pretty clear conflict of interest, one would think.

Wisconsin Investigations Into Fake Doctor Excuses Heat Up. Doctors accused of writing fake sick notes to protesters who staged sick outs to attend rallies, have until March 21st to respond to complaints filed with the Department of Regulation and Licensing, MacIver News Service has learned.

2 ex-Dem leaders charged in fake tea party scheme. Two former high-ranking members of the Oakland County Democratic Party are facing various election corruption charges in a bogus tea party scheme, Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper and County Sheriff Michael Bouchard announced Wednesday [3/16/2011]. ... They face charges related to Independent Tea Party filings, false affidavits and forged documents that occurred between July 23 and July 26 last year.

Funds for D.C.'s needy go elsewhere. A D.C. Council member who represents some of the city's poorest households has spent less than 5 percent of the money she has raised since 2007 to help constituents with urgent needs, such as funeral expenses, rent and utilities, a review of campaign finance records shows.

Organized medical fraud in Wisconsin. "Primum nil nocere." First, do no harm. This bedrock principle in medicine is a foreign language to most politicians and, sadly, to some Wisconsin doctors, who have violated their oath and the public trust as they have defrauded Wisconsin taxpayers. Several University of Wisconsin family physicians donned their sacred white coats and were caught distributing fraudulent "sick notes" free for the asking quite literally by the boxful — I wonder who paid for that printing — to teachers and others who skipped work to engage in political protest at the state Capitol in Madison. Whatever the merits of the teachers' protest, there's a word for what these doctors and teachers are perpetrating: fraud.

Safeguards must be installed to prevent voter fraud. [Scroll down] Of course, voters had solid reasons for doubts for some time before the last two elections. In the state of Maryland, for example, the voter rolls do not seem to be routinely purged and it is illegal to ask a voter for proof of identity. Any attempt to add reliability to the system is resisted in Annapolis by the (lamentable and apparently permanent) Democratic majority. Resistance to reliable electoral reforms is widespread.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver Earmarks $48 Billion to Pal. Liberal Rep. Emanuel Cleaver proposed a whopping $48 billion earmark that would redistribute wealth to the inner cities and gift money to the poor and thereby produce a much larger consumer class to buy the goods and services produced in this country. ... The $48 billion would go to Cleaver's friend, a gentleman named Lamar Mickens, president of the not-for-profit Quality Day Campus who runs the organization out of his Kansas City home.

Now for his side of the story...
Cleaver: I did not propose $48 billion earmark. "Anybody up here who requests $48 billion should be impeached," Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, Missouri Democrat, told me when I asked him about reports that he proposed a $48 billion ear mark in the House spending bill.

The Editor says...
It doesn't matter if it's $48 billion or $48 million or $48 thousand or $48. What matters is that it appears to be an attempt on the part of a Congressman to take the taxpayers' money and give it to his friends.

Former Sen. Kennedy staffer convicted of stealing from Senate. Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D-Mass.) former office manager was convicted on Tuesday [2/1/2011] of stealing more than $75,000 from the Senate. Ngozi Pole was found guilty on five counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government property.

Moseley Braun says 'no more drilling down' on her finances despite questions. Chicago mayoral candidate Carol Moseley Braun today [1/7/2011] said there will be "no more drilling down" about her tax returns despite unanswered questions about where she gets her money and the troubled state of her finances. At a campaign event where she greeted voters, Braun did answer one question about her tax returns.

Look Who's Counting Votes in California. The race to determine who will be the attorney general of California is still too close to call. Democrat Kamala Harris, San Francisco's district attorney, leads Republican Steve Cooley, the DA for Los Angeles County, by 31,000 votes out of nearly nine million cast. And there are more than 750,000 ballots left to count. The tabulation process has led to a full-fledged food fight between the candidates and has roped in Dean Logan, the controversial voter registrar of Los Angeles County.

Waters, Rangel make a mockery of House rules. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., has received a temporary reprieve. Her ethics trial, originally set to begin Nov. 29, has been indefinitely postponed. Waters was to go on trial for her role in helping get a $12 million Troubled Asset Relief Program bailout in 2008 for a bank in which her husband owned $350,000 worth of stock. But now congressional investigators have discovered new e-mails between Waters' Chief of Staff Mikael Moore (who is also Waters' grandson) and the staff of the House Financial Services Committee. The e-mails indicate that Waters was actively engaged in getting the bank bailout after she was warned by House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, D-Mass., to stay out of it. The e-mails also appear to contradict what she has told the congressional ethics committee.

P.G. County Executive Jack Johnson, wife arrested in FBI sting. Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson, arrested in a corruption probe Friday [11/12/2010], told his wife to hide tens of thousands of dollars in her underwear as federal agents arrived at his house to search for illegal payoffs from a developer, federal prosecutors have charged. Caught in an FBI sting taking a $15,000 payment from an unnamed developer Friday, Mr. Johnson later told his wife by telephone not to answer the door when two FBI agents came to their home, authorities said.

Maryland politician allegedly caught flushing money down the toilet. Talk about wasteful spending. A Maryland politician accused of flushing tens of thousands of dollars down the toilet told reporters he was innocent on charges he'd taken kickbacks for years — and he has the facts to prove it. Jack Johnson, a former prosecutor who has served as the executive of a suburban county near Washington D.C. for the past eight years, is accused of accepting kickbacks after a four-year FBI investigation caught him taking tens of thousands of dollars from real estate developers.

Did widespread corruption cost Democrats the election? While seemingly everyone is lining up to offer explanations for Democrats' historic defeat last Tuesday, one seemingly obvious reason for the GOP landslide has gone unremarked upon: Widespread, systemic corruption in the Democratic Party. Unlike the 2006 election, when Republicans were reeling from major scandals, we heard next to nothing this year about "a culture of corruption," thanks to a Democrat-friendly media and the fear of being publicly called racist for pointing out that the Congressional Black Caucus has a lot of bad apples. But it's hard to deny an overwhelming amount of scandal during the last year.

E-mail shows illegal activity in Reid's campaign. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., may have beaten back challenger Sharron Angle and retained his post as the majority leader, but his campaign and one of his biggest supporters may have violated federal law to do so.

ACORN's Get-Out-The-Vote Operative Under State Felony Charges. Many might recall that Congress turned off the spigot of federal funds flowing into the coffers of the organization responsible for federal election law crimes all across the country. Many might all recall that ACORN itself eventually said it would shutter its operations. But even with all that recent history, ACORN's Project Vote is still in operation and one of its main directors is a woman under a cloud of criminal charges in the state of Nevada.

More about ACORN.

Democrat Election Fraud Openly Running Rampant. Aided by Socialist Democrat Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and a George Soros funded group, WND advises that poll watchers are being threatened with, amongst other things, Obama's DOJ: "Houston Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who was seen inside the polling location electioneering and threatening to turn a poll-watcher's name to the Department of Justice for voter intimidation." Note: It appears that Michele Obama is not the only Marxist Democrat who is now allowed to illegally electioneer.

The Left's Voter Fraud Whitewash. Denial isn't just a river in Egypt. It's the Democrats' coping mechanism for midterm election voter fraud. Faced with multiple reports of early voting irregularities and election shenanigans across the country, left-wing groups are playing dumb, deaf and blind. Voter fraud? What voter fraud? More cunningly, these organizations are seeking to marginalize complaints about election integrity by casting citizen watchdog efforts as racist "scare tactics."

The Democrats' Final Recourse: Massive Vote Fraud. Boulder City, NV resident Joyce Ferrara says that when she and several others went to vote for Sharon Angle, they found that Senator Harry Reid's name was already checked off. In Dallas County, TX's congressional district 30, Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson's name was the only one on the ballot in a few locations (no, she isn't running unopposed). And some states have been late in mailing out military absentee ballots, whose recipients, interestingly, are known for their Republican leanings. These happenings are generally referred to as "mistakes" and "glitches," but if that's all they are, then we're witnessing a truly historic anomaly. Because either the mainstream media is now suppressing stories of mistakes and glitches benefiting Republicans, or the laws of probability have suddenly been rescinded and tossed coins are coming up donkey tails every time.

Poll Watcher Witnesses Misconduct in Houston. We are hearing stories about voter fraud and leftist shenanigans from all over. For instance, watch this video of a poll watcher's story about what she has seen during early voting in Houston, Texas. This is eyewitness testimony to voter fraud in the form of a poll worker casting votes on behalf of voters...

On the Road With the King Street Patriots of Houston, Texas. The left is in high dudgeon here in the 18th Congressional District in Houston, Texas. Democrat Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, a long-time left-winger, has held this seat since 1995 and she isn't going to go away quietly. She is quite upset at the gall of a new conservative group that launched a poll watching effort in her district.

Texas Patriots Facing The Left's Smear Machine. True The Vote made news early this month when initiative Chief Catherine Engelbrecht discovered that a former Service Employee International Union (SEIU) member had turned in over 23 thousand fraudulent voter registration cards. Englebrecht and the King Streeters then decided that they would initiate a grassroots poll-watching effort to make sure that the election was fair and that all laws and regulations were properly observed. ... Engelbrecht and the King Streeters fanned out across Harris County to observe — and report if necessary — any improprieties they encountered at voting places, many in minority communities. The reaction was quick and virulently negative.

More about leftist voter fraud.

Caution: This article is replete with profanity.
Congressional bosses from Hell: Sheila Jackson Lee. Capitol Hill is famous for its demanding, insensitive bosses. Yet even by the harsh standards of Congress, Sheila Jackson Lee stands out. She may be the worst boss in Washington.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and racial harassment laws. Press coverage of Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Tex., usually focuses on her megalomania ("'I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen,' Jackson-Lee once said"), her race-baiting (like claiming the Tea Party is an offshoot of the Ku Klux Klan, and that the government's response to Hurricane Katrina was racist), and her amazing ignorance (like not knowing that astronauts landed on the Moon, not Mars; and not knowing what happened in the Vietnam War). But being a race-baiting megalomaniac is no crime. It is against the law, however, to racially harass your employees.

Kentucky Scandal: Did Democrat Conway Tip His Brother About Drug Probe? The Senate race in Kentucky has been rocked by revelations that Democrat state attorney general Jack Conway's brother was the target of a drug investigation — but no charges were filed against Matt Conway, and two Louisville detectives have been placed on leave after being accused of leaking information about the investigation.

Jack Conway may have tipped brother off about drug investigation. Jack Conway, the Democratic attorney general of Kentucky who is running for U.S. Senate, says he was not involved in a recent criminal investigation involving his brother and drug trafficking. But it appears he — along with other law enforcement officials — tipped his brother off about the investigation. The campaign made a statement distancing Conway from his brother's investigation in a Saturday [10/23/2010] story in Louisville's Courier-Journal.

LMPD probes detectives who tipped off prosecutor under investigation. A Jefferson County prosecutor was tipped off by Louisville narcotics detectives twice in the past two years that he was under investigation for possible drug use or trafficking, according to police records obtained by The Courier-Journal. When investigators learned of the leaks and interrogated the two detectives and the prosecutor last March, all three initially gave false or misleading statements about what happened, those records show.

Newly nativist Democrats and their own foreign funny money. [Scroll down] In the meantime, GOP candidates who face this ridiculous onslaught must remind voters of all the shady foreign cash that the Democrats and their deep-pocketed donors have pumped into the political system. Strike back twice as hard: Remember Obama/Hillary/Democrat top fund-raiser and convicted fraudster/campaign finance crook Norman Hsu. Remember Obama/Hillary/Democrat top fund-raiser and convicted fraudster/campaign finance crook Hasan Nemazee. Remember soft-on-China Obama Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, shady Buddhist temple cash collector. Remember Senate Democrats raising funds in Canada. Remember Obama's presidential campaign soliciting foreign donations on its website.

Feds subpoena Beavers' expense records. Federal prosecutors are looking at nearly four years of expense records for Cook County Commissioner William Beavers, who acknowledged Wednesday [10/20/2010] that he used the government allowance to augment his salary for two years. Grand jury subpoenas issued by the U.S. attorney's office ask for all of Beavers' expense filings since he took county office in December 2006.

Short Count. One. That's how many individuals from inside Minnesota's 8th Congressional District contributed to incumbent Democrat James Oberstar during last quarter's reporting period of June 22 to September 30. She gave the 18 term incumbent $500.

Oberstar has one donor in district. With a potentially competitive race developing back home in Minnesota's 8th District, Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar collected a contribution from just one resident of the district between June 22 and Sept. 30, according to a federal election report filed Wednesday [10/13/2010].

Republicans Say Dems Are Stalling on Rangel, Waters Ethics Cases. Republicans on the House ethics committee accused Democrats of stalling the public trials of Democratic Reps. Charles Rangel of New York and Maxine Waters of California, and called for hearings to begin next month — before the November elections.

Dems delay ethics trials. This should come as no surprise to anyone with a basic understanding of politics, but House Democrats are postponing pre-election ethics trials for two Democratic House members and Republicans are not happy about it. Reps. Maxine Waters of California and Charlie Rangel of New York both faced charges they violated the rules of the House in separate cases that were scheduled to be adjudicated in public hearings some time in September.

Pelosi ethics pledge falters. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised four years ago that Democrats would lead "the most honest, most open, most ethical Congress in history."

Post-election ethics trials set for Rangel, Waters. Ethics trials for two prominent House Democrats were set Thursday [10/7/2010] for after the midterm elections, depriving Republicans of headlines that could become campaign ads.

Dates set for Rangel, Waters congressional ethics trials. The chair of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, a.k.a. House Ethics Committee, just released a statement announcing the trial dates for Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. Both ethics trials will start after the election.

Wife of Rep. John F. Tierney, D-Mass., to plead guilty in tax evasion scheme. The wife of US Representative John F. Tierney is poised to plead guilty tomorrow to federal tax charges for managing a bank account that her brother allegedly used to deposit millions of dollars in illegal gambling profits he raked in from an offshore sports betting operation in Antigua.

In New Jersey, corruption is just another normal day. In most places, three unrelated, high-profile political corruption trials on the same day would be pretty big news. New Jersey is not most places. As politicians from north to south sat in courtrooms Monday [10/4/2010] facing accusations of lining their own pockets, stealing or destroying ballots, and billing personal expenses to City Hall, there was barely a ripple through a state numbed to political corruption.

City official convicted of voter fraud. A Bolivar city councilwoman has been convicted of three felony counts of procuring an illegal vote and faces a possible sentence of one to two years on each count. Brenda Woods was found guilty of the charges Friday [10/1/2010] after a two-day jury trial, according to a news release Monday from District Attorney General Mike Dunavant.

Superlobbyist pleads guilty, made illegal contributions. Superlobbyist Paul Magliocchetti, who specialized in getting defense earmarks for his clients, pleaded guilty Friday [9/24/2010] to federal charges of making hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions to members of Congress. ... Magliocchetti was a major fundraiser for three powerful Democratic members of the defense subcommittee — the late John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, James P. Moran of Virginia and Peter J. Visclosky of Indiana — who had repeatedly helped him and his clients.

Prosecutors detail steps Bell leaders allegedly took to hide high salaries. Court documents accuse former City Administrator Robert Rizzo of ordering an employee to draft false contracts and other records to conceal how much he and council members made.

'Calculated greed' at heart of Bell criminal case, D.A. says. Eight current and former Bell city leaders were arrested Tuesday [9/21/2010] on charges of misappropriating more than $5.5 million from the small, working-class community as prosecutors accused them of treating the city's money as their personal piggy bank.

This Bell Is the Chime of Freedom. The saying goes, you get what you pay for. To the working class citizens of Bell city, California, their hard-earned cash got them a sleazy, overpaid and corrupt government run by Democrats. The government officials got rich. Today [9/21/2010], thankfully, eight of them — every single one a Democrat — also got arrested.

Media white-washes Bell, California jail-birds' party status. They're gone, wearing jumpsuits, all eight former officials of Bell, the modest California city whose citizens, for 25 years, were plundered by shamelessly corrupt Democrats.

Bell, California Corruption — Not a Single Mention of Party Affiliation From Media. Today, eight city council members were arrested in Bell, California for what Los Angeles County District Attorney labeled "corruption on steroids." Thus far, every major news outlet that has reported on the story has omitted the fact that all eight individuals arrested are Democrats. These glaring omissions come only weeks after NewsBusters reported that of the 351 stories on the then-brewing controversy, 350 had omitted party affiliations, and one had mentioned they were Democrats only in apologizing for not doing so sooner.

McGregor, four senators, lobbyists arrested on corruption charges. The owner of Alabama's largest casino, four state senators and several top lobbyists have been indicted on federal charges accusing them of vote buying on a bill to legalize electronic bingo.

Drain the swamp. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously promised to "drain the swamp" back in 2006 when Democrats successfully campaigned against corruption in the Republican-led Congress. She formed the Office of Congressional Ethics two years later to show that she meant business. Now, the charges filed against Reps. Charles Rangel of New York and Maxine Waters of California are putting her promises to the ultimate test — public ethics trials against members of her own party at a time when the GOP is hoping to recapture control of the House.

How Privileged Democrats Pay for Their Houses. Former senior senator from Delaware and current Vice President Joe Biden has a custom-built house in Delaware's ritziest Chateau Country neighborhood. It is now worth at least $2.5 million and is the Bidens' most valuable asset. Biden tapped campaign funds to pay for his compound's lawn needs. He secured the new estate with the help of a corporate executive who worked for Biden's top campaign donor, credit card giant MBNA. In 1996, Biden sold his previous mansion to MBNA Vice Chairman John Cochran. The asking price was $1.2 million. Cochran forked over the full sum.

Former Auditor Frank Russo pleads guilty, will spend more than 21 years in prison. Frank Russo — once the gregarious front man of the local Democratic Party — solemnly agreed Thursday [9/16/2010] to what amounts to a life sentence in prison in exchange for concessions that protect his family from further prosecution and allow him to stay free long enough to witness the birth of three grandchildren.

The Party of the Rich. At this moment, two of [the Democratic Party's] leaders from a supposedly disadvantaged minority are about to be tried for ethical transgressions (read: thievery) even Congress couldn't sweep under the rug. Never mind that these transgressions mostly exploit the very minority these people purport to represent. It's part of the game. Convince minorities they should act like victims. Extort guilt payments from the majority and keep the change. Meanwhile, nothing improves for the minority because it would interrupt the system.

Rangel Scandal Reveals the Extent of Capitol Corruption. Four years ago, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised to "drain the swamp" of corruption in Washington, D.C., but after failing miserably to do so it now appears she's choosing to ignore it — while letting her colleagues sweep it under the rug.

Not With A Bang. When the Democrats were trying to sell their "culture of corruption" theme, Exhibit A was Tom DeLay, the Republican House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005. DeLay stepped down under a cloud, as he was indicted by a partisan Democrat in Travis County, Texas, and was under investigation by the Department of Justice in connection with the Abramoff case. There was never any substantial evidence, however, that DeLay had done anything wrong, and the Texas prosecution, as we wrote repeatedly at the time, was a joke. Now the Justice Department has announced that it is no longer investigating DeLay.

Working 'Sham'-ilies. A former employee of the Working Families Party says he was so disturbed by the labor-backed group's practices that he walked out after only one week on the job. In an exclusive interview, Brooklyn resident Patrick Crooks said he was encouraged by higher-ups to falsify names and addresses on sign-up sheets supporting the left-wing party's push to repeal a state law that took rent regulation out of the city's hands and gave it to the state.

DC Cab Driver Claims Congressman Jerrold Nadler Did Not Pay For Cab Ride. [Scroll down] According to the D.C. Taxicab Commission, the law says when a passenger gets to their destination, in this case which was the hotel, the entire fare is paid including waiting time. The law also says if the passenger asks the driver to wait or take him to another destination, that is a new trip and the meter starts again. The congressman was supposed to pay $8. "He said I will not pay you if you don't take me running the same meter which we came with," said [Abraham] Habteab.

Gov wife's biz gets $297M no-bid deal. Gov. Paterson's administration awarded a $297 million federal contract without competitive bidding or public notice to GHI, the health-care provider whose parent company employs his wife, The [New York] Post has learned. Legislative investigators are now looking into the huge, 3½-year contract that subsidizes insurance for uninsured individuals with pre-existing health problems — part of President Obama's health-care reform act, state officials concede.

Congress for sale. As the Senate last week moved to pass President Obama's financial-regulation overhaul, word came that the Countrywide VIP loan scandal on Capitol Hill had just gotten a whole lot bigger. And that congressional ethics probers are looking into the dealings of eight House members — including New York Reps. Joseph Crowley and Christopher Lee — who raised significant sums of Wall Street money in the 10 days prior to voting on their version of the reform bill. Any wonder why voters are cynical?

Controversy Surrounding Bank with Obama Ties Grows. Controversy continues to swirl around the Obama administration's bailout of the politically connected community lender ShoreBank, with new calls for an investigation into how the bank was able to secure tens of millions of dollars in Wall Street cash to stay alive, FOX Business has learned.

Politically connected crook gets a year and a day in the slammer. At least he took his punishment like a man. A Bronx political scion got slapped with a year and a day behind bars this afternoon for looting a housing non-profit of $115,000 — some of which was spent for the benefit of two Democratic officials in his family.

Charity begins at Meeks' home. A nonprofit founded by Rep. Gregory Meeks took in more than $1.2 million in taxpayer money over the past 15 years with little to no oversight as to how it was spent, The [New York] Post has found. Meeks funneled pork-barrel money to the Rockaway Peninsula Civic Association as a state assemblyman in the 1990s. He incorporated the charity, which was once based at his parents' house in Far Rockaway, in 1983. It is the second suspicious nonprofit linked to the Queens Democrat.

Holder ignoring bribes under his nose. Last fall, the Denver Post reported that somebody in the Obama White House offered a plum job to former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff on the condition that he drop his Democratic primary challenge to Sen. Michael Bennett. Then in February, Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., told a talk radio program that somebody in the Obama White House had offered him a job in exchange for dropping his Democratic primary challenge to Sen. Arlen Specter.

More about President Obama's Culture of Corruption.

Obama's Treachery: Election tampering by Obama treads upon the very foundation of American exceptionalism — free elections in a representative democracy. ... Election tampering and transparent corruption are not business as usual unless you're a Democrat. Whether it be suppression of the black vote in the south for a hundred years after the Civil War, Tammany Hall politics at the turn of the 20th century in New York, machine politics in Chicago, or bribes and payoffs for votes on health care and stimulus funding, the failure to prosecute polling place intimidation by the Black Panthers in Philadelphia or Acorn voter registration fraud, this is the Democratic Party Way, the Obama Way.

Dereliction of Duty. The 1974 Budget and Impoundment Act requires Congress to pass a budget resolution by May 15 of each year. Congress hasn't done so yet in 2010. But that isn't so unusual. Delays are common. They are usually the result of interparty or intercameral disputes. But this year is different. Congressional Democrats aren't simply delaying, they're deliberately refusing to offer a budget until after the November elections. They're simply choosing to ignore the law.

If You Can't Budget, You Can't Govern. "If you can't budget, you can't govern," Rep. John Spratt Jr., D-S.C., proclaimed in 2006 when the House GOP leadership chose to dispense with passing a budget resolution. Now that the Dems run the House, Spratt is chairman of its Budget Committee and the April 15 deadline for passing a budget resolution is a niggling detail, easily ignored. House Democrats have decided to not even try to pass a budget resolution before this fiscal year expires on Sept. 30 — and may well delay passage until after the November elections.

The Senator from Sandy Berger. In 1934, "Boss" Tom Pendergast handpicked a Jackson County administrative judge to be the next United States Senator from Missouri, and for the next ten years Harry Truman wore the tag, "The Senator from Pendergast." Truman began to find his own footing after Pendergast was shipped off to nearby Leavenworth in 1939, but until then, he pretty much carried Pendergast's water in Washington.

Even Democrats have their limits.
S.C. Dems ask Senate nominee to withdraw after felony report. Less than 24 hours after Alvin Greene's surprise win in the South Carolina Democratic Senate primary, the state party has asked him to withdraw from the race because of a pending felony charge.

Deep Cover at Organizing for America. [Scroll down slowly] Notice, too, the use of the phrase "take ownership of the community." Evanston borders Chicago on the north, and they speak the same political language. In Democrat-ese, "owning the community" means that if you got a problem with trash pickup, talk to the Democratic precinct captain. If you have a kid who needs a job, talk to the Democratic precinct captain. If you have trouble with delivery trucks getting ticketed for double-parking in front of your shop, talk to the Democratic precinct captain. If you need a block party permit, a one-day liquor license, or a building code violation overlooked, talk to the Democratic precinct captain. Democrats own the community.

Congressman's daughter's sweet housing deal. Every time developers asked to build condominiums in his gentrifying 26th Ward, then-Ald. Billy Ocasio had the same answer: Your project won't be approved unless it includes at least one "affordable home." One person who benefitted from Ocasio's directive: Omaira Figueroa, the daughter of U.S. Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, Ocasio's political mentor. ... Little more than a year later, she sold it for $239,900 — $84,900, or 55 percent, more than she'd paid.

Lobbyist bundling: Money pipeline for Democrats. Lobbyists bundling campaign contributions, often from clients, to pass on to powerful politicians is exactly the sort of corruption Democrats came to power promising to fight. But the lobbyists doing the most bundling, and the politicians pocketing the cash, tend to be Democrats, a recent study shows. A study by the Center for Public Integrity finds that the top four lobbyists in terms of bundling contributions for federal candidates and committees are powerful Democrats who contributed and raised cash exclusively to elect Democrats.

From Watchdog to Lapdog. David Axelrod ran the Obama campaign via AKP&D Message and Media, and Ask Public Strategies, two Chicago firms with overlapping employees and his son as a manager. In his first financial disclosure that summer, Axelrod disclosed he had sold the companies and would be receiving $3 million from his former partners in installments over the next five years. ... Imagine if [Karl] Rove were still getting paid by his old firm while he sat in the White House and as the GOP sent business to the Texas firm.

Democrats Awash in Corruption Scandals. Seven months before the November midterm elections, the Democrats are awash in ethics and corruption scandals in Congress and among the nation's biggest governorships. The major networks' nightly news shows have largely ignored or played down the mounting allegations, charges and investigations targeting Democrats, but they are becoming a major issue in key campaigns that could help the Republicans make large gains in the House, Senate and state capitals.

Draining the Swamp? Before Rep. Nancy Pelosi became speaker of the House, she promised during the Bush administration that if voters allowed Democrats to regain a congressional majority Democrats would establish "the most ethical Congress in history." Pelosi pledged to "drain the swamp" of corruption in Washington. Not only has the swamp not been drained, Democrats have begun treating it as a hot tub.

Disorder in the House. The fleeting tenure of Fortney Hillman Stark Jr., Congressional class of 1972, is destined for the historical footnotes, though it's also further evidence of the dysfunction of modern liberal governance. ... Mr. Stark has also been pursued by questions surrounding his 2007 rental of a Capitol Hill row house to a lobbying firm that represented clients including the pharmaceutical trade group and the drug makers Merck and Amgen.

Ex-HUD secretary Jackson cleared of charges. Former Housing and Urban Development secretary Alphonso Jackson, who resigned amid allegations that he steered business to friends, is no longer the target of a federal investigation, his attorneys said Monday [5/3/2010].

Ethics confirms probe of Rep. Eric Massa. The House ethics committee confirmed it has launched a subcommittee to investigate allegations involving Rep. Eric Massa. In a one-line statement, the panel Thursday evening [3/4/2010] announced it is "investigating and gathering additional information concerning matters related to allegations" against Massa (D-N.Y.).

Rash of Scandals Tests Democrats at Sensitive Time. The ethical woes facing Democrats are piling up, with barely a day passing in recent weeks without headlines from Washington to New York and beyond filled with word of scandal or allegations of wrongdoing.

Have You Heard? Clinton Appointed Judge Is Impeached. Judge G. Thomas Porteous, Jr. was appointed to the federal bench by Bill Clinton in 1994. In March of 2010 he was impeached by the House of Representatives for bribe taking and corruption. I'm just curious, but have you heard this story about this Democrat judge being impeached?

The Editor says...
He has been mentioned on this page a couple of times already.

Ex-Mayor Gets 15 Years for Bribery; City Pays Price. Residents here [in Birmingham, Alabama] were not terribly surprised on Friday [3/5/2010] when Larry Langford, the former mayor, was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined $360,000 by a federal judge, ending a long-running bribery case that shook local government and state Democratic politics.

Change, loose change, spare change, and crooks: [Scroll down] Last week, the House ethics committee released a 305-page report on its investigation into seven congressmen — Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), James Moran (D-Va.), Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.), Bill Young (R-Fla.), and the late John Murtha (D-Pa.) — suspected of trading earmarks for campaign contributions. In 2008, these congressmen provided various interests $112 million worth of federal funding and received over $350,000 back in campaign contributions.

Clinton fundraiser admits $292 million fraud. A wealthy businessman who raised money for leading Democratic Party politicians, including Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, pleaded guilty on Thursday [3/18/2010] to defrauding three major banks out of $292.2 million in loan transactions.

Obama, Clinton Money Man Guilty Of Major Fraud Scheme. The shady Iranian fundraiser who for years donated lucrative sums to top Democrats — including the president, vice president and secretary of state — has pleaded guilty to a major bank-fraud scheme that could land him in jail for nearly two decades.

Clay County precinct worker testifies she stole votes. A former Clay County precinct worker testified Friday that top election officers in the county taught her how to change people's choices on voting machines to steal votes in the May 2006 primary. Wanda White testified that Clerk Freddy Thompson — the county's chief election officer — helped show her how to manipulate voting machines along with Charles Wayne Jones, the Democratic election commissioner.

Obama, Pelosi, Rangel, Geithner, Holder on Judicial Watch 2009 Most Corrupt List. Judicial Watch issued its Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2009" list a couple of weeks ago and I've been waiting for MSM coverage of this story — as President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Tim Geithner, Eric Holder, Charles Rangel, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, John Murtha, Roland Burris, Rep. Jesse Jackson, and John Ensign are this year's trophy winners. For the record, Ensign is the only Republican and President Bush has never been on the list.

No one punished under congressional ethics rules. Nearly three years after Congress approved sweeping ethics rules to "drain the swamp," as incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi put it, no member of Congress has been punished for wrongdoing. In that time, allegations of sexual misconduct and financial impropriety have been lodged against lawmakers.

Ending Corruption in Washington. [Scroll down slowly] The only way to get rid of such corruption is to deprive Congress of its vast regulatory powers. There is truly no reason why politicians should superintend any portion of the private sphere. Finance, health care, energy, housing, farming, and all the rest should be left wholly to the market, since the market invariably delivers goods and services in the most economical and cost-efficient manner. Every time politicians decide to regulate, they only make matters worse.

Surprise: Leading Obamacare economic advocate was being paid by Obama administration. Jon Gruber, a prominent MIT economist who's been been one of the country's leading advocates of Democratic health care reform legislation. Except it now appears that Gruber didn't do a very good job of disclosing an enormous conflict of interest, according to Firedoglake...

Rep. Gary Ackerman may have broken House ethics rules. U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman hosted a meeting between Israeli officials and a defense-contracting firm in which he had invested money — and made a big profit, a [New York] Daily News probe has found. The Queens Democrat put no money down when he obtained private stock in the company, Xenonics Inc., relying on $14,000 borrowed in 2002 from the company's top shareholder, a longtime friend.

Reid gets his 60 votes for Obamacare — the Chicago Way. Yesterday morning, while Washington, DC was getting blanketed with a record snowfall, Senate Democrats treated the entire United States to what may be the greatest snow job of all time. Biggoverment.com calls it "the most corrupt piece of legislation in our nation's history," and indeed it is. ... This latest development demonstrates once again that, when it's a choice between principles and dollars, Democratic politicians reliably choose the latter.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's Christmas list should outrage all Americans. Incidentally, Reid says this is the accepted norm for politics — wheeling and dealing conducted in backrooms. It's also the very sort of thing Obama promised to fight. Now, by pressing this bill forward, he has given tacit approval of what we might call shenanigans if they didn't reek so strongly of outright corruption.

Harry Reid Slapped With Ethics Complaint. At issue is over $100,000 of campaign contributions made by Nevada defense contractor Arcata Associates to both Reid and the Nevada Democrat Party. The small Nevada defense firm recently had a program terminated by the Department of Defense which was subsequently reinstated via an earmark request by Reid.

Former CIA boss booted for security breach named to defense intelligence panel. John M. Deutch, the former CIA director who was stripped of his security clearance after it was discovered he downloaded classified information on his home computer, has been appointed by the Obama Administration to another high-level board that serves the Department of Defense.

Impeachment appears imminent for federal judge. Witnesses in the congressional impeachment case against U.S. District Court Judge G. Thomas Porteous Jr. paint a jarring portrait of the former Louisiana state judge appointed to the federal bench in 1994 by President Clinton.

Draining the Democratic swamp. When the Democrats retook Congress in 2006, incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi promised the "to restore integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., and the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history." So how's that promise working out? Let's start with four developments from the last week...

Coal Towns Mired In Public Corruption . A third Pennsylvania judge has pleaded guilty to corruption this week, making him one of nearly two dozen officials embroiled in a widespread federal investigation of government and court agencies in a county of former coal mining towns. Earlier this year two of his Luzerne County bench colleagues (Mark Ciavarella and Michael T. Conahan) were each slapped with seven-year prison sentences for operating a multi million-dollar kickback scheme to funnel youth offenders to a private detention center.

Martha Coakley: Too Immoral for Teddy Kennedy's Seat. In Tuesday's primary election, Massachusetts Democrats chose as their Senate nominee a woman who kept a clearly innocent man in prison in order to advance her political career. Martha Coakley isn't even fit for the late Teddy Kennedy's old seat. ... Anyone with the smallest sense of justice cannot vote to put this woman in any office. If you absolutely cannot vote for a Republican on Jan. 19, 2010, write in the name "Gerald Amirault."

Soros Eyes Secretaries. History's most notorious Georgian-turned-Russian, the politically astute Joseph Stalin once remarked, "The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything." The lesson has not been lost on the increasingly notorious Hungarian-cum-American George Soros. A group backed by Soros is gearing up to steal the 2012 election for President Obama and congressional Democrats by installing left-wing Democrats as secretaries of state across the nation. From such posts, secretaries of state can help tilt the electoral playing field.

A Bunch of Hypocrites? Nancy Pelosi likes to brag that she's "drained the swamp" when it comes to corruption in the House, but ethics problems could come back to haunt Democrats in 2010. Democrats are currently the subject of 12 of the 16 complaints pending before the House ethics committee.

Tincture of Lawlessness. The Obama administration's agenda of maximizing dependency involves political favoritism cloaked in the raiment of "economic planning" and "social justice" that somehow produce results superior to what markets produce when freedom allows merit to manifest itself, and incompetence to fail. The administration's central activity — the political allocation of wealth and opportunity — is not merely susceptible to corruption, it is corruption.

Beam Me Up, Jimbo. Few politicians have earned a reputation equally colorful as it is criminal as former Rep Jim Traficant (D-OH), who is expected to be released from prison today [9/2/2009]. Though seven years may have passed since Traficant was convicted of racketeering, bribery and fraud, among other gems, the area he represented hasn't changed much since their Congressman was first elected in 1984.

Is the White House for Sale? Obama supporter Lanny Davis says the president has little choice but to continue business as usual — even though Obama as candidate implied things would be different. "When it comes to fundraising I never heard Barack Obama say 'I believe in unilateral disarmament.' So long as Republicans are raising money we have to raise money, and we won the White House, we ought to take advantage of that," Davis said.

The Obama White House: Bundlers' Paradise. Perks for deep-pocketed donors? Presidential meetings for sale? The stale Chicago odor of pay-for-play wafting from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Knock me over with a feather. Despite the president's claimed distaste for the campaign finance practice known as "bundling" (rounding up aggregate contributions from friends, business associates and employees), the House of Obama has been a campaign finance bundlers' paradise from Day One.

Net Neutrality For Campaign Donors. Just how far is the Obama administration willing to go to reward big donors? In the wake of yesterday's explosive report regarding "scores of top Democratic donors" being rewarded with "VIP access to the White House, private briefings with administration advisers and invitations to important speeches and town-hall meetings," it's a question that's on the minds of many politically-engaged Americans...

Barack Obama accused of 'selling' access to the White House. President Barack Obama has been accused of betraying his campaign promise to change the culture of Washington by "selling" access to the White House to prominent donors. Leaked Democratic National Committee documents showed the party had offered up to four briefings a year from senior presidential advisers in exchange for a personal donation of $30,400 or a commitment to raise $300,000 for the 2010 midterm elections.

West Virginia Watchdog exposes another Mollohan earmark scam. West Virginia Watchdog Steve Allen Adams has uncovered another wrinkle in Rep. Alan Mollohan's earmark-based fiefdom — companies that rent office space in the office park named after the Democrat congressman not only have to write that monthly check, they also pay hefty campaign donations to you know who.

Carter lapse won't slow Rangel hunt. House Republicans say they'll press on with their efforts to dethrone House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel — despite the fact that the Republican leading their charge now faces ethical issues of his own. Rep. John Carter failed to disclose nearly $300,000 in profits from oil stock sales in 2006-07, Roll Call reported Thursday [10/22/2009].

The Editor says...
Throw them both out!

Corzine, cash & corruption. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine really has no shame. Just hours after Bergen County's longtime Democratic machine boss, Joseph Ferriero, was convicted Thursday [10/22/2009] on three federal felony corruption counts — which could land him in prison for 20 years — New Jersey's governor proudly defended having written him personal checks totaling nearly a half-million dollars. That's right: Corzine, the Wall Street multimillionaire, and his family have funneled no less than $441,600 of their own money to keep Ferriero's arrogant political machine rolling.

Democratic Party Boss Convicted; Christie Accuses Corzine of Enabling Corruption. Today a jury found Joe Ferriero, former chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Organization, guilty of one count of conspiracy to defraud and two counts of mail fraud. Guess how much money Jon Corzine and his family gave to Ferriero over the years? $441,600.

Follow the Money. We have yet to see a bill from the Democratic Congress or the Obama White House that is not actually a payoff to a key constituency. The tsunami of dollars unleashed by the Obama Treasury Department in coordination with the Fed has obscured the fact that many of those dollars are ending up in the pockets of Friends of Obama or Friends of Nancy or Friends of Harry.

Voter fraud probe nets a fifth suspect. An investigation into the stuffing of ballot boxes in Essex County continues to widen, with a fifth person indicted yesterday for election fraud. The criminal probe by the state Division of Criminal Justice and the Essex County prosecutor has been focusing not only on campaign workers, but on county workers as well as it examines dozens of absentee ballots cast in the 2007 election of state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex).

The K Street Tax Cheat Who's Lobbying to Save Obamacare. Tom Daschle is the human toe fungus of Washington — a persistent infection that may disappear from time to time, but always comes back with a vengeance. Despite abandoning his secretary of health and human services nomination in disgrace in February 2009, the K Street tax cheat who evaded IRS rules for years remains a top White House confidante and policy strategist.

Dirty Money Watch: Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.). [Scroll down] Multiple officers and members of these unions, including division presidents, secretary-treasurers and business managers, have been convicted since 2001 of felonies ranging from embezzlement, falsifying official reports to government, mail fraud and conspiracy. The Communication Workers of America and The American Federation of Government Employees have had eight convictions, the Service Employees International Union has had nine convictions and the Boilermakers have had 10 convictions, while the IBEW has had 14 members convicted. The United Steelworkers of America has had 30 convictions among its membership. The amounts of embezzled funds range from over $5,000 to over $100,000.

Ex-Lawyer to New Jersey Democrats Pleads Guilty. A former counsel to the Bergen County Democratic Organization in New Jersey pleaded guilty two days before he and the party's ex-chairman were scheduled to go on trial on corruption charges. Dennis J. Oury, 59, admitted conspiring with Joseph A. Ferriero, the former chairman, to defraud the borough of Bergenfield, New Jersey, of his honest services.

Mayors, rabbis arrested in corruption probe. The New Jersey officials and their associates charged in a federal probe of public corruption exchanged hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in parking lots, restaurants, boiler rooms and bathrooms, an acting U.S. attorney said Thursday [7/23/2009]. The investigation netted 44 defendants — 29 on corruption charges and 15 for alleged money laundering, acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra Jr. said at a news conference.

44 Charged by U.S. in New Jersey Corruption Sweep. The case began with bank fraud charges against a member of an insular Syrian Jewish enclave centered in a seaside town. But when that man became a federal informant and posed as a crooked real estate developer offering cash bribes to obtain government approvals, it mushroomed into a political scandal that could rival any of the most explosive and sleazy episodes in New Jersey's recent past.

Kosher Nostra & Dirty Jersey. Everything was for sale — from politicians to kidneys. Separate federal probes targeting rogue rabbis in Brooklyn and corrupt public officials in New Jersey led to the arrests yesterday [7/23/2009] of 44 people, including three mayors and five religious leaders. ... All are Democrats except for [Assemblyman Daniel] Van Pelt, a Republican.

In New Jersey, Ideal Conditions for Corruption. Cash in an envelope. In return, a promise that a development project will speed along, unhindered by bureaucratic delays. A handshake to seal the deal. It is the most clichéd, unimaginative form of corruption — and its persistent hold on New Jersey's elected leaders seems unrivaled in American government.

New Mexico Roiled By Fresh Graft Case. Elected officials in New Mexico are renewing calls for an ethics overhaul after the state's attorney general this week unveiled the latest in a long string of political-corruption cases. Longtime Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron, who left office in 2006, has been indicted on 50 felony counts of embezzlement, tax evasion and money laundering in an alleged scheme to siphon off at least hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal election funds. Ms. Vigil-Giron, a Democrat...

This material came from akdart.com

Democratic Fundraiser Charged in Citigroup Fraud. The U.S. attorney in New York on Tuesday charged a New York investor and major Democratic fund-raiser with a $74 million scheme to defraud Citigroup. Hassan Nemazee, 59, was charged with one count of bank fraud, and faces up to 30 years in prison plus a fine.

Legislators Framing Climate Bills Hold Energy Stock. As Congress moves ahead with climate-change legislation touching almost every corner of the energy industry, a number of lawmakers shaping the debate have investments in companies that would be affected by the results. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D., Mass.), one of the lead authors of a House bill that would favor alternative-energy sources, had investments of between $51,000 and $115,000 in the Firsthand Technology Value Fund at the end of last year. Three of the top 10 holdings in the Ohio fund are solar-energy manufacturers.

Valley Rep. Kino Flores indicted. State Rep. Ismael "Kino" Flores, D-Palmview, has been indicted for failing to disclose more than $800,000 in income as well as assorted high-value gifts and properties, Travis County prosecutors said Friday [7/17/2009]. A grand jury returned six separate indictments against the 12-year legislator, each relating to required financial statements filed yearly since 2004.

Rep. Dicks boosts funds for son's project. Rep. Norm Dicks, the House Democrat in charge of spending for the environment, is proposing a dramatic increase in funding for a water-cleanup program in Washington state that's run by his son.

Dems put CBC member in charge of CBC investigation. The House ethics committee is investigating a Caribbean trip taken last year by members of the Congressional Black Caucus, but they put a fellow CBC member in charge of the probe. Among those on the trip was House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who is already the subject of an ethics probe over nonpayment of taxes and other issues.

Senator's husband's firm cashes in on crisis. On the day the new Congress convened this year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to route $25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband's real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms.

Bay State run by men of steal. This isn't a democracy, it's a kleptocracy. Three in a row — three House speakers in a row indicted, and two convicted.

Sen. Roland Burris (D-Blago). We don't know where to begin with the latest mess that has ensnared Sen. Roland W. Burris (D-Ill.). No, "ensnared" isn't the right word. That would imply that he's blameless for his troubles, which isn't the case.

Elected, Not Redeemed. Kevin Johnson grossly misused federal funds. The standard penalty is a common sense one — he shouldn't be entrusted with federal funds for at least some time. That he is now mayor of the capital of California doesn't change that. Winning an election does not have some sort of sanctifying effect. A man who misuses funds and is then elected mayor is now a mayor who has misused funds. And those who voted him into office should expect to have to live with the consequences of their decision.

Culture of Corruption II. When in the last election Democrats spoke of a "culture of corruption" in Washington, few realized they were making a promise. The Obama Administration is not yet three weeks old but already features a growing collection of ethically challenged officials.

Bye-bye, "culture of corruption". You may want to look fast, but the Democratic National Committee's website still has a "Republican Culture of Corruption" page, implying that by installing the Democrats back in the congressional majority, we'll have a virtual monastery of ethical restraint in Washington — with leaders like Patrick Kennedy setting the example.

House Democrats Accused of Corruption, Too. Democrats, quick to invoke the alleged "Republican culture of corruption," have a few members of their own party to worry about.

The Democrats' Culture of Corruption: Did you notice the stories about Illinois Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky's husband being sentenced to prison for a check-kiting scheme involving millions of dollars? Probably not. It got little attention.

Why the Truth Doesn't Matter: Because you won't find an "R" after any of their names, Charles Rangel still faces no consequences for his actions, Tom Daschle was forced to pay his back taxes — but only the magnitude of his oversight made him withdraw his name from consideration with no further condemnation nor consequences — and Turbo Tax Timothy Geitner is now the head of the U.S. Treasury in charge of collecting the taxes he originally decided not to pay. And this doesn't even take into consideration the ability of a Democrat Congressmen to keep his seat in Congress after the Feds found $90,000 in illegal campaign contributions hidden in his New Orleans house.

The price is right (Ellison hajj edition). We've written several times about Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison's hajj to Mecca ... A spokesman for Ellison, the first Muslim congressman, first told the Star Tribune that Ellison paid for the pilgrimage himself. The Star Tribune subsequently reported that the Minnesota chapter of the Muslim American Society paid for Ellison's hajj. MAS spokesman Mahdi Bray heatedly denied the report, describing it as a "myth" and "urban legend" that couldn't possibly be true because "that would be a breach of congressional ethics."

Dem Duo In $30M Pension 'Scam'. Democratic political consultant Hank Morris and a top lieutenant to disgraced former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi were indicted yesterday in a scheme to trade lucrative investments in the state pension fund for more than $30 million in kickbacks, gifts and campaign contributions. The 123-count indictment against Morris and former state pension-fund manager David Loglisci stems from a two-year pay-to-play probe by state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

NY state senator indicted on assault charges. A state senator who was recently sworn in to office despite allegations he slashed his girlfriend's face with a piece of broken glass in a jealous rage has been indicted on domestic assault charges, prosecutors said Monday. A grand jury in Queens indicted Hiram Monserrate on three counts of second-degree felony assault and three counts of third-degree misdemeanor assault.

Putting the mice in charge of the cheese:
Pornography Advocate at DOJ? It's been a taxing two weeks for President Obama and his nominees. And there's another nominee with bigger disqualifiers than unpaid taxes. Imagine. A veteran pornography defense attorney takes a top spot at the agency charged with enforcing the nation's child pornography and obscenity laws.

Obama's porn king at Justice. Under President Obama, it was expected that porn pushers might find a sympathetic ear, given the smut industry's generous support of liberal politicians and causes. But the fox is no longer circling the henhouse. He's made it inside.

Culture of corruption festers on. If you imagined that Detroit could wash the stink off its politics by exiling Kwame Kilpatrick to Texas, the latest text message dump will set you straight. The exchanges made public Monday make it clear that Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty were only the most conspicuous symptoms of a political culture that was rotten to the core. They also remind us that some of the leading exponents of that culture continue to hold public office in Michigan, although they have probably become more cautious since Kilpatrick's spectacular flameout.

Democrats are opposed to coal-fired power plants — unless they own them.
Green lobby guides Democrats on climate bill. Democratic lawmakers who spent much of the Bush administration blasting officials for letting energy lobbyists write national policy have turned to a coalition of business and environmental groups to help draft their own sweeping climate bill. And one little-noticed provision of the draft bill would give one of the coalition's co-founders a lucrative exemption on a coal-fired project it is building.

Assemblyman Charged with Graft. A Democratic leader in the New Jersey Assembly has been charged with public corruption for allegedly abusing his former position as Perth Amboy's mayor by using city money for personal expenses such as his son's basketball camps and refreshments served after his father's funeral. Prosecutors also accuse Joseph Vas of rigging a lottery so his driver would win.

Fumo guilty of all 137 counts. Vincent Fumo, once one of the most powerful figures in Pennsylvania politics, was convicted today [3/16/2009] of more than 130 counts of corruption for schemes that defrauded the state Senate and others of more than $3.5 million and allowed him to live a lavish lifestyle.

Ex-Pennsylvania senator convicted of 137 corruption counts. Vincent Fumo, once one of the most powerful figures in Pennsylvania politics, was convicted Monday [3/16/2009] of more than 130 counts of corruption for schemes that defrauded the state Senate and others of more than $3.5 million and helped pay for his lavish lifestyle. The 65-year-old former state senator was found guilty of all 137 counts against him, which also included obstruction of justice for destroying e-mail evidence.

Guilty plea coming in vote-buying case. The former judge-executive of Perry County plans to plead guilty in a federal vote-buying case. The attorney for Sherman Neace filed a motion Thursday [9/10/2009] seeking a hearing for Neace to be rearraigned, meaning to enter a guilty plea. The hearing has not been scheduled.

Democrats are hypocrites when it comes to paying taxes. Daschle's hardly alone. The recently confirmed Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, also failed to pay taxes he owed (even though he surely must have known he owed them) until it became politically expedient to pay them. Now he runs the IRS. Take that, suckers. Meanwhile, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the supreme tax-writing body in the United States, the House Ways and Means Committee, is under investigation for, among other things, dodging taxes.

Obama's Toxic Assets: It has happened again! Another Obama appointee has admitted to tax problems. Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius has admitted to irregularities in her tax returns extending over the past three years. ... According to my calculations that makes five Obama nominees who have reported similar tax irregularities, none of which was discovered until they began making preparations for their confirmation hearings. ... Two other Obama Administration nominees withdrew from consideration when their tax problems were discovered.

Secretary Geithner's Got Some Explaining to Do. Just about everyone has had something to say about [the AIG] bailout — mostly that it was an ugly but necessary step to stave off a domino effect that would have brought the world's financial system to its knees. But what we have not yet heard is just how Treasury Secretary Geithner, as then-head of the NY FED, got away with taking ownership of 77.9% of AIG's equity and voting rights in clear violation of the law.

FBI investigates lobbying firm that is generous donor to Dicks, Murray. Congressman Norm Dicks has never been shy about accepting campaign donations from favor seekers. Now the FBI is investigating one of Dicks' most generous donors — the powerhouse lobbying firm PMA Group. Questions have been raised about whether some PMA-related campaign contributions were actually given by the people listed as donors. For example, thousands of dollars in contributions to Dicks, Washington Sen. Patty Murray and other lawmakers came from a sommelier and a golf-club employee who were identified as PMA officials on some campaign-finance reports.

Cabinet of the corrupt. First Tim Geithner. Now Tom Daschle? Who's Obama's next cabinet pick — Wesley Snipes? Dianne Wilkerson? Not to upset the loyal O-Bots out there, but the last guy from Chicago to have this much income tax trouble was Al Capone. And at last report, he still had an outside shot at getting Commerce secretary. President Obama pledged to change Washington, and he has. Before Obama, tax cheats used to lose jobs.

McClain, Pettagrue guilty on all counts. Alabama state Sen. E.B. McClain and the Rev. Samuel Pettagrue were found guilty today [1/21/2009] on all 48 counts of bribery, money laundering and mail fraud after a trial before federal Judge Karon Bowdre. McClain was accused of taking more than $300,000 of the $758,245 he obtained for Pettagrue's community outreach programs, including an online GED program.

Texas fundraiser convicted on 14 counts. The South Texan who once lavished fundraisers on Democratic politicians and whisked employees of his law firm off for Las Vegas weekends in a private jet was convicted Thursday of 14 counts of impersonating a lawyer. Mauricio Celis, the 37-year-old founder of Corpus Christi-based CGT Law Group International, falsely represented himself as a lawyer while raking in millions of dollars in attorney's fees in recent years.

Accused fraudster gave big to Dems. The Texas financier accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday of "massive ongoing fraud" was a generous political donor who gave more heavily to Democrats. Since 2000, R. Allen Stanford, the chief of the Stanford Financial Group in Houston, his wife and company gave $2.2 million in political contributions — $1.7 million to Democratic candidates and committees — according to Federal Election Commission records.

Hartford, Conn., mayor arrested on bribery charges. Eddie Perez, a one-time gang leader who turned his life around to become Hartford's most powerful mayor, surrendered to police Tuesday to face a bribery charge for having a city contractor renovate his home and not paying for it until after being confronted by investigators.

Portland mayor to decide soon whether to resign. About 400 supporters gathered Friday night outside City Hall to urge Portland's mayor to stay on the job despite an intensifying political storm over his sexual relationship with a legislative intern nearly four years ago. Mayor Sam Adams has admitted lying about the affair with the young man to cover it up during last year's mayoral campaign.

Profiles in corruption. Whether it's a California congressman driving around in a Rolls Royce and living in a palatial home, the result of about $2 million in bribe money; a Louisiana congressman caught by the FBI with $90 thousand worth of bribes in his freezer, or an Illinois Governor caught trying to sell a senate seat, the fact is that some people have the idea that their office is for sale to anyone with enough cash to buy their appearance of integrity. Political power is a formidable weapon that can be used to alter the events of history in a positive way, or it can be used to enrich the bank accounts of the ethically challenged reprobates whose lack of character mysteriously transmogrifies their fingers into money-grubbing appendages.

More Proof the Inmates Are Running the Asylum. In Congress, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY), after having violated about half of the federal tax laws, is staying on as chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Dodd and Rep. Barney Frank, the king and queen of congressional oversight of the banking industry, are still in charge of running their respective asylums. Frank, whose boyfriend ran a prostitution ring out of the congressman's townhouse back in 1990, and who more recently was involved in a homosexual affair with an official of Fannie Mae, one of the bankrupt quasigovernmental entities Frank oversees as head of the House Financial Services Committee, sees no conflict between his public and personal life.

Who is Barney Frank? In 1991, Barney Frank received an official reprimand for reflecting "discredit upon the House." The reprimand came as a result of his relationship with a man named Steve Gobi, a male prostitute whom Frank initially paid $80 for sex. Frank later took Gobi to live with him in his home, making him a personal aide. He paid him $20,000 in compensation (unreported to the IRS) and let him use his car. Subsequent investigation revealed that in the course of their relationship, Frank used his congressional office and stationary to fix Gobi's 33 parking fines. Frank also used his congressional letterhead to write a reference letter to Gobi's probation officer — Gobi was under court supervision as a convicted felon with a prison record — in which he gave false information. Most damningly, the investigation found that Gobi ran a prostitution ring from Frank's home. In his defense, Frank asserted he knew nothing of Gobi's illicit enterprise.

Fox and Foes. Back in 1990, the police raided Barney Frank's home because his lover, Steve Gobie, was running a male prostitution ring out of his condo. In 2007, the police raided the home of James Ready and arrested him for possession of marijuana. Ready, who is Barney's main squeeze these days, didn't just smoke the weed, Farmer Ready was growing the stuff. The congressman was there at the time of the raid but denied he had any idea that those plants in the backyard weren't rhododendrons.

Democrats sleeping with the enemy. For all their railing against the evils of big bad banks, Democrats aren't shy about jumping into bed with them when the price is right. And they don't much care whether taxpayers lose out in the process. Rep. Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat, and his cohort Rep. Maxine Waters, California Democrat, are leaders in making support for delinquent banks into a respectable progressive cause.

Pennsylvania judges accused of jailing kids for cash. For years, the juvenile court system in Wilkes-Barre operated like a conveyor belt: Youngsters were brought before judges without a lawyer, given hearings that lasted only a minute or two, and then sent off to juvenile prison for months for minor offenses. The explanation, prosecutors say, was corruption on the bench. In one of the most shocking cases of courtroom graft on record, two Pennsylvania judges have been charged with taking millions of dollars in kickbacks to send teenagers to two privately run youth detention centers.

Did The Philadelphia Inquirer tell you they were Democrats? To which political party do the two judges belong? Naturally, upon reading this, I had to wonder: were these crooks Republicans, or were they Democrats? The information wasn't easy to find, but it did exist.

2 Pennsylvania judges sued in kickback scheme. A lawsuit has been filed against two Pennsylvania judges accused of taking more than $2 million in kickbacks to send youth offenders to privately run detention centers. The suit names Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella and Michael Conahan and 14 other defendants. It was filed in federal court late Thursday [2/12/2009] on behalf of hundreds of children and their families who were alleged victims of the corruption.

Shady Island 'House' Party. High-ranking members of Congress were flown to a lush Caribbean resort this month for a three-day conference planned and paid for by several of the country's most powerful corporations — a violation of federal ethics rules, critics say. Six members of the Congressional Black Caucus attended the 13th annual Caribbean Multi-National Business Conference in sun-drenched St. Maarten, including embattled Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel and New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne.

Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford, arrested, jailed on federal charges. Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford was arrested this morning on federal charges and is being held at the federal courthouse, the FBI and other federal officials confirm. A special grand jury for several months has been investigating county bond deals and Langford's financial dealings. Langford was Jefferson County Commission president 2002-06.

Update:
Birmingham Mayor Convicted on All Counts. Larry Langford, the controversial and flamboyant mayor of Birmingham, Ala., was convicted of multiple counts of bribery in a federal corruption trial in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday [10/28/2009].

Sex sting to keep Wisconsin mayor from inauguration. Racine Mayor Gary Becker's plans to attend Tuesday's inauguration have been canceled after he was charged in an Internet sex sting. Becker had planned to attend a U.S. Conference of Mayors event in Washington over the weekend and then stay for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama.

The Editor says...
There's one little detail missing from this story: He's a Democrat. The same detail is also missing from these articles covering the same story: [1] [2] [3]

Wisconsin mayor resigns after sex-sting arrest. The mayor of Racine, Wis., resigned Tuesday, days after being accused of trying to arrange a sexual encounter with someone he thought was an underage girl. Mayor Gary Becker resigned in a one-sentence letter that made no reference to the six felonies he faces.

An elaborate FBI sting snares politicians in Massachusetts. For 18 months, the operation targeting former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson played out in upscale restaurants and scruffy eateries, through the marbled halls of the Massachusetts Statehouse and Boston City Hall. Along the way, the probe dragged in dozens of unwitting side players, from the mayor and City Council president to Wilkerson's Senate colleagues. It also led to corruption charges against a five-term city councilman. Wilkerson, who resigned last month after being indicted on eight federal counts of attempted extortion, has maintained her innocence.

Embattled state senator faces corruption charges. State Senator Dianne Wilkerson, a one-time rising star in state politics who has been plagued with legal troubles during her 15-year legislative career, appeared today in federal court to face charges that she allegedly accepted eight bribes worth $23,500.

Democrat Mailer Enables Identity Theft. Idaho Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko called on Idaho Democrats to apologize for distributing Congressman Bill Sali's personal information to thousands of Idahoans earlier this week. The Idaho Democrat Party sent a campaign mail piece that included the Social Security numbers for both Congressman and Terry Sali, potentially exposing them to fraud and identity theft.

Another salon, another indictment. Try not to let this destroy your faith in the integrity of the Massachusetts Legislature. Look on the bright side: Only 5 percent of the state Senate has been indicted this year ... .

Culture of Corruption: Obama and the Teamsters. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that last summer, Illinois Senator Barack Obama told officials in the Teamsters union that he favored ending the Independent Review Board (IRB) that was created in 1989 by the federal government to rid the union of organized crime. Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for Obama, confirmed the story, saying that the candidate believed that the IRB had "run its course" because "organized crime influence in the union has drastically declined." The Teamsters subsequently endorsed Obama for president, in late February. Obama and the Teamsters bristled at suggestions that any deal was made.

House panel moves toward impeaching a judge. The Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Wednesday [9/17/2008] to open an investigation of bribery and perjury allegations against U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous. The judge, appointed by President Clinton, is accused of presiding over a trial in which the lawyers involved had given him money. He's also accused of filing for bankruptcy under a false name.

Judge Elizabeth Halverson permanently removed from bench. [Scroll down] "The damage resulting from her antics and willful misconduct will be felt by the judicial system for a significant future period of time," said the commission. The judge had continued to receive a $130,000 annual salary during the suspension. With her removal, Judge Halverson can never serve on the judicial bench again.

They've Got Mail! As an army of Democratic operatives looks for dirt in Alaska, Gov. Sarah Palin's e-mail account is hacked into. It seems Barack Obama's supporters haven't given up the politics of personal destruction.

FBI serves search warrant against UT student in Palin case. The FBI is stepping up its investigation into the possibility that a University of Tennessee student hacked into the personal e-mail of Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin. A person who identified himself as a witness tells 10 News that agents with the FBI served a federal search warrant at the Fort Sanders residence of David Kernell early Sunday morning. Kernell lives in the Commons apartment complex at 1115 Highland Ave. David Kernell is the son of Mike Kernell, a Democratic state representative from Memphis.

FBI searches apartment of alleged Palin hacker. Federal authorities are ramping up an investigation of a 20-year-old college student for allegedly hacking into Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's e-mail account. The FBI searched the apartment of alleged hacker David Kernell on Sunday morning [9/21/2008], and three of Kernell's roommates could testify this week about the case before a grand jury in Chattanooga, according to local news reports.

UT student David Kernell pleads not guilty in Palin e-mail hacking. David Christopher Kernell walked into federal court this morning in handcuffs, shackles and tennis shoes to plead not guilty to hacking Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's personal e-mail account. He can stay out of jail for now as long as he stays off his computer.

Alleged Palin hacker indicted. A 20-year-old college student suspected of hacking into one of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's e-mail accounts was indicted Tuesday [10/7/2008], a district court has announced. David Kernell, a University of Tennessee student and son of Democratic Tennessee state representative Mike Kernell, turned himself into federal authorities and will be arraigned Wednesday before Judge C. Clifford Shirley in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

GOP Laptop Stolen After Missouri Break-in. As break-ins go, this one has the whiff of political dirty tricks. Someone or a group of people broke into the Independence, Mo. Victory Office of the Missouri Republican Party last week and apparently made off with a laptop belonging to regional coordinator Brian Johnson.

Pelosi's Bill Could Benefit Husband's Stock Holding. On July 27, 2007, 28 executives of the Thousand Oaks, Calif., pharmaceutical firm Amgen contributed more than $20,000 to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) campaign. On Aug. 2, Pelosi (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Early Treatment for HIV Act, a bill that could boost Medicaid coverage of HIV-related drugs, including Procrit, which is manufactured by Amgen and marketed by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, a firm in which Pelosi's husband owns at least $250,000 in stock, according to Pelosi's disclosure forms.

Pelosi paid husband with PAC funds. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has directed nearly $100,000 from her political action committee to her husband's real estate and investment firm over the past decade, a practice of paying a spouse with political donations that she supported banning last year. Financial Leasing Services Inc. (FLS), owned by Paul F. Pelosi, has received $99,000 in rent, utilities and accounting fees from the speaker's "PAC to the Future" over the PAC's nine-year history.

House Speaker Pelosi Used Political Donations to Pay Husband's Firm. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid her husband's real estate and investment firm nearly $100,000 from her political action committee over the past decade, a practice that she voted to ban last year and that her party condemned as part of the "culture of corruption" when Republicans did it.

A failure to lead. "For six years, Pelosi served on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (the Ethics Committee)." Six years later, what do we have? Indicted Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, who maintains his House seat in the middle of a corruption trial, without so much as a reprimand from Mrs. Pelosi. Neither did she issue a single admonition to Rep. Charles Rangel, New York Democrat and Ways and Means Committee chairman, for his apparent failure to pay income taxes.

McCain/Palin Could Win this Election by Exposing the Trillion Dollar Scam. This is a trillion dollar scam, and all the politicians in Congress, the ACORN mafia, the people who played the market on unsecured mortgages, and the scam artists who were hired by Freddie and Fannie — they all knew it. In case you haven't been watching, that includes all of Barack Obama's "home mortgage advisors" — Franklin Raines, Jim Johnson and Jamie Gorelick. It includes Senate Banking Committee members like Chris Dodd. It includes House members like Barney Frank.

History of Rewarding ACORN. Between ACORN and the Democrat National Committee we are truly witnessing a culture of corruption. Remember the Marxist adage: Accuse others of what you do. This is the M.O. of the Democrats and their lapdogs in the news media. While they accuse the GOP of "disenfranchising" voters, it is the liberal-left thugs who are disenfranchising citizens by registering illegal aliens and corpses to vote. Meanwhile, conservative groups are on the alert in order to prevent military voters from being disenfranchised since polls regularly show soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines overwhelmingly vote for Republican candidates.

Vote-fraud-seeding ACORN deserves a good cracking. It used to be that Americans — even American political candidates — would simply accept the little Election Day miracles and move on. When the dead rose in Chicago to put John F. Kennedy in the White House, Richard Nixon said one of his many goodbyes and faded into the wallpaper for eight years. When residents of a certain precinct in Texas voted in alphabetical order to send Lyndon Johnson to the U.S. Senate — hey, it could happen. Right? Then Al Gore lost in 2000 and John Kerry lost in 2004 and the conspiracy theorists decided it was time to build a conspiracy that could win for them.

Chicago politics at the retail level. When I lived in Chicago, I joined a neighborhood association with the intent of meeting neighbors, and ended up meeting political sleaze. The association dealt with police, school, park district, and other issues in a city where, I learned, even garbage cans are political. You can't buy them; they're a special, rat-proof type only available 'free' from the City. If you need one, you call your Alderman's office ... .

Illinois most corrupt? Try 18th on list. As I wrote during the presidential campaign, political corruption is the dirty little secret not of just Illinois politics but American politics. True, it isn't on such a gargantuan scale as to create an entirely dysfunctional society as is the case for so many developing nations. But it exists to such a degree in so many places that U.S. Attorneys who handle public corruption cases are probably among the few Americans with real job security these days.

Pennsylvania Democrats charged with stealing public funds. A state lawmaker, a former legislative leader and 10 other people connected to the state House Democratic caucus were charged Thursday over allegations that millions of taxpayer dollars were illegally siphoned to underwrite political campaigns.

Mahoney response lacking to very serious allegations. The time is now for U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-Palm Beach Gardens, to address allegations that he had an affair with a member of his congressional staff, moved her to his campaign staff when word got out about the affair, then paid her to keep quiet.

Former NM senator pleads guilty in corruption case. A once powerful New Mexico politician, former Sen. Manny Aragon, pleaded guilty Wednesday [10/15/2008] to conspiracy and mail fraud in a corruption case centered on construction of a courthouse. ... Aragon, a Democrat, was accused of pocketing $650,000 in an alleged scheme with four other people to bilk the state out of $4.2 million during construction of the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Courthouse.

Bill Clinton's $700,000 stock windfall: The spring before his wife began her White House campaign, former President Bill Clinton earned $700,000 for his foundation by selling stock that he had been given from an Internet search company that was co-founded by a convicted felon and backed by the Chinese government, public records show.

Bill's Mystery Millions: Another day, another reason for Democratic primary voters to demand complete financial transparency from Bill and Hillary Clinton. And, it seems, another reason for the Clintons to shudder at the prospect.

Beg Your Pardon? If a Democrat is elected President of the United States, former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman, a Democrat, might be pardoned. There might even be pressure on a President Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton to appoint this former Alabama Attorney General as a federal judge or a U.S. Attorney. In 2005, jurors in Montgomery found Siegelman guilty on seven counts of bribery, conspiracy, mail fraud and obstruction of justice.

'Find Out Where His Kids Go to School'. "Former Democratic presidential candidate Mike Gravel was caught on tape last week telling a crowd in Washington, D.C., that they should harass a federal prosecutor who helped bring criminal contempt charges against a Palestinian activist," Fox News reports. The "Palestinian activist" in question, Sami Al-Arian, had been charged with aiding Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a theocratic terror group.

Alabama County Is On the Brink of Bankruptcy. Alabama's largest county appears headed for the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history, a $3.2 billion mess created by the nation's credit crunch and a colossal, corruption-riddled sewer project.

A Criminal Case Possible Under the Mann Act. Governor Spitzer, in the wake of the disclosure that he patronized a prostitute last month, now risks criminal prosecution, legal experts say. For now, federal prosecutors are likely launching a wide investigation into Mr. Spitzer's finances to determine whether any public funds, property, or employees were used during any encounter between Mr. Spitzer and a prostitute, several former prosecutors say.

Dirty money trail that exposed Mr Clean: The paper trail that led detectives to the door of a New Jersey-based prostitution service began when they noticed a stream of strange bank payments flowing from the accounts of the governor of New York state, Eliot Spitzer. Tax officials raised the alarm after noticing odd transactions during what they told the New York Times were routine inspections. Their initial suspicion was that the governor may have been involved in some form of corruption, bribery perhaps or manipulation of political funds.

Scandal Confirms Gov's Astonishing and Endless Hypocrisy. A disgraced Gov. Spitzer has been publicly and privately described for more than a year by New York's top political figures as a ruth less, sanctimonious, amoral man whose righteous public persona was regularly contradicted by the realities of how he conducted his political life.

Records reveal lucrative dealings for Memphis mayor's friend. When it comes to landing City Hall subcontracting jobs, Reginald French has a golden touch — a $1.4 million touch. A close friend of Mayor Willie Herenton, French has been paid at least that much, and possibly much more, for a variety of jobs, including a particularly fortuitous deal to install fiber-optic cable at two city police stations. Newly disclosed records tell how French, a onetime prison guard, landed the $68,000 cabling job in 2006 despite lacking experience or equipment for the work. Undaunted, French then hired a cable installation firm — for $30,000 — to perform the work.

State raids mayor's home. Maryland state prosecutors raided the home of Mayor Sheila Dixon yesterday [6/17/2008] as part of an investigation into past spending practices at City Hall, the most aggressive move so far in the years-long probe. … Investigators have been examining spending irregularities at City Hall since a March 2006 series of articles in The Sun that detailed questions about the role of Dixon — then council president — in approving contracts that benefited her sister's employer.

Mayor Sheila Dixon indicted. Baltimore Mayor Sheila A. Dixon was charged today [1/9/2009] with 12 counts of felony theft, perjury, fraud and misconduct in office, becoming the city's first sitting mayor to be criminally indicted. The case stems in part from at least $15,348 in gifts Dixon allegedly received from her former boyfriend, prominent city developer Ronald H. Lipscomb, while she was City Council president.

Update:
Convicted Dem Mayor of Baltimore Resigning; BaltSun Leaves Out Party Affiliation. Criminally-challenged Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon (D) today announced her resignation from office effective February 4. Nowhere in their 9-paragraph breaking news article filed at 3:44 p.m. EST today did Baltimore Sun reporters Liz F. Kay and Liz Bowie note Dixon is a Democrat, even though her party has a monopoly on the city's elected officials and has for decades.

Georgia Rep. Ron Sailor Resigns After Pleading Guilty to Money Laundering. A Georgia lawmaker who said deep debts caused him to violate federal law agreed Tuesday [3/18/2008] to resign as part of a guilty plea to federal money laundering charges. Meanwhile, federal officials said the case against state Rep. Ron Sailor Jr. has opened up a broader public corruption probe in Georgia, and warned other public officials who have broken the law to turn themselves in rather than be arrested.

Former state Sen. Ford is guilty again. In the end, former state Sen. John Ford's disclosures, the ones he revealed and the ones he tried to hide, led to the downfall of the once-powerful Memphis Democrat, who was convicted Friday [7/18/2008] on federal corruption charges. A federal jury convicted Ford on two counts of wire fraud and four counts of concealing material facts stemming from the secret payments he took from two TennCare contractors while he was in the Tennessee Senate.

Officials Investigate Three Alabama Counties in Voter Fraud Accusations. Federal and state authorities are looking into accusations of voting fraud in three largely black counties of Alabama, including Perry and Lowndes Counties, which played a historic role in the struggle for black voting rights in the 1960s. In May, a local citizens group gathered affidavits detailing several cases in which at least one Democratic county official paid citizens for their votes, or encouraged them to vote multiple times.

Prominent Democrat is charged with voter fraud. Todd Stuart McGuire, a longtime Jefferson County Democratic Party supporter, was charged July 2 with voter fraud. He's accused of either repeating a vote or impersonating his wife, Rebekah, by casting her ballot in a Feb. 6, 2007, special election. Both charges are Class C felonies and carry a maximum penalty of five years in jail and/or a $10,000 fine, according to charging documents.

Gov. Paterson says he may have used campaign cash for hotel hookup. Gov. Paterson admitted Wednesday [3/19/2008] he may have improperly billed his campaign for at least one hotel tryst with a girlfriend. The hotel tryst was apparently listed as "constituent services."

Hot-Sheets Gov Puts $$ Back 'Inn'. Gov. Paterson is reimbursing his state Senate campaign for stays at a Manhattan hotel, as his aides revealed he'd also improperly used the account to buy suits, furniture and a dinner with his dad. … It is also a violation of state election law to falsely label the reason for the campaign expenditure.

Paterson Billed Taxpayers for Albany Hotels. State records seem to conflict with Governor Paterson's claim that a busy schedule as lieutenant governor required him on more than a dozen occasions to spend the night at expensive hotels in Albany on the taxpayer's dime rather than at his home in the suburbs.

Durham Democratic Party official accused in rituals. Allegations that a local Democratic official and her husband were involved in satanic rituals that included shackling people to beds, caging them and depriving them of food and water have horrified county party leaders. Joy Johnson, 30, a third vice-chairwoman of the Durham County Democratic Party and vice chairwoman of the Young Democrats, was charged Friday [6/27/2008] with two counts of aiding and abetting.

Host Indicted, Clinton Fund-Raiser Canceled. A Dec. 15 fund-raising event for Hillary Clinton at the home of prominent Mississippi trial laywer Richard "Dickie" Scruggs is off, now that Scruggs has been indicted for bribery.

A Clinton Goldmine. New York Times sources say that if Sen. Hillary Clinton loses the Democratic nomination or a general election for President, it will largely be due to the efforts of their investigative and political reporter Jo Becker, who yesterday reported on the ties between former President Bill Clinton and Canadian mining magnate Frank Giustra, who has committed almost a quarter billion dollars to Clinton's foundation, largely after Clinton appeared to pave the way for Giustra's company to get a sweet uranium mining deal in Kazakhstan.

Clinton's Filthy Lucre. Is it just us, or is there something off about ex-president Bill Clinton using his influence overseas to enrich a pal and then accepting the pal's big donation to his foundation? This looks like a bribery racket. Strong words, yes, but a New York Times report details a 2005 incident of Clinton and a minor Canadian mining financier jetting into Kazakhstan, where the two met with the local strongman.

Four indicted on voter fraud. Four Duval County residents were charged Thursday with illegally handling ballot applications and mail-in ballots that belonged to other voters during the 2006 primary election.

Jefferson Saga Continues to Vex Democrats. Since the news broke in 2005 that FBI agents found $90,000 in cash in the freezer of Rep. William J. Jefferson's home, House Democrats have not known quite what to do about the Louisiana lawmaker. The latest embarrassment arose Wednesday, when Democrats delayed action on placing Jefferson on the Homeland Security Committee after Republicans said they would demand a recorded vote.

Editor's note:
Much more material about Congressman Jefferson's case can be found here.

Disgraced judge has his criminal record expunged. C. Hunter King, the disgraced Orleans Parish Civil District Court judge who in 2001 forced his employees to sell $250 fundraising tickets or risk losing their jobs, now has a clean record. Having admitted in May to conspiracy to commit public payroll fraud, King was granted expungement of his criminal arrest and conviction after successfully completing six months of probation.

South Texas Democrat, businessman indicted. A major contributor to Democratic causes and political races was indicted Friday [11/16/2007] on charges of falsely holding himself out as a lawyer and impersonating a public servant. Mauricio Celis, a Corpus Christi businessman, has a controlling interest in the CGT Law Group of Corpus Christi even though he is not a lawyer. Now, he's being accused of practicing law without a license.

Agents raid Texas Democrat's offices. Authorities raided the offices of an influential Democratic donor on Friday [1/4/2008], prompting accusations by the donor's attorneys that the raid was politically motivated. The state attorney general's office said it was assisting the Nueces County district attorney in the criminal investigation of Mauricio Celis, 36, who has given money to major Democratic candidates including Hillary Clinton and is the subject of numerous ongoing lawsuits and charges.

Are Democratic Convention Superdelegates Up for Sale? The Democratic presidential nomination could be decided by the so-called "superdelegates." Now one study is revealing that elected officials who serve in that capacity have received at least $890,000 in campaign contributions from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the last three years.

Obama staffer arrested on Illinois warrant. An intern working for Sen. Barack Obama's presidential campaign was arrested Friday at the Des Moines airport after authorities flagged an outstanding arrest warrant for aggravated battery in Illinois. Derrick Lamon Johnson, 20, of Glen Carbon, Ill., was also charged with fleeing from justice.

The gig is up for Berry. After nearly a quarter century of mischief-making at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Chairman Mary Frances Berry is on her way out the door. Few government officials in the nation's history have managed to hold on to power for so long or wielded it as autocratically and in pursuit of such radical aims as has Dr. Berry.

Another dictator toppled (here at home). Mary Frances Berry, chairman of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, is resigning. Those scratch marks on the floor may be from her fingernails as they dragged her from the building by her feet. Berry has been a member of the commission for 24 of its 47 years. ... Berry departs with allegations of mismanagement swirling about her head. The commission is small potatoes, Washington-wise, with a budget of only $9 million and a staff of only 70. But no one knows how that money has been spent over the past 12 years, while Berry has presided with an iron hand.

It's hard to imagine a two-year-old opening a checking account.
As Campaigns Chafe at Limits, Donors Might Be in Diapers. Elrick Williams's toddler niece Carlyn may be one of the youngest contributors to this year's presidential campaign. The 2-year-old gave $2,300 to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). So did her sister and brother, Imara, 13, and Ishmael, 9, and her cousins Chan and Alexis, both 13. Altogether, according to newly released campaign finance reports, the extended family of Williams, a wealthy Chicago financier, handed over nearly a dozen checks in March for the maximum allowed under federal law to Obama.

Hillary Clinton: Shill for the pill. Last year, just as Andrew von Eschenbach's name was being floated for FDA director, Barr CEO Bruce Downey cut a $1,000 check to Clinton's campaign. A couple of weeks later, Hillary announced her hold on Eschenbach's nomination and introduced her Plan B subsidy bill. This year, the day after Clinton introduced her Plan B awareness bill, Barr Executive Vice President Frederick J. Killion donated $1,000 to her campaign. Although the timing is interesting, those paltry contributions from Barr hardly give Clinton a reason to push Plan B. Boosting Planned Parenthood?s bottom line, however, certainly serves Hillary's purposes.

New House rules don't stop travel. [Scroll down] The Michigan Democrat stayed overnight at the Gaylord Palms Resort near Orlando. Her trip was one of 30 trips taken by lawmakers this year under an exemption in the new House travel rules that allows for one- or two-night stays sponsored by companies that employ lobbyists. Most of the trips were to resort areas, including eight to Florida and three to Las Vegas. In all, 22 House Democrats and three Republicans accepted nearly $40,000 in travel under that exemption, according to reports filed with the House ethics committee.

FEC Fines Group Allied With Democrats. A union-financed advocacy group that played a major role in the 2004 elections has agreed to pay a $580,000 fine after the Federal Election Commission concluded it illegally ran advertising against President Bush and in favor of Democrat John Kerry.

The Democratic Mega-Money Mega-Scam. On Wednesday [8/29/2007], the Federal Election Commission slapped America Coming Together with a $775,000 fine — the third-largest such penalty in history — for violating campaign-finance laws in the 2004 election. Now largely defunct, America Coming Together was the biggest of the so-called "527" groups that took in millions from donors like George Soros for the purpose of defeating George W. Bush.

Soros-linked group hit with huge fine. The Federal Election Commission has fined one of the last cycle's biggest liberal political action committees $775,000 for using unregulated soft money to boost John Kerry and other Democratic candidates during the 2004 elections. America Coming Together (ACT) raised $137 million for its get-out-the-vote effort in 2004, but the FEC found most of that cash came through contributions that violated federal limits.

FEC Fines Political Group From 2004 Race. An independent political group allied with Democrats has agreed to pay $775,000 in penalties to the Federal Election Commission for violating campaign laws during the 2004 presidential campaign. The penalty, announced Wednesday, is the third largest fine ever levied by the FEC. The group, America Coming Together, was an influential player in the 2004 election cycle, spending millions of dollars to mobilize voters in support of Democrats in key states.

Hillary's Ironic Use of the Word 'Unscrupulous'. Hillary Clinton is now pitching her multi-billion dollar bailout plan for the "victims" of "unscrupulous" mortgage brokers who act "dishonestly and try to take advantage of people". And what will fix the problem of "unscrupulous" business people? Why, more government bureaucracy and our money, of course. It's as if Madame Hillary thinks we taxpayers won't mind one little bit just eating cake, while she gives away a billion here and another few billion there; after all it's not her money.

Another Clinton supporter facing criminal charges. Another prominent Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter is facing serious criminal charges. Passaic, N.J., Mayor Samuel "Sammy" Rivera, recently named to Clinton's national Hispanic outreach team, was one of 11 Garden State politicians snared in a federal sting yesterday involving school contracts.

Is Hillary Clinton's star fading? [Scroll down] Other news surfaced this week that was not good for Clinton, but this had more to do with her husband. The Wall Street Journal had a piece detailing former President Bill Clinton's involvement in a "messy" investment deal involving his personal aide Douglas Band, Yucaipa Cos., an investment firm Clinton has served as "a partner and senior advisor," and Raffaello Follieri, a glitzy 20-something Italian businessman who likes to turn his personal contacts into cash.

Big Source of Clinton's Cash Is an Unlikely Address. One of the biggest sources of political donations to Hillary Rodham Clinton is a tiny, lime-green bungalow that lies under the flight path from San Francisco International Airport. Six members of the Paw family, each listing the house at 41 Shelbourne Ave. as their residence, have donated a combined $45,000 to the Democratic senator from New York since 2005, for her presidential campaign, her Senate re-election last year and her political action committee.

A Bundle of Trouble: Take the Paw family of Daly City, Calif., which is headed by a mail carrier who makes $49,000 a year. Members of the family have given almost $300,000 to politicians, including Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama, since 2004, often on or about the same days that Mr. Hsu gave money. The U.S. Justice Department is investigating whether any Hsu donors were illegally reimbursed for their contributions.

Did someone mention Norman HSU?

Note: Instead of creating a subsection about Yung Yuen "Norman" Hsu, I have moved all of the news and commentary about Hsu to this page.

Clinton Supporter Arrested in N.J. Corruption Sting. It was the latest legal embarrassment involving an ally of the Clinton campaign, coming only one day after a wealthy Clinton donor, Norman Hsu, missed his court date in a California fraud case and apparently disappeared.

The phantom mayor: Four of the last eight mayors [of Atlantic City, NJ] have been arrested. One-third of last year's nine-member City Council is in prison or under house arrest. Former Council President Craig Callaway is in federal prison for taking bribes in office.

Mayors, legislators arrested in New Jersey corruption probe. Two mayors and two state legislators are among 11 public officials arrested in New Jersey as part of a corruption investigation, the U.S. attorney's office in Trenton announced Thursday [9/6/2007]. Prosecutors say the state officials accepted cash bribes — ranging from $1,500 to $17,500 at a time — from insurance brokerage and roofing companies and in return awarded the companies with public contracts.

Kenosha County executive indicted. Kenosha County Executive Allan Kehl was indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury in Milwaukee on charges that he accepted $15,000 to $20,000 in bribes from millionaire Dennis Troha, according to court documents. Disguised as campaign contributions, the cash was designed to reward Kehl's efforts to land an Indian casino in Kenosha, and other actions he took as the county's top elected official, the indictment charges.

Donors Stir 'Bundling' Questions. When Hillary Rodham Clinton held an intimate fund-raising event at her Washington home in late March, Pamela Layton donated $4,600, the maximum allowed by law, to Mrs. Clinton's presidential campaign. But the 37-year-old Ms. Layton says she and her husband were reimbursed by her husband's boss for the donations.

State says food stamp boss looted $1.5 million. A state food stamps supervisor in Plantation was arrested Friday afternoon [12/7/2007] on charges she diverted about $1.5 million in state welfare dollars — some of which was spent on a Lexus sport utility vehicle and a Lexus sedan or was spent gambling at local casinos, police say. Violet Jones, 41, of Miramar, was charged Friday by agents from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement with first-degree grand theft of more than $100,000, participating in an organized scheme to defraud, identity theft, official misconduct, unlawful compensation….

James Indicted on 25 Counts. Sharpe James, who for two decades reigned as the mayor and indelible face of Newark, was charged yesterday [7/12/2007] with fraudulently billing the city for lavish vacations he took with female companions and arranging for one to buy valuable municipal land at a steep discount. In an 86-page indictment, prosecutors and the FBI portrayed James as an elected official who considered no personal expense too great or too small for his city-issued credit cards, charging everything from movie tickets and meals at McDonald's to airfare and luxury hotels in five countries.

That wasn't bling on his wrists and ankles. Mayor Sharpe James stepped into the courtroom carefully yesterday because his legs were in irons. When he sat at the defense table, he put his hands on his lap, hiding his handcuffs from the overflow crowd that could hardly believe what they were witnessing.

Sweetheart deals for mayor's friend are key to charges. Tamika Riley, a woman with a flair for fashion and an appetite for finery, appeared to be flat broke. Her Newark clothing boutique had gone belly up. She needed public assistance to help pay the rent on her Jersey City apartment. She wanted a Mercedes, but her credit was so bad a friend had to sign the lease for her. Then, in the late 1990s, she met Newark Mayor Sharpe James, and her fortunes turned.

Former N.J. mayor pleads not guilty. Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James pleaded not guilty Monday to federal corruption charges stemming from the last few years of his two decades running city hall. James, 71, faces multiple fraud counts accusing him of using city-issued credit cards to pay for $58,000 worth of personal trips and expenses.

Sharpe James is due in federal court. Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James is scheduled to appear in federal court today [2/26/2008] for the first of two federal corruption trials.

Judge upholds convictions of ex-Newark mayor. A federal judge on Wednesday upheld the corruption convictions of former Newark Mayor Sharpe James and his one-time mistress, but indicated that James probably will get less than the 15- to 20-year prison sentence prosecutors are seeking.

Update:
Former Newark Mayor Is Sentenced to 27 Months. A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced Sharpe James, Newark's towering yet controversial former mayor, to prison for 27 months at a simmering five-hour hearing in which he rebuked the prosecution for "heartlessly" adhering to a bureaucratic form of justice.

Culture of corruption continues in D.C.. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, for instance, is planning a lavish golf trip to a resort in Puerto Rico. More than 100 rooms have been booked for the event, according to a report by American Public Media's "Marketplace." Hoyer will be surrounded by lobbyists as they experience what the resort promises will be a "sensual awakening." ... Democrats were supposed to rein in the "culture of corruption," not hide it behind a curtain.

Puerto Rico Governor Charged in Probe. A law enforcement official says Puerto Rico's governor has been charged in a long-running public corruption probe in the U.S. island territory. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Thursday [3/27/2008] that Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila is among several people named in a sealed indictment.

Finance filings show jet-setting on private groups' dime. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee traveled to Africa and Haiti last year on private groups' dime while a fellow Houston-area congressman, Ted Poe, stayed stateside. … Jackson Lee headed to Haiti in October as part of what the sponsor, The Institute of the Black World 21st Century, billed as a pilgrimage to bring economic revival to Milot, a town located at the base of a mountaintop fortress.

Detroit Mayor Loses Fight Over Secret Papers. The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday [2/27/2008] ordered the release of a trove of documents that revealed how Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick of Detroit and city lawyers tried to cover up Mr. Kilpatrick's extramarital affair with his chief of staff, as well as text messages that could expose the mayor to perjury charges.

NJ Clean Energy Program Under Investigation. New Jersey's Clean Energy Program (CEP), responsible for promoting energy conservation and the use of renewable energy in the state, is coming under heavy criticism for accounting irregularities, apparent cronyism, and gross mismanagement. The latest salvo was fired on October 16 [2006] when Bob Ingle, the Trenton bureau chief for Gannett New Jersey newspapers, called for a stepped-up investigation of financial irregularities associated with the program.

Expanding probe hits office of governor. The federal investigation of the state's secretive budget process reached into the governor's office yesterday, as prosecutors subpoenaed three years of records involving nearly $1 billion in special interest grants. The subpoenas, covering the administrations of three governors, sought budget records, computer files, reports and letters to determine what the state's top elected officials knew about the so-called "Christmas tree" awards.

Bill's Ugly Buddy: Payments from Scandal-tied Firm. Every year since he left the White House, former President Bill Clinton has been paid by InfoUSA — an Omaha, Neb., company now identified as a key provider of databases that enable criminals to defraud the unsuspecting elderly.

Top Clinton Donor Helps Defraud Elderly. The mainstream media coverage of a company being federally investigated for selling databases of sick and unsuspecting elderly to scam artists conveniently fails to mention that the firm's owner has given Bill and Hillary Clinton millions of dollars over the years. The wealthy Nebraska entrepreneur, Vinod Gupta, owns the Omaha-based marketing database company called infoUSA Inc. which happens to be one of the nation's largest compilers of consumer information that is later sold to marketing firms.

Getting Out the Vote, Democrat Style. It doesn't seem to matter to Democrats if the voters turn out to be fraudulent. The history of the Democrat party in this regard is scandalous. As far back as before the John F. Kennedy run for the presidency, the city of Chicago was known for its fraud. The city was run by Democrats and used a reward system for voting Democrat.

Former Ald. Arenda Troutman pleads guilty. Former Ald. Arenda Troutman pleaded guilty to two federal counts this afternoon [8/6/2008], including admitting to taking bribes as an alderman. Troutman could face up to 56 months in prison.

Ex-alderman pleads guilty to fraud charges. After she was charged with corruption in early 2007, Ald. Arenda Troutman (20th) defiantly denied wrongdoing and suggested she had been targeted for political reasons. … But on Wednesday [8/6/2008], a subdued Troutman admitted that prosecutors had been right after all and that for several years she had solicited cash from developers to back projects in her ward.

Felony charges filed against 7 in state's biggest case of voter-registration fraud. King and Pierce County prosecutors filed felony charges today against seven people who allegedly committed the biggest voter-registration fraud in state history. The defendants, who were paid employees and supervisors of ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, concocted the scheme as an easy way to get paid, not as an attempt to influence the outcome of elections, King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg said.

ACORN falls again: The worst case of voter-registration fraud in Washington state history. Guess which left-wing group is at the center of the worst case of voter-registration fraud in Washington state history? Yep, you guessed it: ACORN. The same ACORN tied to massive voter fraud in Missouri. And Ohio. And 12 other states.

Voter fraud charges deserve investigation. They very well may be innocent coincidences, but voter confidence in the integrity of elections is too important to allow the Palm Beach County Republican Party's allegations of double-voting go without a thorough investigation. Local party leaders say they found 60 instances in which people with the exact same name and birth date voted both in Palm Beach County and in New York in the November elections.

New Mexico Governor Gets More Tainted Money. Returning tainted campaign cash — only after being exposed by the media — has become an annual ritual for a Democratic governor who hopes to become the nation's next president. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who raised $6 million in the first quarter of his presidential campaign, gave about $24,000 to charities last year after it was made public that the money was donated by a shady securities broker implicated in a state kickback scheme.

Bill Richardson tarnished by scandal. Over the span of just three months, Bill Richardson has gone from being on the shortlist for secretary of state to late-night punch line, a breathtaking descent that has tarnished his once-sparkling career.

Panel calls for suspension of Judge Nettles-Nickerson. Ingham County Circuit Judge Beverley Nettles-Nickerson should be immediately suspended from the bench, a state panel says. The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission on Wednesday [5/16/2007] released a 40-page complaint with a laundry list of charges of both official and unofficial misconduct. It says Nettles-Nickerson did too little work, committed fraud in filing for divorce outside of Ingham County, had improper communications with attorneys with cases before her and showed a willingness to "play the race card" to her advantage.

Attorney Firing Precedent. Democrats should be wary of pressing Bush too far because there is ample precedent on their own side of Democratic presidents who fired U.S. attorneys and other high-ranking officials just to halt investigations of their political allies. For example, two Democratic presidents — Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman — worked for years to protect a notorious racketeer named Thomas Pendergast because he ran a Democratic machine in Missouri.

Hands Off My Fridge, Meathead. This is not the commission's only questionable contract. First 5 [an unelected commission to promote children's health that he's headed for six years] has received to date $800 million — about 20% — of the tobacco proceeds that Mr. Reiner convinced California voters to impose on themselves in a 1998 referendum. Of this, the commission has awarded contracts totaling about $230 million to firms or individuals known to Mr. Reiner — some of them without competitive bidding.

Philadelphia Senator Vincent Fumo Indicted For Stealing From Charity. The charges mark the third time that Vincent Fumo, a Democrat state senator from Philadelphia, is indicted in his storied political career. In 1973 he was indicted for voter fraud and in 1980 for putting ghost employees on the state payroll, for which he was convicted. In anticipation of his third indictment, Fumo resigned from a key senate committee post earlier this week.

Pennsylvania Senator Indicted on 139 Counts. State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo, one of the most powerful figures in Pennsylvania politics, was indicted Tuesday [2/6/2007] on 139 federal counts alleging he used a nonprofit group for personal and political gain and defrauded the state Senate out of $1 million. Many of the charges stem from Fumo's ties to a nonprofit agency in his South Philadelphia district. … The Philadelphia Democrat, who has beaten two previous indictments, promised to clear his name.

Ex-Party Boss in Brooklyn Guilty of Corruption. Clarence Norman Jr., the deposed Democratic assemblyman and party leader from Brooklyn, was convicted today on charges that he shook down judicial candidates seeking party support, in his fourth corruption trial in two years. In the latest case, Mr. Norman was found guilty of attempted grand larceny in the fourth degree by extortion; grand larceny in the third degree by extortion and coercion in the second degree.

Transcript of 'Lou Dobbs Tonight' on CNN: The Democrats vow to take on the culture of corruption in Washington, but are they just part of it? The Democratic congressman likely to head the committee that overseas the FBI budget is himself under investigation by the FBI. And the congressman who was found with $90,000 in his freezer [is] headed for another term after being re-elected to the House.

Rep. Wright turns himself in following criminal indictment. State Rep. Thomas Wright (D-NC) appeared before a Wake County magistrate Friday on six felony charges for illegally obtaining or misusing more than $350,000.

Identity of Edwards Home's Buyers Veiled. When former North Carolina senator and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards finally succeeded last month in selling his imposing Georgetown mansion for $5.2 million after it had languished on the market, the names of the buyers were not publicly disclosed. At the time, Edwards's spokeswoman told reporters that the house had been sold to an unidentified corporation. In reality, the buyers were Paul and Terry Klaassen, according to several sources and confirmed by Edwards's spokeswoman yesterday [1/18/2007].

FBI Probing Edwards Senate Campaign Donor. The FBI is investigating five-year-old contributions by the family of a Mississippi trial lawyer to former Democratic Sen. John Edwards. The investigation into lawyer Paul Minor — part of a long-running and controversial federal case — has come to Washington in recent weeks, where four former fundraising aides to Edwards have spoken voluntarily to FBI agents.

Flight could cause problem for Edwards. With John Edwards under investigation by a federal grand jury, two former prosecutors say a trip he made to the home of a wealthy supporter — and possible witness — could raise legal questions. On Friday [12/11/2009], a Raleigh TV station showed Edwards at the Raleigh-Durham airport walking off a plane belonging to Rachel "Bunny" Mellon, a wealthy heiress who supported the former Democrat's presidential candidate's campaign.

Former Tennessee state senator found guilty of bribery. A once-influential state senator arrested in a statewide corruption scandal that led to an overhaul of Tennessee ethics laws was convicted of taking bribes Friday and will likely serve time in federal prison. Former Sen. John Ford, 64, was convicted of taking $55,000 in cash from what appeared to be a computer recycling outfit but was actually an FBI front company.

Memphis Democrat Roscoe Dixon convicted of extortion and payoffs. A former state senator was convicted [June 2006] of extortion for taking payoffs from a fake company set up by the FBI to catch corrupt lawmakers. Roscoe Dixon, a Memphis Democrat, was the first of five lawmakers charged in the case to go to trial.

Frankel misused money, grand jury finds. A newly released section of a grand jury report says Mayor Lois Frankel misused city money to send a "personal political message" when she included an anti-Iraq war message in a city newsletter mailed to residents with their utility bills in September.

Former Arkansas governor hit with ethics complaint over destroyed hard drives. Former Gov. Mike Huckabee, who ordered the destruction of a number of computer hard drives before leaving office last month, is now the subject of the ethics complaint because of his actions. Hard drives in 83 computers and four servers were destroyed, according to Claire Bailey, director of the Arkansas Department of Information Systems (DIS). She said that her office backed up information from the servers, but not the computers, and gave the backup tapes to Huckabee's former chief of staff. The DIS apparently did not retain a copy of the data on the backup tapes.

You may not know this, but deleted computer files can be recovered.

Congressman Recuses Himself. Rep. Alan Mollohan, under Justice Department investigation about whether he has benefited from directing federal funds to nonprofit groups he helped start, recused himself Wednesday [1/10/2007] from working on the department's budget. The move came on the day Mollohan, D-W.Va., was named chairman of an Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the department's budget. At issue is at least $202 million of federal funding that Mollohan has steered to five nonprofit groups in his district -- with much of the money going to organizations run by people who contribute to the lawmaker's campaigns.

A sweet deal for 'official' felons. James A. Traficant Jr., the former Democratic congressman convicted of racketeering and taking bribes, is wiling away prison time painting colorful pictures but also able to collect a congressional pension of nearly $40,000 a year. He is one of about 20 former senators and congressmen with felony rap sheets who can receive the taxpayer-financed benefit.

Spouses who are lobbyists remain issue. When Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., rose to the Senate floor last summer and passionately argued for keeping the federal estate tax, he left one person with an interest in retaining the tax unmentioned. The multibillion-dollar life-insurance industry, which was fighting to preserve the tax because life insurers have a lucrative business selling policies and annuities to Americans for estate planning, has employed Dorgan's wife as a lobbyist since 1999.

Ex-attorney general Morales at S.A. halfway house. Former Texas Attorney General Dan Morales has come home to San Antonio to serve out the remainder of a four-year sentence for his federal case related to the state's record settlement with the tobacco industry. Morales was transferred last month from a federal prison in Texarkana to a halfway house in San Antonio, according to his brother, Michael Morales.

Katrina Activist Gets Probation. An activist who has been a leader in efforts to rebuild a New Orleans neighborhood destroyed by Hurricane Katrina was sentenced Wednesday [2/27/2008] to five years of probation for his role in a loan fraud scheme.

Clinton Pardoned Hastings's Co-Conspirator. — The convicted felon who went to jail rather than testify against Alcee Hastings.

Conservative group files suit against Rep. Hastings. Judicial Watch, a conservative public interest group, filed suit Monday against Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) on behalf a former female employee who claims she was sexually harassed by the Democrat. In the lawsuit, a former staffer on the United States Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Winsome Packer, alleges she was the victim of "unwelcome sexual advances" and "unwelcome touching" by then-chairman Hastings.

Rep. Alcee Hastings is now facing an ethics investigation. Reaffirming the ongoing perception that sex scandals and Congress go together like bacon and eggs, Florida Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings is now facing an ethics investigation over allegations of sexual harassment. A congressional ethics panel investigation into the Florida congressman is in its early stages. The inquiry reportedly began after Judicial Watch filed a law suit on behalf of a former female employee who was the alleged victim of Hasting's "unwelcome sexual advances," "unwelcome touching" and "retaliation."

Alcee Hastings faces congressional ethics probe. Florida Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings faces a House ethics investigation over sexual harassment charges made by a female former member of his staff. An inquiry by the Office of Congressional Ethics began at least a month ago, Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, the conservative group that recently filed a lawsuit against Hastings on the charges, told POLITICO on Wednesday [6/22/2011].

Florida Lawmaker Faces Ethics Review. A congressional ethics panel is investigating allegations that Florida Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings sexually harassed a member of his staff, according to people familiar with the matter. The investigation of Mr. Hastings is being conducted by the Office of Congressional Ethics, the House's independent ethics investigative arm, and it is at a preliminary stage.

Rep. Alcee Hastings (Democrat) Faces Sexual Harassment Charges. I'm sure feminist Nancy Pelosi will jump right in and declare that Hastings should resign for the good of the People.

Did someone mention Nancy "drain the swamp" Pelosi?

Office of Congressional Ethics: 'Probable Cause' to Believe Rep. Hastings Sexually Harassed JW Client Winsome Packer. Last week brought a stunning development in Judicial Watch's efforts to hold Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) accountable for sexually harassing Winsome Packer when they were both involved in the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, known as the Helsinki Commission. (Hastings was the chairman and Ms. Packer was his employee). The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) has concluded there is "probable cause" to believe Hastings "violated House rules, standards of conduct and federal law."

Harry Reid Can't Bleed. Democrats across America are measuring the drapes for the majority in the House and the Senate, preparing to swear in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. One of their major talking points this year has been the Republican majority's "culture of corruption." … The Democratic National Committee even had a page on their website devoted to the "Republican Culture of Corruption." But that "Culture of Corruption" page on the DNC home page has disappeared. Something funny happened on the way to the polls this year. The Democrats have shown they have their own contemporary ethical problems.

Senator's expenses questioned. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid has been using campaign funds instead of his personal money to pay Christmas bonuses for the support staff at the Ritz-Carlton, where he lives in an upscale condominium. Federal election law bars candidates from converting political donations for personal use.

Reid Decides to Amend Ethics Reports. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid announced Monday [10/16/2006] he is amending his ethics reports to Congress to more fully account for a land deal that allowed him to collect $1.1 million for property he hadn't personally owned for three years. Reid acted several days after The Associated Press reported the senator didn't disclose to Congress that he first sold the land to a friend's company back in 2001 and took an ownership stake in the company.

Reid of the Ritz. Senator Reid, the Democratic Party's leader in the Senate, will reimburse his campaign fund for $3,300 that it spent on Christmas bonuses for workers at the Ritz-Carlton luxury condominium where he lives in Washington, the Associated Press reported yesterday. Which raises the question: The Ritz-Carlton? The Democrats, who tout themselves as the party of the common man, are rapidly turning into the party of the plutocrats.

Head of Nation's Largest Municipal Labor Council Arrested in NYC. A seven-term Democratic state assemblyman who also is president of the nation's largest municipal labor council was arrested on federal racketeering charges Tuesday, accused of stealing more than $2 million from the state, labor unions and even a Little League fund.

Small potatoes...
Graham pleads guilty in DWI case. Sen. Chuck Graham (D-Columbia, MO) pleaded guilty today in Fulton to driving while intoxicated and was fined $500.

Swift Boat Vets, Moveon.org, Conservation Group Fined $630,000. Three groups that played a prominent role in the 2004 presidential election agreed to pay almost $630,000 in fines for campaign finance violations, the Federal Election Commission announced today [12/13/2006]. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth will pay $299,500, the League of Conservation Voter Fund $180,000 and Moveon.org Voter Fund $150,000. They failed to register as political action committees as required for those campaigning for or against a particular candidate and thus should have been barred from accepting contributions greater than $5,000, the FEC said.

Democrats need to act on Black. If state House Democrats look the other way in the latest Jim Black scandal, every single one of them should be voted out of office. The Raleigh News & Observer uncovered the latest news about the House Speaker, and it's typical Black sleaze. The newspaper reported Friday that Ann Lassiter, Black's coordinator for teenage House pages, was having some pages room with her son, a felon with a history of drug and alcohol problems.

Panel: Leaked Gingrich call broke rules. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., violated ethics standards by giving reporters access to an illegally taped telephone call involving Republican leaders a decade ago, the House ethics committee said Monday [12/11/2006]. McDermott, who at the time was the panel's senior Democrat, failed to meet his obligations as a committee leader, said a report released two days after Congress adjourned for the year. The panel took no action other than the report.

The Democrats' Bad, Bad Boy: Democrat Jim Moran's troubled and troubling career in government has gone largely unnoticed outside the Beltway. The six-term congressman, up for re-election this fall, ought to be one of the media's top poster boys for abuse of power.

John Conyers And The Muslim Caucus. The likely new chairman of the House Judiciary Committee says he's just fighting bigotry in leading a Democrat jihad to deny law enforcement key terror-fighting tools. But he is in the pocket of Islamists. John Conyers, son of a leftist Detroit union activist, represents the largest Arab population in the country. His district includes Dearborn, Mich., nicknamed "Dearbornistan" by locals fed up with cultural encroachment and terror fears from a steady influx of Mideast immigrants.

Housing Authority sues ex-execs, alleging fraud. The city Housing Authority filed a lawsuit Monday against its former executive director, Donald Smith, and a former assistant director, Lucille A. Loyce, alleging fraud and conspiracy stemming from contracts improperly steered to Loyce's friend Dwayne E. Williams II. The problem was discovered by a federal audit in 2005. Charles E. Slyngstad, an attorney for the agency, said the lawsuit seeks to recover an unspecified amount of improperly spent money that "is at least in the millions."

Senate hopes to hinge on corruption charges in N.J.. The same Democratic leaders who have long hoped to regain control of Congress by blasting a Republican "culture of corruption" are in danger of losing their shot at the Senate because of accusations of corruption against Sen. Robert Menendez. What was expected to be an easy win for Democrats has become one of the nation's most hotly contested Senate races.

Reid Land Deal Not Sexy Enough for Front Page. The news that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) failed to disclose a land deal that earned him $700,000 — three years after he sold the land to a friend's company — isn't "sexy" enough for front page news, according to one political analyst.

Reid Accepted Free Boxing Tickets While a Related Bill Was Pending. Senate Democratic Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) accepted free ringside tickets from the Nevada Athletic Commission to three professional boxing matches while that state agency was trying to influence him on federal regulation of boxing. … In an interview Thursday [5/25/2006] in his Capitol office, Reid defended his decisions to accept the tickets and to take several actions benefiting former lobbyist Jack Abramoff's clients and partners as they donated to him.

Update:
Reid says he won't accept free tickets. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid learned that what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas after all.

Donkeys misbehavin'. A refreshing book, low in rhetoric and high in historical fact (with over 600 footnotes), Donkey Cons chronicles crime after crime committed by the Left and how its representatives are seemingly immune to judgment, never held accountable, and actually rewarded for their crimes by moving to some of the most powerful positions in the party (eg. Teddy Kennedy, Hill and Bill Clinton).

Hillary Clinton's Former Campaign Finance Director Indicted. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's former finance director has been indicted on charges of filing fictitious reports that misstated contributions for a Hollywood fund-raising gala for the senator, the Justice Department said Friday [7/6/2007]. The indictment, rare for a political campaign, was unsealed in Los Angeles charging David Rosen with four counts of filing false reports with the Federal Election Commission.

Trustee: Sen. Clinton's brother owes debts to carnival operators. Tony Rodham, the brother of Democratic presidential contender Sen. Hillary Clinton, is being asked again to appear in court on debts owed to a Tennessee carnival operator whose owners received presidential pardons from President Bill Clinton.

Pardon Scandal Still Looms for Sen. Clinton's Brother. A court-appointed bankruptcy trustee asked a federal judge this week to schedule a new court date in a case against Tony Rodham, the brother of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., accused of failing to repay $109,000 in loans from a carnival company whose owners received controversial pardons issued by President Bill Clinton in the last hours of his presidency.

Update:
Clinton's Brother Near Legal Settlement. A lawyer for the brother of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said he's confident he can avoid a trial next week and settle a lawsuit that accuses Tony Rodham of failing to repay debts to a Tennessee carnival operator. That should be a relief to Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign since the case could have revived stories about how her brothers accepted money from people pardoned by her husband, President Bill Clinton.

How Hillary Became New York Senator. Rabbi Twersky has never publicly commented about the sins of his community members and repeatedly turned down interviews to explain the scandal. That visit launched a series of events that culminated in a controversial last-minute clemency action on behalf of New Square by outgoing President Clinton. The decision by President Clinton to commute the sentences of four prominent New Square men who stole tens of millions from the federal government in a phony yeshiva scheme enraged law enforcement officials.

'Hooligans' nail O'Donnell's HQ. Vandals hit Republican Rick O'Donnell's campaign headquarters sometime Tuesday night [10/03/2006], defacing a sign and littering the parking lot with nails.

GOP Congressman's N.J. Office Vandalized. Authorities say Congressman Chris Smith's Hamilton offices were vandalized, possibly by a group who barged in to protest the Iraq war. Some computers were damaged and others had wires disconnected.

Global Warming Hypocrites. I've come to the conclusion that many of these people are mentally ill. They won't accept any rational opposition, scientific or otherwise, that refutes the global warming theory. Drew Johnson reported that after his organization first revealed Al Gore's electric bill to the general public, his group received a number of death threats. Their computers were hacked. Phoned obscenities were common.

Vandals spray paint GOP headquarters in Naples, Florida. The Collier County Republican headquarters in downtown Naples was vandalized over the weekend with anti-war and anti-Bush slogans painted on the building's exterior. … "Democracy failed" was painted on the sidewalk directly outside the main entrance to the office and an anarchy symbol — a letter A in a circle — was painted on the door.

Woman acquitted of illegal poop use. A former Democratic Party activist who left dog feces on the doorstep of U.S. Rep. Marilyn Musgrave's Greeley office during last year's 4th Congressional District campaign was found not guilty Wednesday of criminal use of a noxious substance. A Weld County jury deliberated about two hours before acquitting Kathleen Ensz of the misdemeanor count.

Hillary's Texas Money Bundler. [George Berham] Parr's most ominous pistolero was his six-gun totting enforcer, Luis Salas. Days after the polls closed, Salas added 200 votes for [Lyndon] Johnson to Ballot Box 13 in Jim Webb County. The fact that all the votes were recorded in the same handwriting was a clue. But the box was never examined by those who adjudicated the election results; it had disappeared by then. Revised returns gave Johnson a 3,000 vote margin of victory in Hidalgo County. … It all makes the chads and dimples show of South Florida look like child's play.

Report: N.J. senator had no-work job. The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey paid state Sen. Wayne Bryant, [Democrat] chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, $35,000 a year "to lobby himself in his capacity of state senator," according to the report of a federal monitor who had investigated the school's finances.

Geddings convicted of mail fraud. Former North Carolina lottery commissioner Kevin Geddings, charged with failing to disclose his work for a leading supplier of scratch-off tickets and lottery systems, was convicted Thursday [10/12/2006] on federal mail fraud charges.

Moral corruption in Illinois: Declaring the imposition of the death penalty to be "arbitrary, capricious — and immoral," Illinois' exiting, scandal-plagued Gov. George Ryan commuted the death sentence of every rapist-murderer and child-killer in the state.

Illinois Governor Condemns Ryan for Freeing Killers: Gov. Rod Blagojevich said his disgraced predecessor, Republican George Ryan, was guilty of "gross injustice" for granting blanket clemency or pardons to all the prisoners on death row before he left office.

Jury Finds Former Ill. Gov. Ryan Guilty. Former Gov. George Ryan was convicted of corruption Monday [4/17/2006] in the scandal that ended his political career in 2003 at the same time he was winning international acclaim for commuting the sentences of everyone on Illinois' death row.

Ex-Governor, Now in Prison, Sees Case End. The United States Supreme Court announced Tuesday [5/27/2008] that it would not hear an appeal by former Gov. George Ryan of Illinois of his 2006 racketeering and fraud conviction. The decision ended the judicial process for Mr. Ryan, and hours later his lawyer said he would probably seek a commutation from President Bush of what is left of his more-than-six-year federal prison sentence.

House Democrat Committed 250 Ethics Violations, Group Says. The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) filed a complaint with the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia on Feb. 28, alleging that [U.S. Rep. Alan] Mollohan failed to disclose and grossly underreported his assets, loans and interests in certain companies.

Shadow Warriors: [Harold] Ickes watched with astonishment as the compassionate conservative became what he considers an extremist. He was also stirred by a new campaign-finance law, passed by Congress in 2002, that banned the parties from raising "soft money" — i.e., huge contributions of up to a million dollars or more at a time. Most Democrats supported the theory behind the law—namely, that such donations (say, a million dollars from Denise Rich) risked a corrupting influence on officeholders (say, a Bill Clinton pardon for Marc Rich).

Former Daley aide sentenced to 46 months in hiring fraud. A former high-ranking aide to Mayor Richard M. Daley was sentenced Monday [11/20/2006] to almost four years in prison for engineering a fraud scheme to cover up political patronage hiring at City Hall. Robert Sorich, 43, showed no emotion as federal Judge David H. Coar also fined him $10,000 and delivered a sharp tongue-lashing before imposing the minimum 46-month sentence federal guidelines prescribe. "The offense is corruption — corruption with a capital C," Coar said.

NJ Clean Energy Program Under Investigation. New Jersey's Clean Energy Program (CEP), responsible for promoting energy conservation and the use of renewable energy in the state, is coming under heavy criticism for accounting irregularities, apparent cronyism, and gross mismanagement. The latest salvo was fired on October 16 when Bob Ingle, the Trenton bureau chief for Gannett New Jersey newspapers, called for a stepped-up investigation of financial irregularities associated with the program.

The Clinton Presidency: The Most Corrupt in American History. History does repeat itself. On November 5, [1996] the American people re-elected Bill Clinton to a second term in the face of allegations of serious abuses of power by the President and members of his administration. … Partly — indeed, largely — due to the successful efforts of Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media to "stonewall" the issue, which they misleadingly called a question merely of "character."

Clinton Fund-Raiser Pleads Guilty to Felony Mail Fraud. A top fund-raiser for Senator Clinton's 2000 campaign and self-described "dear friend" of President Clinton pleaded guilty to a felony mail fraud charge in federal court in Chicago yesterday [12/6/2006]. James Levin, 47, admitted to involvement in a scheme to convince contracting officials at the Chicago Public Schools that his fencing companies ... were subcontracting work to businesses owned by minorities or women when, in fact, Levin was simply paying those firms for use of their names.

Hillary Clinton's Culture of Corruption: The Scandal Queen. To see the shocking Scandal Index of the Clinton years, as compiled by the liberal Progressive Review is to appreciate the Clinton's 24/7/365 belief that any progress in their leftist domestic and foreign affairs agenda could only be realized through the most nefarious activity — much of which fit neatly into the criminal category. Under the listing of "Records Set'" by the Clinton administration (read: co-presidency), Progressive Review cites the following, of which I will only list a sampling:
▪ Most number of convictions and guilty pleas by friends and associates.
▪ Most number of cabinet officials to come under criminal investigation.
▪ Most number of witnesses to flee country or refuse to testify.
▪ Most number of witnesses to die suddenly.
▪ First president sued for sexual harassment.
▪ First president accused of rape.
▪ First president to be held in contempt of court.
▪ First president to be impeached for personal malfeasance.
▪ First first lady to come under criminal investigation.
▪ Largest criminal plea agreement in an illegal campaign-contribution case.
▪ Greatest amount of illegal campaign contributions.

Virtual Fence = Virtual Corruption? Speaker Pelosi's post-Hastings fallback choice to head the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, voted against building the 700 mile border fence. He prefers a system of video surveillance cameras, apparently. And gee, it seems that his daughter works for a firm that won a government contract to provide such surveillance services!

Father of Chelsea's Boyfriend in Prison for Fraud, Scams. Ed Mezvinsky, a former Democratic Congressman from Iowa, is serving a seven-year sentence for fraud after getting caught up in a series of Nigerian e-mail scams. … Prosecutors say Mezvinsky used his connections to the Clintons and his son's social relationship with Chelsea to persuade people to give him money to participate in the scams.

Publish the Barrett report now. At issue was the publication of a report by David Barrett, an independent counsel who has spent the better part of a decade looking into some of the most hair-raising allegations of presidential malfeasance in American history. ... [Barrett] was assigned the duty of looking into whether former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros committed tax fraud in trying to cover up payments to a former mistress.

Flashback to 2001:
Survey shows 96% of respondents want IRS Commissioner Rossotti brought to justice. An overwhelming number of respondents believe that IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti should be criminally prosecuted for conducting politically-motivated audits for the Clinton Administration. IRS Commissioner Charles Rossotti conducted several audits of Clinton's opponents, including women associated with [Clinton] and several non-profit conservative organizations.

Ex-candidate to surrender law licenses. Donovan Riley, a disgraced state Senate candidate, is paying a steep price for voting twice in the same election in 2000. Riley, Democrat, agreed on Thursday [12/21/2006] to pay a $10,000 fine, surrender his law licenses in Wisconsin and Illinois and not practice law. He must also return campaign contributions to supporters who request refunds in the next 30 days even if it means paying them from his personal funds. He has 45 days to meet those conditions.

Senator's Indictment Causes Concern Among Democrats. Although state Senator Efrain Gonzalez Jr. has represented the Bronx in the Legislature for 17 years, his name did not become widely known until Friday [8/25/2006] — and it was not for a legislative initiative, because there have been none, but for his indictment by the federal government. Mr. Gonzalez, 58, is accused of looting a Bronx not-for-profit corporation, the West Bronx Neighborhood Association, for his personal benefit. He faces up to 20 years in prison.

Bronx Would Make Plunkitt Proud. George Washington Plunkitt, the state senator and Democratic Party leader of a century ago, would be proud. Today's Bronx politicos have taken his concept of "honest graft" and kicked it up a notch. As the Bronx continues to deteriorate, seemingly stuck in a permanent mode of decay and depression, political leaders find new ways to line their pockets as their constituents suffer.

Bronx state Sen. Efrain Gonzalez Jr. goes under the "pork" microscope. The often discussed culture of corruption that engulfs Albany's body politic reared its very ugly head last week, when for the second time in less than a year Bronx state Sen. Efrain Gonzalez Jr., was indicted on corruption charges. To be specific, Gonzalez has been charged, along with three others, with funneling more than $400,000 worth of taxpayer money through a network of not-for-profit organizations and then back to his own pocket.

Oregon lawmaker admits fast profit on land deal was 'mistake'. State Sen. Betsy Johnson says she failed to disclose the sale of 36 acres of farmland near an airport in her home town of Scappoose just before she proposed a bill to promote special airport access. Johnson bought the farm land for $635,000 in 2004. Three months later, she sold the land to a developer for a $119,000 profit.

Florida Democrats rally around senator who is convicted felon. Democrats in the Florida Senate are raising money to help re-elect fellow Democratic Sen. Gary Siplin, the Orlando legislator convicted earlier this year of felony grand theft. Senate Minority Leader Steve Geller of Hallandale Beach and seven other Democratic senators are named as hosts on invitations that have been sent out to lobbyists and others for an evening fundraiser on Siplin's behalf. The event will be at a bar a block from the Capitol when legislators return to Tallahassee next month for committee meetings.

Lawmaker: Give Felons Voting Rights. An unlikely lawmaker is taking the lead to change Florida law to restore voting rights to convicted felons. Orlando state Sen. Gary Siplin [Democrat], a convicted felon himself, has sponsored Senate Bill 466, which automatically restores voting rights a year after the felon's sentence is completed. … State Sen. Mandy Dawson, D-Fort Lauderdale, has sponsored identical legislation.

Nancy Pelosi May Not Be Only Democrat "Tuna Helper". The largest employer in American Samoa is Del Monte Foods' StarKist Tuna, home to over 75% of the island's workforce. Del Monte Foods, as it turns out, is headquartered in the District of the new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Smelling a whiff of impropriety, House Republicans have thrown up some serious questions about the exemption and who inserted it into the bill.

Senate's wage bill still exempts Samoa. The Democrat-controlled Senate took up a bill yesterday [1/22/2007] that would raise the minimum wage across the United States and its territories but exempt American Samoa, where tuna canneries pay workers $3.26 an hour. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters less than two weeks ago that she would close the loophole after coming under criticism from Republicans for what they termed a "fishy favor" to StarKist Tuna. StarKist has lobbied for years against raising the minimum wage in American Samoa, and its parent, Del Monte Corp., is based in Mrs. Pelosi's San Francisco district.

FNC Reports Speaker Pelosi's Star-Kist Gap in the Minimum Wage Hike. Over at The Corner, Kathryn Jean Lopez reported GOP Reps. Eric Cantor and Patrick McHenry have found there's a loophole in the new minimum-wage increase: no hike for American Samoa. Why? Star-Kist Tuna is a major employer there, with its headquarters in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's district. Will the media notice?

In '88, Pelosi Voted to Impeach Hastings — Will She Support Him Now?. On August 3, 1988, the House of Representatives voted on a resolution, co-sponsored by Michigan Democratic Rep. John Conyers, to impeach Alcee Hastings, the federal judge in Florida accused of conspiring to take a bribe. … And now, because incoming Speaker Pelosi has apparently ruled out the appointment of next-in-line Rep. Jane Harman to chair the House Intelligence Committee, Hastings appears to be headed toward the top position on that panel — one of the most sensitive and responsible posts on Capitol Hill.

Speaker Pelosi's Ethics. Ethics in politics is not the same as ethics in real life. Ethics in politics is a martial art. The biggest mistake you can make is thinking that the ethics package proposed by new Speaker Nancy Pelosi is mainly about "cleaning up" politics. Maybe. But it's first of all about cleaning the clocks of the Republicans.

Pelosi's message to voters? Ethics, shmethics. All of the exit polls in this month's election showed that there was one overwhelming issue on the minds of the voters who returned the Democrats to power in the House and Senate: ethics — specifically, the Democratic charge of a Republican culture of corruption. … If the Pelosi-led House Democrats name [Alcee] Hastings as House Intelligence chairman — especially after Pelosi championed [John] Murtha for majority leader — the 2006 election victors will be torching the voters' mandate.

All Rise For Her Ethicalness. "We are going to have the most ethical Congress in the nation's history." So said House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi in the afterglow of the Democrats' Congressional election victory. As it turns out, ethics are malleable. They are in the eye of the beholder. She pulled out all the stops last week to get the Democratic caucus to elect Rep. John Murtha as Majority Leader of the House. Stories surfaced about Murtha's involvement in the Abscam caper of 1980.

Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson violated rules, steered scholarships to relatives. Longtime Dallas congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson has awarded thousands of dollars in college scholarships to four relatives and a top aide's two children since 2005, using foundation funds set aside for black lawmakers' causes. The recipients were ineligible under anti-nepotism rules of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, which provided the money.

Texas Dem under fire for nepotism. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson has steered thousands in scholarship dollars to relatives and the children of top aides, a Texas newspaper reported today [8/29/2010]. The Dallas Democrat, a nine-term member of the House, awarded 15 Congressional Black Caucus scholarships to her grandchildren and great-nephew, among others, The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday [8/29/2010].

Watchdogs not sure Johnson will face ethics probe over scholarship scandal. Watchdogs are divided over whether the ethics committee should immediately investigate Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas). Johnson has been accused of awarding thousands of dollars in college scholarships to four relatives as well as the child of a top aide over the past 5 years.

Funk & Wagnall's, 1964

Funk & Wagnall's Standard Dictionary of the English Language,
1964 International Edition, Volume One, page 548.

Eddie Bernice Johnson: 'I never heard the rules' on scholarships. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson broke her silence in a scholarship scandal this morning, insisting that she had no idea the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation had rules against awarding college aid to her own relatives.

Eddie Bernice Johnson says chief of staff reviewed scholarship applications. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson offered a new line of defense late Thursday [9/2/2010], blaming her chief of staff for failing to adhere to Congressional Black Caucus Foundation rules that would have precluded her from awarding college aid to her relatives and those of another top staffer.

Letters bearing Eddie Bernice Johnson's signature ask that scholarship money be sent directly to her grandsons. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson apparently asked the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation to send scholarship funds directly to her grandsons and great-nephews, rather than to their colleges, according to letters released today [9/7/2010] by her GOP challenger.

Johnson's scholarship committee developing blueprint to evaluate future applications. The committee formed by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson to review student scholarships says it is working to "develop a blueprint" for evaluating applications, but is waiting for more details from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. "We're taking our time in developing because we want to be a model for the nation," said Roscoe C. Smith, a former educator who previously worked as director of Johnson's district office.

D/FW airport official put on leave after daughter got scholarship from Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson. Troubles involving Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson's scholarship awards spread Tuesday [10/12/2010] to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where the head of minority contracting has been put on leave amid questions about college aid that Johnson gave his daughter.

Scholarship for airport official's daughter probed. The head of minority contracting at Dallas-Forth Worth International Airport is the latest focus of ethical questions tied to scholarships awarded by U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson.

Scholarship recipient's mother says D/FW Airport executive had nothing to do with award. The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport executive facing questions about a scholarship Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson gave his daughter had nothing to do with the award, the girl's mother said Wednesday [10/13/2010]. "Don was not involved. We have been divorced 16 years. He was not involved in filling out the application. My children live with me," Donna O'Bannon said.

More Corruption from Congressional Black Caucus. U. S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Dallas Democrat, is one of the nation's foremost practitioners of old-style cronyism and race-based politics. But even though her current bid for a tenth term has drawn the notice of both Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin, most Americans have never heard of her. That should change.

Dreaming of an Unimaginable Upset in Dallas? As you know, TX-30 is a heavily gerrymandered "majority minority" district in the southern half of Dallas County that has been represented by Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson since its creation following the 1990 census. I don't want to "bury the lead" so here it is: campaign staff for the Republican challenger, Pastor Stephen Broden, are quietly claiming that they have a recent internal putting them only 6% behind "EBJ." If true, this is nothing short of remarkable.

Representative Maxine Waters

House ethics panel investigates Rep. Maxine Waters. The House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), who has come under scrutiny because of her husband's ties to a bank that received federal bailout funds.

Maxine Waters: Banking on Hypocrisy. [Scroll down] The ethically conflicted Waters has her own special definition of what's in "the best interest" of the people she claims to serve. While she crusades against crony pseudo-capitalism, she is one of its most hypocritical beneficiaries and advocates. Cronyism comes in all colors. Waters has once again earned her title as one of the "Most Corrupt" members of Congress from the left-leaning (yes, left-leaning) Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW).

Maxine Waters ties to banks questioned. Questions have been emerging over the last few months about the actions of an L.A. congresswoman who reportedly set up a meeting between federal regulators and a bank seeking $50 million in bailout funds. Maxine Waters did so even though her family had financial ties to the bank.

Waters helped bank whose stock she once owned. When Rep. Barney Frank was looking to aid a Boston-based lender last fall, the Massachusetts Democrat urged Maxine Waters, a colleague on the House Financial Services Committee, to "stay out of it," he says. The reason: Ms. Waters, a longtime congresswoman from California, had close ties to the minority-owned institution, OneUnited Bank.

Rep. Waters' troubling ties: The possible conflict involving OneUnited Bank is just the latest example of her seeming inability to distinguish her family interests from her public obligations.

Ethics to investigate Reps. Richardson, Waters; Graves criticizes the OCE. The House ethics panel voted Thursday [10/29/2009] to launch investigative subcommittees into separate charges against California Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson. The moves signal the panel believes there is enough evidence to warrant further serious inquiry.

Waters makes personal defense of ethics after investigation leak. Rep. Maxine Waters defended herself after news broke Friday that she has been under investigation by the House ethics committee. Waters (D-Calif.), who was one of the 30 lawmakers named in a Washington Post article as being under scrutiny from the committee, waged a personal defense of her role in having allegedly helped arrange a meeting at the Treasury on a bailout for a minority-owned bank in which her husband maintained a financial stake.

House probes California Rep. Waters. The House ethics committee said Thursday [10/29/2009] it's investigating whether California Rep. Maxine Waters used her influence to help a bank in which her husband owned stock — and whether the couple benefited as a result.

House Raps Rep. Maxine Waters on Ethics Charge. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters today [8/2/2010] proclaimed her innocence concerning charges of ethics violations made by the House Ethics Committee and said she will participate in a public hearing rather than admit to any wrongdoing.

Troubled Waters. Rep. Maxine Waters who may be facing a formal House of Representatives ethics trial over her activities on behalf of a bank, is just the most recent member of the Congressional Black Caucus to face such an investigation. Currently New York Rep. Charles Rangel is facing an ethics trial, following in the footsteps of ethically challenged Louisiana Rep. William Jefferson.

Black Caucus: Too PC To Fail? Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters' banking scandal is a cautionary tale about the Congressional Black Caucus, a group that's enjoyed little scrutiny while influencing major legislation. The 42-member caucus helped write whole sections of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act that have more to do with advancing its radical redistributionist agenda than heading off another crisis. Both Waters, D-Calif., and Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., are caucus leaders, and both face trial for serious ethics breaches.

Mad Maxine's Minority Fat-Cat Bankers. Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California is notorious for her high-decibel rants against corporate executives and career exploitation of identity politics. Class warfare and racial division are her two-decade-long stock and trade. She would normally be first in line (and in front of the cameras) to lambaste the very kind of Porsche-driving, luxury beach house-partying bank officials who begged her for a government handout. If they were white, that is.

Rep. Maxine Waters charged with three violations. The House ethics committee released its formal charges against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) on Monday [8/9/2010], accusing her of three counts of violating the letter and spirit of House rules and federal regulations by assisting a bank in which her husband owned stock.

A Grandmother on Trial. Ultra-leftist Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) faces three ethics charges related to her attempt to get federal bailout money directed to a bank, OneUnited, in which her husband, Sidney Williams, was an investor. The value of Williams' ownership had dropped from over $350,000 at the end of June, 2008, to $175,000 in September, 2008, after the government put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into "conservatorship" (because OneUnited had substantial investments in FNM and FRE-backed securities.) Williams had also been a member of the bank's Board of Directors.

Maxine Waters' Blame Game. Just when it appears that no one could possibly get away with blaming former President George W. Bush for even one more thing, another crazed liberal Democrat exercises the right to do just that. The latest knee-jerk, Bush-bashing excuse came from none other than Rep. Maxine Waters, perhaps the second dumbest member of Congress, right after Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas.

Sheila Jackson Lee: My Constituents are Ill-Informed. When a politician refers to the general public as "ill informed" on an issue (in this case it's hospital closures due to the health care law) it's just another way of calling them ignorant or stupid. Even so, it's hard to argue with Sheila Jackson Lee (D-umb Constituents) when she makes the claim about some of the voters in her district. Why? Well, they keep voting for Sheila Jackson Lee don't they? I'm forced to admit that her logic is iron-clad on this one. Note to those in the 18th congressional district of Texas: When a woman who once asked if NASA's Pathfinder took pictures of where Neil Armstrong planted the flag on Mars calls you ill-informed, it's time to hit the books.

Rep. Waters's lawyers cry foul on ethics probe. Lawyers for California Rep. Maxine Waters are fighting an attempt by investigators to gather more evidence now that three formal ethics charges have been filed against her. Waters, a Democrat, has been charged with improperly seeking government help in 2008 for a minority-owned bank in which her husband owned stock.

Waters' mailers a family business. Rep. Maxine Waters has turned political endorsements into a family business, using federal election laws to charge California candidates and political causes to include their names as her personal picks on a sample ballot, or "slate mailer," she sends to as many as 200,000 South Central Los Angeles voters, records show.

Boxer Tied to Dubious Waters Cash-for-Endorsement Scheme. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Chair of the Senate Ethics Committee, has paid some $30,000 since 2004 for the endorsement of embattled Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) in the context of a scheme that critics charge is unethical and amounts to Waters using her political station to benefit her family members.

Rangel, Waters Ethics Trials May Be Delayed. Democratic Reps. Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters, both of whom have been recently overwhelmed by media attention devoted to House ethics charges brought against them, may not face hearings related to those charges until after the November midterm elections, according to political watchdog organizations.

Ethics charges against Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., looking much worse. Things looked pretty bad when Congresswoman Maxine Waters was caught helping arrange a taxpayer bailout for a bank where her husband was a former board member and had a significant financial interest in. The House Ethics Committee report on the matter was pretty damning. Today [9/17/2010], the Washington Post has a lengthy and terrific piece of reportage that shows the circumstances of the OneUnited Bank bailout are even more suspicious than previously thought.

Maxine Waters Triggers FDIC Probe. An ethics investigation into Rep. Maxine Waters (D.-Calif.) has found that "connections to prominent people" were a consideration in giving millions of TARP dollars to an unqualified failing bank in which her husband was heavily invested. Now Rep. Darrell Issa (R.-Calif.), ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, is investigating the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) saying that this and other questionable practices "raises concerns that the FDIC may be making decisions based on factors other than protecting the best interests of taxpayers and depositors."

Lobbyist paid $15K to Waters' husband. A lobbyist known as one of California's most successful power brokers while serving as a legislative leader in that state paid Rep. Maxine Waters' husband $15,000 in consulting fees at a time she was co-sponsoring legislation that would help save the real-estate finance business of one of the lobbyist's best-paying clients, records show.

Another Maxine Waters Scandal. As a congressional ethics panel prepares to try Maxine Waters for steering federal funds to her husband's failing bank, a newspaper reports that the veteran California lawmaker is embroiled in a separate corruption scandal involving her beloved hubby. Citing federal records, the story says that a powerful lobbyist paid Waters' banker husband (Sidney Williams) $15,000 in "consulting fees" as she co-sponsored a law aimed at saving a business that was among the lobbyist's top clients.

Bombshell Evidence May Make Waters an Ethics Nightmare for Dems. Apparently, the Charlie Rangel ethics trial was just the warm-up act. The New York Times reported over the weekend that the House Ethics Committee suddenly postponed the trial of Maxine Waters on ethics violation because it found more evidence of direct intervention by her office to benefit the bank in which her husband owned a substantial interest.

Ethics panel postpones Rep. Waters' hearing. The ethics trial of Rep. Maxine Waters was postponed Friday [11/19/2010], as the House ethics committee found new documents connected to charges that she improperly tried to help a bank in which her husband owned stock.

Maxine Waters: I've been denied due process. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) is calling on the House ethics committee to schedule her ethics trial on three counts of violating House rules before the end of the lame-duck session. That trial was set to begin on Nov. 29, but Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the ethics committee, announced 10 days ago that it would be delayed after the panel uncovered new evidence.

Ethics probe of Rep. Waters derailed by infighting, sources say. A lengthy House investigation of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) has been derailed by infighting within the politically charged ethics committee over errors in building a case against her, according to congressional sources with direct knowledge of the probe.

Months later...
Hey, What Happened To That Maxine Waters Ethics Trial? Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) was supposed to have faced trial for ethics violations last year, but the trial was suddenly delayed until after the November 2010 elections. Waters stands accused of obtaining $12 million in TARP money for the bank OneUnited, on whose board her husband Sidney Williams once sat, and in which he owned more than $350,000 in stock. ... Her trial was delayed because new evidence had supposedly come to light.

Second lawyer investigating Maxine Waters out of ethics committee. The two lawyers who led an ethics investigation of LA Congresswoman Maxine Waters don't hold that job any more. The two lawyers, Morgan Kim and Stacey Sovereign, were suspended the same day the House Ethics Committee postponed indefinitely a hearing into the Waters matter.

Government reform groups call on ethics committee to resume Maxine Waters probe. Six government reform organizations are calling on the House Committee on Ethics to resume its work on an investigation into Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) that has been stalled since late last year. The groups — the Campaign Legal Center, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Common Cause, Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters and Public Citizen — sent a letter Wednesday [3/23/2011] to the ethics committee in which they said they were concerned that the case was still pending nearly two years after the Office of Congressional Ethics began its investigation in April 2009.

The ethics case against Maxine Waters: Last week, half a dozen public interest groups, including Common Cause and the League of Women Voters, asked the House Ethics Committee when it will resume its investigation of Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters of Los Angeles. The case has existed for nearly two years. It's alleged that the Congresswoman used her political clout to help a bank in which her husband owned stock.

It's called stonewalling.
What's the Hold Up on the Maxine Waters Investigation? [Scroll down] On the heels of the massive investigation and very public trial of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), there was reason to be somewhat optimistic that Waters would be held accountable. That is until House Ethics Committee Chairman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) started meddling in the process. Not only did Lofgren fail to issue subpoenas for records related to the scandal, but she also delayed the ethics committee hearing after doing everything in her power to undermine the professional committee staff leading the investigation. And, as if that were not enough, Lofgren then improperly fired two attorneys working on the investigation.

Maxine Waters: Swamp Queen. Last summer, the House Ethics Committee charged the entrenched California congresswoman with three violations related to her wheeling and dealing on behalf of minority-owned OneUnited Bank in Los Angeles. The panel accused Waters of bringing discredit to the House for using her influence to seek and secure taxpayer-subsidized special favors for the failing financial institution. Eight months have passed since the House ethics panel charged Waters. But to date, there has been no action. No trial. No consequences.

What About Waters? House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has called for an ethics investigation of Rep. Anthony Weiner for possibly misusing official resources. But what about the probe of Rep. Maxine Waters for abusing her power? The ethics trial of Waters, accused of swinging millions in federal bailout cash to her husband's ailing bank, was set to begin last November. But the Democrat leadership has delayed Waters' trial by blocking subpoenas and firing the lead lawyer working on the two-year investigation.

Capitol Hill's Other Dirty Laundry. [Democratic New York Rep. Anthony] Weiner's dirty laundry is just the latest addition to a teeming heap of scandal. To wit: The committee still hasn't issued a final report into last year's reckless Capitol Hill predator du jour, former Democratic New York Rep. Eric Massa. He's the notorious creep who serially groped male staffers and subjected interns to "tickle fights" for months while then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi looked the other way. Then there's Beltway swamp queen Democratic California Rep. Maxine Waters.

House Ethics Committee should hold Waters accountable. Remember when Rep. Maxine Waters and her friend Rep. Barney Frank helped secure a bailout grant for the failing MA bank OneUnited — a bank in which her husband had a significant investment and was a member of the board? Could the conflict of interest be any more egregious?

Groups want House to restart Waters probe. A coalition of reform groups wants the House Committee on Ethics to resume its work on the long-pending investigation of Rep. Maxine Waters and provide a public accounting of the status of the case against the California Democrat. In a statement Friday [7/8/2011], the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause, the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Democracy 21, the League of Women Voters and Public Citizen said no public notice of the status of the 2-year-old case has been provided "since the abrupt and unexplained cancellation" of a scheduled hearing in November.

Did ethics staff taint Maxine Waters probe? The former staff director of the House Ethics Committee accused two top committee lawyers last year of secretly communicating with Republicans on the panel regarding the investigations of Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Charles Rangel, raising concerns over whether the long-running inquiries were compromised by key staffers, according to internal committee documents obtained by POLITICO.

House Ethics picks outside counsel to handle Waters case. The House Ethics Committee on Wednesday [7/20/2011] appointed a high-profile attorney to serve as an outside counsel handling ethics charges against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). The move comes in response to complaints from Waters and ethics watchdog groups that the panel cannot deal with her case impartially, and Waters was quick to argue Wednesday that the committee's odd step vindicates her claims that the investigation is "misguided."

Rep. Maxine Waters again calls for ethics case to be dropped. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) on Tuesday [7/19/2011] launched a new drive to push the House Ethics Committee to drop its long-running case against her, saying that internal committee documents show she cannot get a fair hearing from the panel.

Maxine Waters' Ethics Trial Stalls. Again. Waters threatens to sue the House Ethics Committee for mishandling her case.

Tea Party Group Slams Rep. Waters Over Outburst. A national Tea Party group urged Democrats to adhere to their own calls for civility after Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters told a restless crowd over the weekend that the "Tea Party can go straight to hell." Mark Meckler and Jenny Beth Martin, who lead the Tea Party Patriots, suggested President Obama should step in to put a check on the overheated rhetoric.

The Editor says...
In my opinion, Ms. Waters will be very surprised someday to see who's in Hell and who isn't.

Maxine Waters Needs a Mirror. Queen of the poverty pimps Maxine Waters must so wish that Obama were a whole white man. Democrat or not, if Obama were white, Waters would be heaping all the blame on those frail little shoulders of his. But because Obama has been presented as "authentically black," Waters was recently forced to stop short of condemning him. Instead, she unleashed on the closest white item she could find: the Tea Party. Anything to keep her ignorant followers from actually thinking about where to place the blame.

The Editor apologizes for the profanity in this headline.
Kerosene Maxine to Tea Party: "Go to Hell!". [Representative Maxine] Waters once said of the then-sitting president: "I would like to ... say ... very clearly that I believe George (H.W.) Bush is a racist." She routinely refers to the Republican Party as "the enemy." She also referred to Republican former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan as a "plantation owner." She called the 1992 Los Angeles riots a "rebellion," and bellowed, "No justice, no peace!" She defended looters: "There were mothers who took this as an opportunity to take some milk, to take some bread, to take some shoes. Maybe they shouldn't have done it, but the atmosphere was such that they did it. They are not crooks."

Top 10 Outrageous Maxine Waters Quotes. We rarely agree with Rep. Maxine Waters (D.-Calif.), the loud-mouth, left-wing congresswoman from South Central Los Angeles, home of the 1992 Rodney King riots. But recently she said, "We're supportive of the President, but we're getting tired. We're getting tired. The unemployment is unconscionable." Yes, Maxine, we are also getting tired of the President. And we are getting tired of you as well...

Rep. Maxine Waters Calls For A Trillion-Dollar Jobs Program. "I'm talking about a jobs program of a trillion dollars or more. We've got to put Americans to work. That's the only way to revitalize this economy. When people work they earn money, they spend that money, and that's what gets the economy up and going," Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) told NBC's "Meet the Press."

Does Maxine Waters' Support Run Deep? Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank's decision to retire at the end of his current term means the probable elevation of California Rep. Maxine Waters to the top Democratic slot on the House Financial Services Committee. She is, after all, next in line in seniority behind Frank. But not everyone in Washington is convinced it will be an automatic rise.

With Barney leaving, ethically challenged Maxine Waters waits in wings. With [Barney] Frank's retirement, the next in line to be ranking Democrat on House Financial Services (or chairman if Democrats retake the House in 2012) is Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., who remains the subject of a never-ending, unresolved House Ethics Committee investigation. She has been credibly accused of using her congressional position in 2008 to intervene on behalf of a bank seeking a bailout — OneUnited Bank. It just happened that her husband was heavily invested in OneUnited Bank.

Maxine Waters ethics case may take more time. The outside counsel investigating the House Ethics Committee's handling of the case against Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters may his miss his year-end deadline to complete the probe. The committee's chairman and ranking member, Reps. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) and Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), made the admission Wednesday [11/30/2011] during an appearance before the House Administration Committee, which is in charge of setting panel budgets for next year.

Ethics lawyer gets more time to investigate Maxine Waters case. The House Ethics Committee has given an outside lawyer more time to examine whether the committee's staff acted improperly in investigating allegations of misconduct against veteran Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), further delaying an inquiry that could cost taxpayers as much as $800,000.

House Ethics Committee still investigating Rep. Maxine Waters. The House Ethics Committee offered Speaker John Boehner and other House leaders an update on its investigation of Rep. Maxine Waters. The committee wants to know whether the L.A. Democrat's due process rights have been violated.

Mr. and Mrs. John Conyers

John Conyers's Glass House: If it's not the Bush White House, it's the FBI; if it's not the NSA, it's the Justice Department. Interrogation, surveillance, the Patriot Act — you name it, he's against it, and he's investigating it. All this, and still he must find time to manage ethics investigations against … himself.

Reports: Wife of Rep. Conyers threatened with indictment. Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, the wife of longtime Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) received a letter Tuesday [6/16/2009] indicating a pending indictment from federal authorities on corruption-related charges.

Conyers accepts responsibility for possible ethics violations. Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has "accepted responsibility" for possibly violating House rules by requiring his official staff to perform campaign-related work, according to a statement quietly released by the House ethics committee late Friday evening [12/29/2006].

Has Michigan passed its tipping point? Case in point: The president of Detroit City Council is quoted as telling WXYZ-Channel 7: "I do not believe that the majority of the council members that I work with on a daily basis are criminals." That's reassuring. Another: Kenneth Cockrel Jr.'s chief of staff is allegedly videotaped taking bribes. The council's president pro tem — Monica Conyers, wife of the House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, D-Detroit — is said to be under investigation by the FBI in connection with the probe.

Detroit politician admits bribery. Monica Conyers, Detroit's embattled City Council president pro tempore, pleaded guilty Friday [6/26/2009] to conspiring to commit bribery, a federal court representative in Michigan told CNN. Conyers, 44, admitted accepting bribes in exchange for her vote to sway the City Council to approve Synagro Technologies Inc.'s $1.2 billion contract in 2007.

Conyers's wife pleads guilty. Monica Conyers, the chairwoman of the Detroit City Council and wife of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), pleaded guilty Friday [6/26/2009] to federal bribery charges, the latest blow to a city still reeling from the collapse of the U.S. auto industry and the jailing of its former mayor.

Conyers pleads guilty to conspiracy. Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers pleaded guilty this morning to conspiring to commit bribery and is free on personal bond. U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn said, "The defendant now stands convicted." The one count of conspiring to commit bribery is punishable by up to five years in prison. No sentencing date has been set.

The Editor says...
At least she did the right thing by pleading guilty, saving the taxpayers a lot of money.

Conyers's wife resigns after conviction. Monica Conyers, wife of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.), submitted her resignation from the Detroit City Council on Monday following a bribery conviction. Conyers will leave the council effective next Monday after pleading guilty to charges that she sold her vote on a recycling contract.

Conyers pleads guilty to conspiracy. Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers pleaded guilty this morning to conspiring to commit bribery and is free on personal bond. ... She has long been under suspicion in the Synagro Technologies bribery probe, not least because she had been a vocal opponent of the contract before suddenly switching her sentiments. She became the deciding voice in the city council's 5-4 vote to approve the sludge-hauling deal in November 2007.

Wife's Guilty Plea Raises Question of What Conyers Knew. In the snow-covered parking lot of a McDonald's in Detroit two years ago, City Council member Monica Conyers met with a waste-management consultant who slipped her an envelope stuffed with as much as $3,000 in cash. The under-the-table payment, made shortly after she cast the swing vote on a $1 billion city sludge deal, drove Conyers's guilty plea to a bribery charge that could send the Democratic politician to prison for up to five years.

Ethics probe of Rep. Conyers sought. The Landmark Legal Foundation filed Monday [7/13/2009] a House ethics complaint against Rep. John Conyers Jr., Michigan Democrat, over his role in writing a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency that supported a waste project tied to his wife, a former Detroit City Council member who has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery. ... The foundation said Mr. Conyers attempted to influence the EPA on behalf of a family member, whose office reviewed a draft of the EPA letter he sent. He also violated house rules by failing to report funds in a transaction by his wife, the complaint stated.

Riddle, Conyers teamed up to extort at least $65,000, U.S. says. Detroit political consultant Sam Riddle was indicted today on a host of federal charges ranging from bribery to extortion, mail fraud and making false statements and court documents contend that former City Councilwoman Monica Conyers participated at every turn of the conspiracy.

Conyers quiet on missing office equipment. Just days before Detroit City Council President Pro Tem Monica Conyers announced her resignation after pleading guilty to a bribery charge, she apparently had two new computers delivered to her office. And now, city officials say those computers and dozens of other items are missing, and they want them back.

Conyers to be sentenced Dec. 1. Detroit — Former Detroit City Council President Monica Conyers will be sentenced Dec. 1 on a felony bribery charge, a federal judge ordered Tuesday [10/27/2009].

Angry Conyers vows to appeal 37-month sentence. Former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers was sentenced to 37 months in prison today [3/10/2010], but not before controversy and confusion erupted when she announced she wanted to withdraw her guilty plea to bribery.

Her husband makes $174,000 a year, and yet...
Judge says Conyers indigent, assigns her tax-funded lawyer. Monica Conyers is indigent, according to a federal judge who has appointed a tax-funded public defender to help her appeal the three-year sentence she received last week for bribery conspiracy.

Rep. Conyers won't help his wife pay for a lawyer. The National Law Journal reports that former Detroit City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, wife of House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., has been declared indigent by a federal judge. That means she gets a public defender in her attempt to appeal her three-year prison sentence on a bribery charge to which she pleaded guilty. ... The article notes that according to federal guidelines, a family member's wealth cannot be considered when determining a defendant's ability to pay, "unless the family indicates willingness and financial ability to retain counsel promptly."

Federal prosecutors: Monica Conyers isn't entitled to appeal. Monica Conyers, the former Detroit city councilwoman who was sentenced to 37 months in prison for bribery in June, has no right to appeal, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday [4/8/2010].

Monica Conyers wins 2½-month delay in heading to prison. A federal judge today [6/23/2010] gave former Detroit Councilwoman Monica Conyers a 2½-month extension in beginning to serve her bribery sentence.

It's not just Rangel — Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., to be tried on ethics charges. Waters' defiant stance could result in yet another high-profile ethics scandal that House Democrats would rather not see happen in an election year.

Monica Conyers behind bars in West Virginia prison camp. With roughly 20 minutes to go until her deadline, Monica Conyers obeyed a judge's order and turned herself in to a federal prison camp in West Virginia this afternoon [9/10/2010] to begin her 37-month sentence for taking bribes. Conyers, federal inmate No. 43693-039, self-surrendered at roughly 1:40 p.m. at the Alderson Federal Prison Camp — nicknamed Camp Cupcake for its cushy atmosphere and one-time home to domestic guru Martha Stewart.

Monica Conyers' guilty plea should stand, prosecutors argue in filing. Monica Conyers got the sentence she bargained for, and shouldn't be allowed to take back her guilty plea because she had a change of heart at the last minute, federal prosecutors argued in court documents filed Monday [11/22/2010].

Former DC Mayor Marion Barry

Washington Ex-Mayor Is Arrested. Marion Barry, the former mayor of the District of Columbia, was arrested over the weekend and charged with stalking a female acquaintance, the latest in a long string of legal troubles for him. Federal Park Police said Mr. Barry, who is a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, was arrested after a woman told an officer that Mr. Barry was stalking her. He was charged with misdemeanor stalking and released.

Stalking charges against Marion Barry dropped. Prosecutors have decided not to pursue a stalking case against D.C. Councilman Marion Barry, following their review of the "strengths and weaknesses of the evidence," the U.S. attorney for D.C. said Wednesday [7/8/2009]. Barry, 73, was accused by the U.S. Park Police of stalking Donna Watts-Brighthaupt, a woman he had dated until recently when the relationship came to an ugly end.

Marion Barry takes another crack. Barry has continued to provide both drama and comedy in a seemingly endless (and loopy) loop. Recently, it came to light that this big-government politician, who spends other people's money so easily, sort of forgot to pay most of his federal and city income taxes for the last six years. Oops! Barry is now free on bond pending his sentencing next month on the tax evasion charges.

Ex-Mayor Avoids Jail Time Over Tax Case. A federal judge rejected a request by prosecutors to send former District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry to jail for violating his probation in a criminal tax case. … Barry, 71 and now on the District of Columbia Council, pleaded guilty in 2005 to misdemeanor charges for failing to file tax returns from 1999 to 2004. As part of his plea bargain, he agreed to file future federal and local tax returns annually.

Judge ordered to consider effort to imprison Barry. The District's chief federal judge yesterday [4/26/2007] overturned an earlier court ruling and ordered a magistrate judge to consider sending D.C. Council member Marion Barry to prison for failing to file his taxes.

I, Marion Barry: The dashiki-wearing Democratic former mayor of the District of Columbia who years ago aggressively led the capital city into insolvency, has yet again failed to file his personal tax return, the Washington Post reports. Barry did this while on probation after being convicted in 2006 of failing to file federal and district income tax returns from 1999 through 2004. This is just the latest incident in a lifetime of law-breaking for the liberal municipal lawmaker who now represents Ward 8 on the Washington, D.C. city council.

Barry Says Kidney Issues Kept Him From Filing Taxes. D.C. Council member Marion Barry said last night that he has been undergoing dialysis and expects to have a kidney transplant, which has distracted him from filing a recent tax return. His failure to file a 2007 return has led prosecutors to urge a judge to revoke his probation for past tax offenses and send him to jail.

Barry owes $277,000 in taxes. Federal authorities say D.C. Council member Marion Barry failed to pay more than $277,000 in back taxes and are continuing to ask that the former mayor's probation be revoked, according to court documents.

Barry contract probe begins. Federal law enforcement authorities have begun a preliminary investigation into whether D.C. Council member Marion Barry broke any laws when he awarded a city contract to a former girlfriend and arranged for city grant money to go to nonprofit organizations controlled by people close to him.

New report on Barry's earmarks recommends criminal prosecution. D.C. Councilman Marion Barry should be criminally prosecuted for helping himself to thousands of taxpayer dollars through earmarks, a damning new report has found. Special counsels Robert S. Bennett and Amy R. Sabrin also recommended that the former mayor be condemned by his colleagues for abusing earmarks.

Senator Chris Dodd and Countrywide Financial

A Culture of Greed. The Senate Ethics Committee intends to open an investigation into the relationship of several Democrat Senators, senior executives, and lobbyists for Fannie Mae, and Countrywide Financial, the home mortgage company, which was purchased at bail-out price by Bank of America.

Congress and the Countrywide Scandal: Countrywide Financial Corp.'s "friends of Angelo" program provided sweetheart loans to key banking players in Washington, D.C. They included former Fannie Mae chief executive Jim Johnson, Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D., N.D.) and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.). The growing scandal surrounding the "friends of Angelo" loans (so-called by company employees, referring to Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo) should serve as a political wake-up call.

Dodd Releases Countrywide Mortgage Documents. In response to pressure since last year that he demonstrate his full relationship with home mortgage lender Countrywide Financial, Sen. Chris Dodd release (sic) his 2003 mortgage documents today [2/2/2009] in Connecticut. "I regret I did not do this sooner and I apologize to the people of Connecticut for the delay," he said in a statement.

Hold on... Maybe "release" isn't quite the right word.
Dodd's Peek-A-Boo Disclosure. Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd has finally, sort of, kind of, ended 193 days of stonewalling about his sweetheart loans from former Countrywide CEO Angelo Mozilo. At least he did if you were a fast reader and were one of the few reporters he invited to his Hartford office yesterday to review — but not copy or take — more than 100 pages of documents related to his 2003 mortgage financings through Countrywide's "Friends of Angelo" program.

Dodd gives journos the idiot's treatment on mortgage document disclosure. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sen, Chris Dodd, D-CN, has pulled what has to be an all-time classic evasion stunt against journalists covering Congress and the economic crisis concerning his promise six months ago to make public all of the documents about his sweetheart loan deal with Countrywide Mortgage.. Dodd invited a select few Connecticut reporters to his office in Hartford Monday [2/2/2009] and gave them a few minutes to view — but not copy — a small selection of documents that he claims proves he did nothing wrong in accepting special treatment from Countrywide that saved him a reported $75,000 in refinancing a couple of loans worth a total of $800,000.

Dodd's New Dodge. Sen. Chris Dodd is hoping to make his sweetheart deals with Country wide Mortgage — which saved him tens of thousands of dollars on two mortgages — disappear. Dodd, the chairman of the Banking Committee, announced this week that he'll have the mortgages refinanced and managed by a third party to protect against allegations of influence peddling.

Why We Just Can't Trust Dodd: Sen. Christopher J. Dodd went one contrivance too far last week at his carefully choreographed press event to explain his mortgage deals with Countrywide Financial. Dodd has engaged in so many contradictions in trying to manage the gathering storm that he probably did not recognize his stunning blunder.

Angelo Who? After months of delay, Senator Christopher Dodd has offered a fuller but less than satisfactory account of the V.I.P. mortgage loans extended to him by a key player in the subprime mortgage crisis. Mr. Dodd, the banking committee chairman who oversees remedies for the continuing financial crisis, denied any ethical wrongdoing or "sweetheart deals" in the $781,000 house refinancings he got through the Countrywide Financial Corporation.

Coming clean, or burnishing lies? Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd has come clean on his latest real-estate scandals in the same way he came clean on his sweetheart mortgages from Countrywide Financial: limited release of carefully selected documents that underpin improbable scenarios that put him in the least corrupt light.

Time to Get the Heck Outta Dodd. First there was the Countrywide mortgage scandal which revealed Dodd — head of the Senate Banking Committee overseeing Fannie and Freddie, the institutions on which Countrywide unloaded risky loans — as one of the recipients of sweetheart mortgages due to his "friend of Angelo" status. Despite promising to release documents that will clear his good name, Dodd has yet to release them.

Sen. Dodd's Cavalcade of Scandal. It's been a rotten year for Chris Dodd. Time and again, the Connecticut senator has been caught both doing favors for heavy hitters and receiving them — and then lying about it. Sometimes the mess involves a firm like AIG or Countrywide, enmeshed in the abuses that have so damaged the US economy. Sometimes Dodd's pal is just a felon in need of a presidential pardon. But the cavalcade of scandal clearly puts the five-term senator in danger of losing his next re-election bid.

Loan Officer: Dodd Knew He Got VIP Deal. Despite his denials, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd knew from the start he was getting a VIP mortgage break from a major lending group, an official involved in the loan testified secretly to Congress. Dodd and Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) both got preferred treatment from Countrywide Financial Corp., but have maintained all along they didn't know they were benefiting at the time their mortgage packages were crafted.

Chris Dodd, Kent Conrad deny knowing about VIP deals. Sens. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) are fiercely denying a report that they knew they were getting sweetheart mortgage deals — accusing a Countrywide Financial loan officer of distorting their relationships with the former mortgage giant. 'There is nothing new here,' Conrad spokesman Christopher Gaddie told POLITICO Monday night.

The Culture Of Corruption Continues. Somehow, I don't think we'll be hearing the self-righteous left clamoring for transparency and hearings that will reveal the Democrats (once again) as the privileged crooks they've always been.

Dodd and Obama: Corrupt Birds of a Feather. Connecticut voters are not smiling about Dodd's hypocritical bashing of lobbyists on the airwaves while he parties with them behind closed doors. And as they scrimp through the recession, they haven't forgotten about Dodd's dozy Irish cottage deal with convicted insider trader Edward Downe Jr. (who received a Clinton pardon with Dodd's generous help).

Criminal-Probe Time. Whoa. It's looking like Sen. Chris Dodd's involvement with a sub prime-lending company warrants far more than a mere Senate Ethics Committee look-see. Or so suggests closed-door committee testimony from a fomer executive of the firm in question.

Dodd Man Out? Chris Dodd's teetering re-election chances weren't helped by news that the senator may have lied about not knowing he got preferential treatment as one of Countrywide Financial's Friends of Angelo program.

Robbing the bank. With so much money at stake in the financial services sector, corruption and impropriety are common. Last week, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd, Connecticut Democrat, and Sen. Kent Conrad, North Dakota Democrat, were caught prevaricating about below-market interest loans they received from Countrywide Financial. ... Those sweetheart deals from Countrywide were highly improper given that Mr. Dodd is chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and Mr. Conrad serves on the Senate Finance Committee, both of which write laws related to Countywide's business.

'Countrywide Chris' Dodd. In sworn testimony last week, Robert Feinberg, a former executive at Countrywide Financial testified under oath that Sen. Dodd knew he was "getting special VIP treatment" for his mortgage applications. That VIP treatment came as part of the "Friends of Angelo" program at Countrywide, the once-mighty mortgage firm — formerly run by Angelo Mozilo — which was purchased by Bank of America last July for $2.5 billion. In June, the SEC filed fraud charges, including for disclosure fraud and insider trading, against Mozilo.

Dodd, Conrad cleared in Countrywide probe. The Senate Ethics Committee on Friday [8/7/2009] dismissed complaints against Democratic Sens. Chris Dodd (Conn.) and Kent Conrad (N.D.) over their participation in Countrywide Financial Corp.'s VIP lending program. But the panel cautioned the senators that they should have "exercised more vigilance" in their dealings with the mortgage giant to avoid an appearance of preferential treatment.

The Countrywide Senators. The three Republican and three Democratic Senators say they conducted an exhaustive probe and inspected 18,000 pages of documents. They say they found "no substantial credible evidence as required by Committee rules" that the Senators received mortgage rates or services that weren't commonly available to the public, and thus did not violate the Senate gift ban. We'll have to take their word that the evidence wasn't "substantial," because they didn't release those documents, nor did they encourage Mr. Dodd to release any of his records.

The Editor says...
The most obvious way to refute this claim is to have "Joe Average" approach Countrywide and demand the same favorable treatment received by Senator Dodd.

It Still Reeks. A committee of their fellow senators has decided that Chris Dodd and Kent Conrad did nothing unethical when they took out loans from Countrywide Financial on the kind of favorable terms not available to mere mortals without their financial or political standing — or a personal connection to the head of Countrywide. The very Select Committee on Ethics did recognize that the whole deal looked bad, and gave its colleagues a gentle pat on the wrist for creating "the appearance that you were receiving preferential treatment based on your status as a senator." But in the end, one hand washed the other, if not very well.

Democrats skip out on Countrywide vote. Faced with a promised vote to subpoena documents on Countrywide Financial's "Friends of Angelo" program, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee fled a scheduled 2 p.m. markup today [10/15/2009]. ... The committee's Democrats simply failed to appear. Republican staffers say they caught them on tape leaving by a back door at 2:35.

The Vote Democrats Don't Want. If you think moderate Democrats are afraid of voting for ObamaCare, you should see how they react to a potential vote on the Countrywide Financial loan scandal.

Something Strange. [Scroll down] "A committee press release later claimed the postponement was 'due to conflicts' with a markup occurring at the same time in the financial services committee. But Mr. Issa's staff videotaped several financial services members leaving the back-room gathering with Mr. Towns at the conclusion of the meeting.

Dems running scared on Countrywide scandal. And when I say, "scared," I mean petrified. Some big name Democratic lawmakers as well as contributors would be embarrassed and possibly liable for ethics violations if the truth about the list of "VIP's" who benefited from overly generous mortgage terms offered by Countrywide Financial ever came out.

Dodd, At It Again. Sen. Chris Dodd's proposed overhaul would replace the Federal Reserve with a "super regulator" to oversee the banking and financial industries. Will it work? Consider the source. Along with fellow Democrat Barney Frank, now chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Dodd, who heads the Senate Banking Committee, has done as much to damage this nation's financial system as anyone...

Sen. Dodd, D-Conn., slashed aviation security funding for pet constituency. Now that our attention is focused on airline security measures thanks to the failed airline attack on Christmas Day, it's worth mentioning that one Senator took money away from aviation security to line the pockets of constituency that supported his presidential campaign in a big way.

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2009. [Including] Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT): This marks two years in a row for Senator Dodd, who made the 2008 "Ten Most Corrupt" list for his corrupt relationship with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for accepting preferential treatment and loan terms from Countrywide Financial, a scandal which still dogs him. In 2009, the scandals kept coming for the Connecticut Democrat.

At last!
Exit Dodd. Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut, who has announced that he is not seeking re-election, will leave behind a lot of friends when he leaves office: Most notably, he was a "Friend of Angelo" — that's Angelo Mozilo, former CEO of kamikaze mortgage-lender Countrywide — having secured from him a sweetheart mortgage deal that saved him $75,000 or so, and a friend of Harry Reid, who helped to keep the Senate's ethics watchdogs, such as they are, off Dodd's ankle over that dodgy deal.

Abandon ship! Party is sinking. Sen. Chris Dodd's announcement yesterday that he would abandon his hopeless bid for re-election is only the latest in an alarming and growing body of evidence that President Obama and Democrats in Congress have blown through more political good will in one year than most parties do in a decade. With elections still 10 months off, 13 incumbent congressional Democrats have decided to give up rather than face the certain wrath of voters.

Investors allege massive fraud by Countrywide. A lawsuit alleges Countrywide Financial Corp. and two of its former executives misled institutional investors who were stuck with huge losses from mortgage-related investments that they say were portrayed as low-risk.

Sandy Berger

The Alchemy of Democrat Cover-ups: [Scroll down] Soon after the formation of 9-11 commission was officially announced the Clinton administrations National Security Advisor, Sandy Berger, went to National Archives over a period of weeks to steal and destroy highly classified records of the Clinton administration decision-making process in handling Al-Qaeda and terrorism. He stuck them in his pants and socks and later burned and shredded them. You can bet they held incriminating evidence, evidence that would have tanked the Democrats on security issues and ripped away the "Clinton Legacy." It was a very successful cover-up, about which the press is remarkably silent.

Hillary's 'Low Profile' National Security Adviser: Sandy Berger. It's gotten very little mainstream media coverage (surprise!) but Hillary Clinton's national security adviser is none other than Sandy "Docs In My Socks" Berger, who pleaded guilty to stealing and destroying classified documents related to the Clinton administration's anti-terror efforts, immediately before Bill Clinton's testimony to the 9/11 commission.

It's about time Americans found out what Sandy Berger stuffed in his pants. The theft and destruction of classified national security documents by former National Security Advisor Samuel "Sandy" Berger is a topic that never received the attention it should have. ... My outrage, though, comes from the actual theft of the documents, rather than the way the media largely ignored it.

Sandy Berger in trouble? Send in the media! The media — on its own — lowered Berger's stature in the Kerry campaign. Way back in May 2004, The Washington Post called Berger "a top Kerry advisor." After the scandal, the Post busted him down to "informal advisor." Similarly, the Los Angeles Times in May called Berger a "Kerry foreign policy advisor." It now tags him as an "unpaid consultant." The Boston Globe in May called Berger a "top advisor." Now the paper relegates him to "informal advisor."

Sandy's socks: Surely it was an innocent mistake, former Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger's stuffing classified documents into his pants, jacket and perhaps even his socks before leaving the National Archives building last fall. After all, what could he possibly have been trying to hide?

Sandy Berger gets off easy. Recently the Bush Justice Department entered into a plea bargain with Sandy Berger, the now infamous former National Security Advisor to President Clinton, who admitted to stealing top secret documents from the National Archives, but only after he was caught red-handed.

Report Says Berger Hid Archive Documents. Former national security adviser Sandy Berger removed classified documents from the National Archives in 2003 and hid them under a construction trailer, the Archives inspector general reported Wednesday [12/20/2006]. The report was issued more than a year after Berger pleaded guilty and received a criminal sentence for removal of the documents.

Clinton aide forfeits law license in Justice probe. Samuel R. Berger, the Clinton White House national security adviser who was caught taking highly classified documents from the National Archives, has agreed to forfeit his license to practice law.

Bergergate, &c. Call me a right-wing paranoid — it's been done before! — but I think that, if Sandy Berger were a conservative Republican, the story of his criminality would be a really, really big deal. Bear in mind that the man was national security adviser. … If Berger were a Republican, the word "Nixonian" would be making a big, big comeback — at a minimum.

Berger took papers to a hiding place. The National Archives Office of Inspector General said that during a 2003 visit to the facility, Mr. Berger left the building unescorted for a break, during which time he "placed the documents under a trailer in an accessible construction area outside Archives 1 (the main Archives building)." The report said Mr. Berger acknowledged that he later retrieved the documents from the construction area and brought them to his office.

Report should be cure for nostalgia for Clinton crew. Although Democrats enjoy impugning the integrity of the current president and his administration, the ethical lows achieved by his predecessor, Bill Clinton, and his motley crew of senior advisers still cast the current administration, for all its foibles, in a favorable light. [And now] along comes former national security adviser Sandy Berger to remind us of how "ethically challenged" they were.

Davis won't give up probe into Berger-Archives case. The outgoing chairman of the House Government Reform Committee says questions remain about former National Security Adviser Samuel R. Berger's removal of classified documents from the National Archives and pledged yesterday [12/21/2006] to get the answers. … Describing the material removed as "code-word documents," meaning only a limited number of people had access to them, Mr. Davis said Mr. Berger's conduct in hiding the papers "exposed this country to more serious national security breaches than previously thought."

Networks Spike Revelations About Berger's Pilfering of Secret Papers. Despite the colorful details about how Sandy Berger cut the documents, about the Clinton administration's reaction to terrorist threats in 1999, into small pieces, the broadcast networks weren't interested Thursday morning or evening [12/21/2006] even though the report discredits Berger's claims he simply accidentally mishandled the documents.

[There are more examples of suppressed news items on this page.]

Classified Info. With the release of an internal investigation last week, we now know that former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger not only knowingly flouted laws for handling classified documents, but he went to incredible lengths to cover his tracks and thwart investigators. While Mr. Berger's "punishment" was a pittance of a fine, former Pentagon analyst Larry Franklin has been financially ruined and sentenced to 12½ years for passing along far less-classified information to unauthorized third parties.

What did Berger destroy? If you forgot to make a New Year's resolution, or are still trying to decide on one, let me suggest that you resolve to devote a little time this year to solving the mystery of Sandy Berger and the Destroyed Documents. Pressure on Berger is what is needed, and the united voices of several thousand outraged Americans would provide it.

Did Clinton cause 9/11? Ask Sandy Berger. There is a lot of water under that bridge, and obsessive hatred of Bill Clinton bores me. And yet the hissy fit Bill Clinton and his former colleagues threw calling for ABC to pull this TV movie is also deeply repellent.

Thanks a lot, Bill.
Bill Clinton authorized Sandy Berger's access. President Bill Clinton signed a letter authorizing former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger's access to classified documents that later came up missing, according to a newly released investigation report by the National Archives and Records Administration.

Clinton Library Won't Release Berger Documents. The William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library will not make available to the public the documents that former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger illegally took from the National Archives in 2003. A letter from the library said the total 502 pages from the Millennium Alert After Action Review (MAAR) are "restricted in their entirety," under federal law and that the documents are "classified in the interest of national defense or foreign policy."

Damage from Berger's theft understated, Davis says. Samuel R. Berger's theft of documents from the National Archives compromised national security "much more than originally disclosed" and resulted in "incomplete and misleading" information being given to the September 11 commission, says the former chairman of the House Government Reform Committee. "It is now also clear that Mr. Berger was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to compromise national security, apparently for his own convenience," Rep. Thomas M. Davis III, Virginia Republican, said yesterday [1/9/2007].

The Berger Files: The more we learn about Sandy Berger's brilliant career as a document thief, the clearer it becomes that there is plenty we still don't know and may never learn. On Tuesday [1/9/2007], the House Government Reform Committee released its report on Mr. Berger's pilfering of classified documents from the National Archives. The committee's 60-page report makes it clear that Mr. Berger knew exactly what he was doing and knew that what he was doing was wrong.

Why Does Trousergate Go Ignored? A House Oversight Committee report details the real and potential damage to national security of Sandy Berger's theft and destruction of classified documents. And we may never know what was in them. The report released this week by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee shows, as ranking Republican member Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia put it, how former Clinton National Security Adviser Berger "compromised national security much more than originally disclosed."

Bad News for Berger. There have been many distinguished former government officials who lived to write their version of the history they participated in. Sandy Berger is the rare government official who has lived to erase history. A polygraph test might reveal how much history he erased. Berger's lawyer, a veteran Clinton smog artist, Lanny Breuer, insists there is no "evidence" that his client did anything wrong. That is classic Clinton obfuscation. Berger was caught stealing classified documents from the National Archives. For a former national security adviser to do such a thing is without precedent.

The Secret Sandy Risked His All For. If not the most skillful of embezzlers, Samuel "Sandy" Berger is a far more formidable character than the media would have us believe. When he made his now storied sorties into the National Archives, he risked his career and his reputation in so doing, and he knew it. Rest assured, he would not have done so were the secrets to be preserved not worth the risk of pilfering them. True to form, the major media refuse to even ask the most fundamental question: just what secrets would justify so much personal exposure.

Part two of the above article:
Why Bush Justice Rolled Over For Sandy Berger. The Bush White House is not fully in control of its own Justice Department and FBI. In truth, the decision to protect Berger may have more to do with saving the Clinton legacy than with stabilizing the nation.

Berger Should Take Promised Polygraph. Republican members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform mailed a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales last week asking the Department of Justice to administer a polygraph test to former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger. Berger agreed to a polygraph in 2005 when he pleaded guilty to removing highly classified documents from the National Archives. Justice department lawyers should take advantage of the plea deal because questions remain about what other documents he may have removed.

Socks, Scissors, Paper: The Sandy Berger Caper. Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., is charging a cover-up by the Justice Department in connection with the 2003 theft and destruction of top secret documents by Clinton National Security Advisor Sandy Berger. Davis also told FOX News that he is not convinced that Berger was not acting under direction from the Clinton Administration.

Another Pants Check. Last we heard of Sandy Berger, Bill Clinton's national security adviser, he was being fined and placed on probation for stealing top-secret documents. Is there more to this tale of purloined papers? Rep. Tom Davis thinks there is.

The End of the Line for the Sandy Berger Investigation. Berger's voluntary disbarment has nothing to do with the Justice Department or Capitol Hill. It is entirely the result of Berger's desire to head off an investigation by the District of Columbia Bar. By giving up his license voluntarily, before an investigation was set to begin, Berger effectively closed another probe into his activities.

Document(ed) Thief. By voluntarily surrendering his law license, Clinton White House aide Sandy Berger has avoided cross-examination in Trouser-gate. This is the behavior of a man who's still hiding something.

Sandy Berger gives up law license. Sandy Berger, who served as national security adviser during the Clinton administration, has given up his license to practice law in the District of Columbia, two years after admitting he illegally sneaked classified documents out of the National Archives. … Berger had only copies of documents; all the originals remain in the government's possession.

The Editor says...
Oh, really? Previous reports indicated that he had destroyed original documents, and suggested that we may never know what he took.

Clinton Unzipped: One of the Worst Presidents Ever. [Scroll down] And who can forget the Clintons' most heinous betrayal of all, which was... what, exactly? We'll probably never know because Sandy Berger took care of that. Remember him? "Sandy Burglar" is the light-fingered bandit who served as Clinton's National Security Advisor and pled guilty to stealing and destroying classified documents from the National Archives. At Clinton's behest, Berger was prowling the Archives to prepare testimony for the 9/11 Commission. By his own admission, Berger secretly stashed classified documents in his socks on multiple occasions, hid them under a construction site trailer, snuck back to retrieve them, and then cut them to shreds.

Update: Mr. Berger is still one of Hillary Clinton's advisors.

Congressman John Murtha

Murtha Intervenes for Company That Broke Export Law. Rep. John P. Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat known for delivering federal money to defense contractors in his district, is now going to bat for a constituent's company that was convicted last year of illegally exporting components of military equipment.

Murtha Scandal Time Arrives. Months before the midterm elections, this new media-anointed hero announced he would run for the post of House Majority Leader under a potential Speaker Pelosi. During that time, Democrats were hammering a so-called Republican "culture of corruption," with Pelosi pledging to "drain the swamp" of the majority's ruinous ways in Washington. But the national media didn't exactly wonder how Pelosi would square fighting corruption with installing someone thoroughly tainted with that odor of corruption — John Murtha.

Nonprofit Connects Murtha, Lobbyists. "It's a real tangled web between the congressman, the nonprofit, the defense contractors and the lobbyists," said Steve Ellis, vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan watchdog group. "It's hard to say where one stops and the others start." Murtha declined to respond to numerous phone calls and e-mails from The Washington Post requesting comment.

"King Corruption" Reigns. Republicans returning to the House floor on Friday morning Aug. 3 after their walkout the night before were surprised to find as presiding officer the Democrat they call "King Corruption": Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, master of earmarks and backroom deals.

Earmarks and Congressional Corruption: Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, recently reported that every private entity [Representative John] Murtha (D-PA) favored with an earmark in this year's defense bill has given money to his campaign in the last two years. Political Action Committees (PACs) and employees of the 26 groups in Murtha's district that received Federal monies have contributed $413,250 to him, $100,750 of which was donated in the two weeks leading up to March 16, the original deadline for lawmakers to file their earmark requests. Murtha rewarded these groups for their political contributions by allocating $114.5 million to them.

Pennsylvania defense firm raided by FBI. Federal agents raided the offices of a Western Pennsylvania defense contractor that has received millions in federal earmarks at the request of Rep. John Murtha, according to local media reports. The offices of Kuchera Industries and Kuchera Defense Systems were shuttered for the day following the raids, the chief financial officer told the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat.

Is the Law Finally Closing in on John Murtha? I had not paid much attention to Congressman Murtha since 1980, when he was taped suggesting he might accept a bribe to push through private asylum bills for Arab sheiks (who were actually FBI agents working undercover in an operation to uncover corruption known as Abscam) if only they'd invest in businesses in his district. Then came his Haditha accusations ... .

Following Mr. Murtha's Money: The mantra of criminal investigators — follow the money — often reveals a decidedly circular route when it comes to Capitol Hill politics. Consider the recent raids by federal agents on the offices of a lobbyist and a Pentagon contractor, both with lucrative ties to Representative John Murtha, the powerful Democratic defense appropriator from Pennsylvania. Mr. Murtha, who has not been named as a target, is the reigning master at reaping handsome campaign donations from firms that he regularly blesses with rich government contracts.

FBI Eyes Charity Linked To Rep. Murtha. CBS News has learned the FBI is investigating a little-known not-for-profit organization called Commonwealth Research Institute. It's located, like a lot of Rep. John Murtha's, D-Pa., pet projects, in his hometown, Johnstown, Pa. Commonwealth gets the same benefits as the Salvation Army or any other charity: It doesn't have to pay taxes. But its line of work may be surprising. It's a defense contractor.

Swept Under the Rug. In the Democrat majority, it is now perceived as an article of faith that the party will suffer not if they fail to root out corruption in their own ranks, but if they fail to adequately cover it up. Fortunately, 29 courageous House Democrats refused to go along with it, voting against tabling a resolution that would have launched an ethics investigation into Congressman John Murtha (D-PA) and several of his fellow Congressmen for their role in earmarking $300 million to a lobbying firm's clientele. The PMA Group is headed by Paul Magliocchetti, who is currently under an FBI investigation.

Exec with Murtha ties took kickbacks, feds say. A former executive for a defense contractor with ties to Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha has been charged by federal prosecutors with taking about $200,000 in kickbacks from a subcontractor. Richard Ianieri, of Doylestown, Pa., served as president and CEO of Coherent Systems International Corp., the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Ex-Contractor With Murtha Ties Accused Of Kickbacks. A former executive for a defense contractor with ties to Democratic U.S. Rep. John Murtha has been charged by federal prosecutors in Pittsburgh with taking about $200,000 in kickbacks from a subcontractor.

House Ethics Office Ends Probe of Murtha, 2 Others. A key House investigating body has dropped its probe of Rep. John Murtha (D., Pa.) and two other members of the House's defense-spending committee, according to people familiar with the matter. ... The development doesn't mean that the lawmakers are in the clear.

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2009. [Including] Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) and the rest of the PMA Seven: Rep. John Murtha made headlines in 2009 for all the wrong reasons. The Pennsylvania congressman is under federal investigation for his corrupt relationship with the now-defunct defense lobbyist PMA Group. PMA, founded by a former Murtha associate, has been the congressman's largest campaign contributor. Since 2002, Murtha has raised $1.7 million from PMA and its clients. And what did PMA and its clients receive from Murtha in return for their generosity? Earmarks — tens of millions of dollars in earmarks.

John Murtha: Requiem for a Corruptocrat. John "Jack" Murtha was an unrepentant smear merchant and corruptocrat to the bitter end. ... From his character assassination of innocents to his insatiable appetite for pork and power, Jack Murtha embodied everything that is wrong with Washington.

A Profile in Arrogance. Congressman John "Jack" Murtha, who died last week at the age of 77, represented western Pennsylvania's Twelfth District in the House for 35 years. But Murtha's impressive longevity belies his more dubious political legacy. The narrative of Murtha's legislative career was punctuated on virtually every line by self-absorption, self-interest, secret dealings, and an ugly brand of political hackery that placed Murtha's own lust for power above the welfare of his country.

Sink the Murtha. The late Rep. John Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, has achieved his highest undeserved honor. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has decided to name the Navy's newest San Antonio Class amphibious transport-dock LPD 26 the USS John P. Murtha. This is a slap in the face to every service member who bridled when Murtha publicly accused Marines in Iraq of intentionally killing women and children in cold blood.

Critics Slam Decision to Name Navy Ship for John Murtha. The Navy's decision to name a ship for the late Rep. John Murtha has outraged some critics who have not forgiven the Pennsylvania Democrat for accusing U.S. Marines of murdering Iraqi civilians "in cold blood" five years ago.

Scuttle the USS Murtha. There is another reason to think twice before naming an American warship for John Murtha: He was not honest. Routinely cited by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, and various news organizations, as one of the most corrupt members of Congress, he was notorious for his hostility to ethics legislation and famous for the hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks he shunted toward his district — including defense appropriations for companies that employed his brother and a former staffer.

They should have called it the U.S.S. Abscam. Disregarding public outrage, the U.S. Navy will name a warship after the late Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Pa.,who had accused Marines of murdering Iraqi civilians in 2006. But the problem with naming the ship doesn't just stop at what Murtha called a branch of the military that would occupy the ship, but also with his willingness to entertain bribery.

Months later...
FBI Saw Dark Side of Rep. John Murtha. Last week's release of FBI documents finally put in writing what nobody had ever said on the record: The FBI suspected that former Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and lobbyists close to him were running a scheme to funnel earmarks to sham companies and nonprofits to benefit the lawmaker's friends and former staffers.

Detroit's Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick

Mayor Kilpatrick, chief of staff lied under oath, text messages show. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his chief of staff lied about their relationship last summer at a police whistle-blower trial that has cost the cash-strapped city more than $9 million, according to records obtained by the Free Press. The false testimony potentially exposes them to felony perjury charges, legal experts say.

Detroit Mayor Decries Media "Lynch Mob". Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick lashed out at his opponents and the news media Tuesday night [3/11/2008], accusing them of showing a "lynch mob mentality" in the aftermath of the scandal over his exchange of sexually explicit text messages with a former top aide.

Detroit mayor swamped with calls for resignation. The walls are crumbling for embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who is under increasing pressure to resign over his role in a police whistleblower settlement scandal that many say is paralyzing the already struggling city. High-profile critics have been lining up to call for Mr. Kilpatrick's resignation.

Stalemate in Detroit: City Council Asks Mayor to Resign, but He Refuses to Go. The City Council on Tuesday asked Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick to resign in light of evidence that he had lied under oath and plotted to cover up an extramarital affair with his former chief of staff. The 7-to-1 Council vote is not binding, and Mr. Kilpatrick has vowed to remain in office.

Detroit Mayor Charged With Perjury. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, a one-time rising star and Detroit's youngest elected leader, was charged Monday [3/24/2008] with perjury and other counts after sexually explicit text messages contradicted his sworn denials of an affair with a top aide. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy also charged the popular yet polarizing 37-year-old mayor with obstruction of justice and misconduct in office.

Texts, Lies and the Mayor of Detroit. It's been an unusual season of political sex scandals, but Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's is particularly lurid: there are allegations of parties featuring strippers at the mayoral mansion and explicit text messages between Kilpatrick and his alleged mistress who was, until recently, his chief of staff.

Backers Act to Aid Detroit Mayor. Supporters of Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick, who was charged Monday with obstruction of justice, perjury and other felonies, have begun soliciting donations to help him pay for a defense team that promises to be expensive. … "Just because people accuse you of things and charge you with things doesn't mean you're guilty," [Rev. Horace L.] Sheffield said.

The Editor says...
I beg to differ, "Reverend," but very few felony trials end in acquittal. [1] [2] It's much more likely that he'll enter into a plea bargain.

His Arrogance, Not His Honor. As the saga of felony-indicted Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit continues, it comes as no surprise that he's utterly unwilling to even consider resigning for the good of the city and the surrounding, economically depressed region. But what has now added insult to injury is that some of Kilpatrick's well-heeled friends have "stepped up" to establish a defense fund for the embattled and indefensible mayor.

Indicted mayor refused by Detroit council. The City Council delivered a stinging rebuke to embattled Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick on Monday, telling the mayor it would not accept his budget recommendation. It was the first time Kilpatrick had come before the City Council since it voted 7-1 last month to ask him to resign….

Kilpatrick: Ousting me would be danger to city. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said today [4/18/2008] that he should remain in office because the alternative would put a city and state in economic turmoil even more at risk.

A moment of truth for Detroit. Federal agents appear quite deep into an investigation of unknown scope that has already reached the point of informants passing money on hidden video, and at least one high-ranking staffer resigning under a cloud of suspicion. And, of course, the city labors under the rule of a renegade executive too arrogant and immature to step down in the wake of serial misconduct on his part.

Jailed Kilpatrick faces more charges for allegedly shoving cop. Shortly after Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick wakes up in jail Friday morning [8/8/2008] — still reeling from becoming the first sitting mayor in Detroit's 307-year history to spend a night behind bars — Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox is expected to charge him with felony assault.

Judge: Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to Stand Trial in Assault Case. A judge ruled Friday [8/15/2008] there is enough evidence for Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to stand trial on two felony assault charges stemming from a confrontation with two investigators. The investigators testified that an angry Kilpatrick shoved one of them into the other and made racial remarks while they were trying to deliver a subpoena in the mayor's perjury case to a Kilpatrick friend last month.

Kilpatrick Pleads: 'I Lied Under Oath'. Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick ... pleaded guilty to two felonies — a plea that will require him to spend four months in the Wayne County Jail, resign his office and pay $1 million in restitution. Kilpatrick also will agree not to seek office during the five years he is on probation and will surrender his state pension to the county. And he will surrender his law license.

The Editor asks...
Now where are all the people who so boldly insisted Kilpatrick was innocent?

Judge orders ex-Detroit mayor Kilpatrick to pay $319,000. A judge branded former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick a liar Wednesday [1/20/2010], ordering him to cough up $319,000 within three months toward the $1 million in restitution. Kilpatrick owes the city from his 2008 perjury conviction or face further punishment.

FBI prepares charges against former Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick. Reports that the FBI is preparing to file new corruption charges against former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his father shocked the Michigan political establishment over the weekend and may prove damaging to Democratic candidates facing a hostile electoral climate this fall.

Prosecutors: Kilpatrick should be jailed. Wayne County prosecutors today [4/14/2010] filed written arguments saying former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has violated his probation and should be jailed.

Prosecutor wants prison for former Detroit mayor. A prosecutor wants former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to serve two to five years in prison for violating his probation in a criminal case.

Judge gives Kilpatrick 18 months to 5 years in prison. An audible gasp erupted in the courtroom as Judge David Groner sentenced former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to 18 months to five years in state prison for probation violation.

Ex-Detroit mayor in trouble with the law — again. Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, already in prison for probation violations, was indicted Wednesday [6/23/2010] on federal fraud and tax charges, accused of turning a charity into a personal slush fund for cash, travel, yoga, summer camp and even anti-bugging equipment.

Ex-Detroit Mayor Faces New Charges. This city's former mayor and his father were indicted Wednesday [12/15/2010] by a federal grand jury for allegedly accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars of ill-gotten gains from rigged municipal contracts. The 38-count federal racketeering indictment could wrap up a six-year-old probe into Kwame Kilpatrick, whose reign at City Hall was brought down initially by a text-messaging scandal involving an affair with his chief of staff.

Ex-Detroit mayor released from prison. Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was released from prison Tuesday [8/2/2011] and will go to Texas to rejoin his family, officials said. Kilpatrick, 41, was allowed to transfer supervision of his two-year parole to Texas, where his wife and sons live in Grand Prairie, a Dallas suburb, The Detroit News reported.

Congressman Charles B. Rangel

Rangel Failed to Report $75,000 in Income. Representative Charles B. Rangel has earned more than $75,000 in rental income from a villa he has owned in the Dominican Republic since 1988, but never reported it on his federal or state tax returns, according to a lawyer for the congressman and documents from the resort.

Tricky Charlie's Carib 'Hideaway'. For 20 years, Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel has owned a beachfront villa in a sun-drenched Dominican Republic resort, yet has only sporadically declared income on the property in federal filings. While the villa was rented to paying guests for the past two years, for instance, Rangel reported no income from it in 2006 and 2007, The Post has learned.

Rangel had no-interest mortgage more than 10 years. Rep. Charles Rangel paid no mortgage interest on a beach resort property for more than 10 years, a lawyer for the powerful House committee chairman said Friday. The New York congressman's lawyer, Lanny Davis, told The Associated Press that Rangel got his no-interest deal for the villa in the Dominican Republic because he was an original buyer in the resort development, and in the early days after Rangel's 1987 purchase the rental income it generated failed to meet expectations.

Rangel Admits Mistakes, $5,000 Bill to Uncle Sam. The head of the House tax-writing committee admitted Wednesday [9/10/2008] that he owes about $5,000 to the Internal Revenue Service for failing to report income on his returns. But Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., asked colleagues to let the ethics committee investigate and urged Republicans to stop trying to have him removed from his post.

Rangel Has a Bad Chair Day. Embattled Harlem Congressman Charles Rangel is facing possible ouster from his powerful committee chairmanship as he scrambles to file new tax returns in a desperate bid to hold on to his job. The amended returns will reflect years of income he never bothered reporting from renting out his beachfront Caribbean villa, his lawyer said yesterday [9/9/2008].

More errors for Rangel; hires new accountant. A new set of potential problems in Rep. Charles Rangel's financial papers has prompted the tax-writing lawmaker to hire a forensic accounting expert to try to unravel the mess. Rangel, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, is already the subject of ethics committee investigations on several fronts, including unreported income and unpaid taxes on his beach house in the Dominican Republic.

Weighty, Shady Pol is a Threat to His Own Party. This was supposed to be the year Democrats could not lose. ... That was before [Charlie] Rangel launched his "Monument to Me — The Rangel Center at CUNY" — with your money and greedily grabbed four rent-stabilized apartments, using a system designed to help less fortunate New Yorkers from getting squeezed out onto the street.

Dems shoot down GOP attempt to punish Rangel. Democrats shot down a second GOP attempt in as many months to punish Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) for a series of alleged ethics violations. Democrats easily tabled a motion House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) offered that was aimed at forcing Rangel to give up his chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee while the ethics committee investigates the charges.

Rep. Rangel: Resign post ... or be removed. When Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., took the gavel in January 2007 to become the first woman to fill the post of House Speaker, she proclaimed that Democrats would run the chamber "with the highest ethical standards." That was then. This is now: Rep. Charles Rangel, D.-N.Y., chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, is caught in a scandal in which he didn't pay taxes on property he owns in the Dominican Republic. But Speaker Pelosi is singing a different tune.

Step aside. As chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles Rangel writes the nation's tax laws for the rest of us. But he seems to have a hard time understanding them himself. The Manhattan Democrat calls himself "irresponsible" for not paying taxes on $75,000 in rental income from a villa in the Dominican Republic, but he seems oblivious to the hypocrisy of his situation.

Tow-Nailing Charlie 'Parker'. Embattled Rep. Charles Rangel's Mercedes-Benz was towed yesterday from the House of Representatives parking space he had been using for years in violation of congressional rules. As a tow truck pulled away the 1972 silver sedan under the watchful eyes of five Capitol police officers, House Republicans voted almost unanimously to oust the Harlem Democrat from his chairmanship of the powerful Ways and Means Committee in the midst of several ethics scandals.

Un'stable' Rangel. Rep. Charles Rangel's tax disclosures not only are an embarrassment for the Democratic congressman — they put him far over the limit to qualify for his rent-stabilized Harlem apartments. While the powerful Ways and Means chairman previously disclosed income at or slightly above the $175,000-a-year stabilization ceiling on previous congressional documents, new revelations could put his earnings at more than $200,000 a year. The disclosure could put pressure on Rangel to give up his New York housing perks, critics say.

House To Launch Investigation Into Rep. Rangel. CBS 2 has learned the House of Representatives will conduct an inquiry into Rep. Charles Rangel, the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. The ethics committee of Congress announced they established a subcommittee to investigate Rangel, who has already been in plenty of hot water recently.

The Rangel Example For All Taxpayers? Republicans lost control of the Congress two years ago in part because of corruption. Some of their Members had to step aside because indictments hung over their heads. The Republicans years ago changed the rules governing their own Members. They ruled that anyone who was indicted had to step aside.

Rangel Un-Moved. Three months after Rep. Charlie Rangel admitted he improperly converted a rent-stabilized apartment into his political campaign office — and promised to give it up — the embattled pol still has not moved out. For the past decade, Rangel's political operation has been headquartered in a $682-a-month, one-bedroom apartment at Lenox Terrace — the same Harlem building where he has three other rent-stabilized apartments for personal use.

Mr. Rangel's mess: This legendary black congressman suffered from allegations about misusing his position as a powerful committee chairman. Questions arose about his travel habits and a seaside property. His displays of wealth ill-represented his poor Harlem constituency. Is it Charles Rangel, the embattled current chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee? No, but it's close. It's Adam Clayton Powell Jr. — the man Mr. Rangel defeated in 1970. Four decades later, Mr. Rangel is experiencing uncanny parallels to situations that destroyed Mr. Powell's congressional career.

Rangel Stalls. Rep. Charles Rangel has not hired the forensic accountant he said he needed in order to provide answers regarding his messy tax records, The [New York] Post has learned. Meanwhile, the Harlem Democrat has paid more than $120,000 in campaign money to a law firm to represent him in the scandal.

Waiting for Charlie. What's the holdup, Charlie? Emboldened by the Democrats' newly bolstered majority in the House, Rep. Charles Rangel doubtless anticipates siccing his Ways & Means Committee on the nation's financial mess. But what about his own financial mess? The one being probed by the House Ethics Committee?

Embattled Rangel hires firm to probe finances. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has hired the accounting firm of Watkins, Meegan, Drury and Company to investigate his financial records and prepare a report for the House ethics committee. The selection of Watkins, Meegan comes two months after Rangel first announced he would hire a forensic auditor to investigate 20 years of his personal income taxes and financial disclosure records, which are riddled with areas [sic].

Rangel Double-Deal$. Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel took a "homestead" tax break on a Washington, DC, house for years while simultaneously occupying multiple rent-stabilized apartments in New York City, possibly violating laws and regulations in both cases. The situation raises a number of potential problems for the congressman.

Ditch Charlie. Are congressional Democrats truly committed to dealing with the economic and fiscal policy challenges they face next year? The answer will be seen in how they address their increasingly problematic Charlie Rangel situation. Scarcely a day goes by without yet another ethical impropriety coming to light regarding the chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee. ... The Obama team will have enough to worry about without having its tax and spending bills drafted by a profoundly ethically challenged committee chairman.

Washington Post says Rangel should step down. The Washington Post has joined the New York Times in calling for Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) to step down as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in light of new ethics charges that emerged earlier this week. The Times reported Tuesday [11/25/2008] that Rangel helped preserve a valuable tax loophole for an oil and gas drilling company while the company's chief executive, Eugene Isenberg, was pledging $1 million to the Charles B. Rangel School of Public Service at City College of New York.

'Fit' for Office. Welcome to Charlie Rangel's personal gym. It may look cramped, but while members of Congress are forced to shoehorn office staff and equipment into windowless closets and other tiny corners of the Capitol complex, Rep. Rangel's taxpayer-funded workout room is just another example of the trappings of his power and seniority in Washington. The tiny office space holds everything a busy chairman needs to shed a few pounds in comfort — a flat-screen television, an exercise machine, a mirror, a small refrigerator and a telephone.

Black Conservatives Call for Rangel's Removal as House Ways and Means Chairman. Project 21, a prominent group of black conservative leaders, is the latest to call on Speaker Nancy Pelosi to remove Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. "It's galling that the head of the committee in charge of levying taxes has either a profound ignorance of tax law or a disinterest in adhering to the laws he wants others to follow," Bishop Council Nedd II, a national advisory board member of Project 21, said in a Nov. 26 news release.

Pelosi 'Pledge' to Keep Rangel. Rep. Charles Rangel said yesterday [12/2/2008] that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has promised him he will keep his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee as long as he wants — even though investigators haven't completed their report on ethical allegations facing the Harlem Democrat.

Report: Rangel paid his son nearly $80K for 'poorly designed' websites. The Politico reports that Rep. Charles Rangel, the New York Democrat, paid his son nearly $80,000 for two "poorly designed" campaign websites. That's not illegal, but it does raise questions about whether the powerful Ways and Means Committee chairman was using campaign funds to enrich a relative, the paper says. "Steven Rangel's design for his father's National Leadership PAC site appears to have been slapped together in a hurry, intermittently updated and never spell-checked," the paper says.

House Ethics Panel Expands Rangel Investigation. The House ethics committee is expanding an investigation of Rep. Charles Rangel, chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. The ethics panel issued a statement Tuesday [12/9/2008] saying it had voted to expand an already far-ranging probe into the New York Democrat to examine whether he protected an oil drilling company from a big tax bill when the head of that company pledged a $1 million donation to a college center named after the congressman.

The ethical shoe now on the other foot. The most damning of questions for the ethics panel is Rangel's meeting with Eugene Isenberg in February of 2007 to discuss his $1 million donation to the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College of New York, according to The New York Times. It was at that same meeting that Isenberg had Rangel talk with his lobbyist about keeping the multimillion-dollar tax loophole that benefits his oil-drilling company.

GOP handed gift in Rangel ethics case. House Republicans were heading toward a down-in-the-dumps holiday. Then the House ethics committee handed them a gift. The committee's investigation of Rep. Charles Rangel's tax problems is expanding, turning what has been a minor headache for Democratic leaders into a New Year's migraine.

Pelosi Defends Rangel. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told NBC's Meredith Vieira in an interview taped Monday [12/8/2008] that Rep. Charles Rangel should not step down as chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. Pelosi said she didn't see "any reason" that Rangel should step down.

Why Geithner and Rangel Matter: The Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and the U.S. Treasury Secretary are literally the two highest ranking political figures with regard to the Internal Revenue Service. If any two people on the planet should set an example in their tax behavior, it is the two people who hold those positions and anyone who aspires to them.

Rangel faces questions about book royalties. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) is facing new questions about why he has not disclosed any royalty income on his 2007 memoir ... And I Haven't Had a Bad Day Since: From the Streets of Harlem to the Halls of Congress. The Sunlight Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocate for government transparency, wants to know why the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee has failed to report royalty income and has not voluntarily disclosed details of his book contract.

Rangel's Financial Disclosures Omitted Data Over 30 Years, a Report Says. Representative Charles B. Rangel's financial disclosure forms had at least 28 omissions in the past 30 years and failed to account for what became of more than $239,000 in assets, according to a report issued Wednesday by a private government-ethics group.

Rangel to taxpayers: "Mind your own [expletive deleted] business". That was Rep. Charlie Rangel's response when I recently confronted him about his mounting ethical and financial scandals. Rangel's uncouth snit began in the Longworth House Office Building after I asked the New York Democrat about his publicly-subsidized luxury vehicle, shady property deals, and unpaid taxes.

Spread of swearing video caps Rangel's tough week. Jason Mattera, a spokesman for the right-wing group Young Americans for Freedom and a conservative commentator and blogger, approached Rangel in the halls and told the Harlem Democrat that he was from Brooklyn. Rangel welcomed the man who appeared to be a fellow New Yorker until Mattera asked him about why he leases a Cadillac with taxpayer money and about his failure to pay taxes on a villa in the Dominican Republic.

Pandering To The Greedy Poor. I was watching with my usual level of incredulity as Chris Wallace sought the opinion of yet another Democrat tax cheat, this time Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-NY, on Fox News Sunday. Rangel, who represents Harlem in Congress, serves as the chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which writes all of this nation's tax laws. The irony here is that Rangel apparently sees no need to pay the taxes he himself owes.

NY's Artful Dodger. President Obama this week began cracking down big- time on tax havens — and he's enlisted Rep. Charles Rangel to help. Will this dynamic duo be swift and fair in meting out tax justice? It shouldn't take long to find out: After all, if Rangel and Obama are looking for culprits, they can begin in their own offices.

Update:
Ten months in, new twist in Rangel ethics inquiry. Already embroiled in an ethics probe now entering its tenth month, Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, received more bad news Wednesday night as the House ethics committee announced it would look into Caribbean trips taken by the veteran lawmaker and four other Democrats.

Charlie Rangel pays lawyers $1,000,000. Rangel's latest campaign finance disclosures show that his campaign and his leadership PAC have now paid more than $1 million to lawyers defending against a wide-ranging investigation of his personal finances. The New York Democrat thus joins Reps. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.) and Don Young (R-Alaska) among current lawmakers who have shelled out at least $1 million to their defense attorneys.

Morality and Charlie Rangel's Taxes: Ever notice that those who endorse high taxes and those who actually pay them aren't the same people? Consider the curious case of Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, who is leading the charge for a new 5.4-percentage point income tax surcharge and recently called it "the moral thing to do." About his own tax liability he seems less, well, fervent.

Rangel's Wealth Jumps After Disclosure. House Ways and Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel, already beset by a series of ethics investigations, has disclosed more than $500,000 in previously unreported assets.

'Forgetful' Charlie finds another 780G. Embattled Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel — who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee — failed to reveal personal assets totaling as much as $780,000 in financial-disclosure reports filed with Congress, records released yesterday [8/25/2009] show. Democrat Rangel, the chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, submitted corrected documents with the House Clerk earlier this month, more than a year after filing handwritten and wildly inaccurate 2007 disclosure forms that left out a hefty checking account, several sizable investments and land in New Jersey.

Oops! Charlie Forgot This $1M House. Rep. Charles Rangel failed to report as much as $1.3 million in outside income — including up to $1 million for a Harlem building sale — on financial-disclosure forms he filed between 2002 and 2006, according to newly amended records.

Rangel, Again. Rep. Charlie Rangel's multimillion-dollar "oops" this month raises plenty of good questions, but this may be the best: How can Democrats continue to close their eyes to such sleaze? And, more to the point, this: Will prosecutors follow up on any of it?

The Absent-Minded Chairman. When normal people happen to "find" their own money, it might mean a twenty left in a winter coat, or discovering change beneath the sofa cushions. But if you're Charlie Rangel, it means doubling your net worth. Earlier this month the Chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee "amended" his 2007 financial disclosure form?to the tune of more than a half-million dollars in previously unreported assets and income.

Charlie's Mortgage Bares Home Untruth. Rep. Charles Rangel claimed on mortgage papers that a Harlem brownstone was his principal residence — even though he was living elsewhere at the time, The [New York]Post has learned. When the Democrat — who is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee — took out the mortgage in 1990, he said the property on West 132nd Street was his "principal residence," records show.

Rangel Untangle: House Democrats are willing to rally around Rep. Charles Rangel in his latest spate of tax missteps — but only as long as no more embarrassing revelations come to light, sources told The Post. The head of the powerful Ways and Means Committee last week amended six years' worth of financial disclosure forms and revealed he'd earned $1.3 million in previously unreported income.

The Editor says...
Can you imagine what the press would say if a Republican kept "remembering" million dollar assets that he had conveniently "forgotten" to report? And if the Republican party rallied to his defense?

Rangel should resign. Charlie Rangel always has been an entertaining congressman. And not to damn him with faint praise, an effective one, too. But the New York City representative, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, is having a problem with his numbers as they relate to the truth. He now can be neither entertaining nor effective. He needs to go. If he won't, Speaker Nancy Pelosi needs to push him.

Fire Rangel. Has he no shame? Of course not. He's Charlie Rangel, head of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee — who can't be bothered to tend to his own tax returns, but now intends to punish ordinary folks for making arguably minor mistakes on their forms.

How do you spell 'cahoots'?
Staff as 'Forgetful' as the Boss. Charlie Rangel's "forgetfulness" is apparently contagious. Two of his top aides are among about a dozen highly paid staffers on the powerful tax-writing Ways and Means Committee who have filed a flurry of amendments correcting their financial-disclosure statements since 2002.

Boehner's 'Dear Charlie' letter to Rangel: Step down. House Republican leader Rep. John Boehner has just sent a "Dear Charlie" letter to Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Charles Rangel, asking Rangel to step down until the Ethics Committee finishes its investigation of Rangel's nonpayment of taxes and non-disclosure of hundreds of thousands of dollars on his legally-required financial disclosure forms.

'Ethics' for sale. Is Charlie Rangel worried that the House Ethics Committee — notorious for handing out little more than a slap on the wrist for even the most egregious congressional misconduct — might make an exception in his case?

Rep. Charles Rangel — Sign of the Times. Currently, Rangel is under investigation by two House subcommittees for illegally holding four rent-stabilized apartments in New York and not disclosing more than $75,000 in income from a rental villa he owns. He also took free Caribbean trips paid for by corporate cronies and used his congressional letterhead to press for money for the City College of New York's new educational center, which bears his name. Rangel also acknowledged that he improperly listed his assets, as required by law, and failed to report additional checking accounts valued between $250,000 and $500,000 — princely sums acquired on a congressional salary.

Charlie in rental di$order. Rep. Charles Rangel reported no rental income for eight years on his rundown Harlem row house, even though public records show tenants were living there. The powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee said he received nothing from 1993 to 2000 on the six-unit building, according to federal financial disclosure forms. But one current tenant told The Post she had lived at the building for 20 years -- and paid rent during that period.

Rangel: The Most Corrupt Dem? First there was "Countrywide Chris" Dodd (D-Conn.), whose combination of poor judgment and possible corruption qualifies him to be Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Then there was Tim "TurboTax" Geithner, whose false tax return filings qualify him to be Secretary of the Treasury. And now, in keeping with the Democrats' recent tendency to have scoundrels in the highest positions involving regulation of the nation's finances, we have the Chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), who recently filed amended financial disclosure reports showing a net worth about double what he had previously reported.

The case against Charlie Rangel. [Scroll down slowly] So it would go for Charlie Rangel over the next four decades — a pattern of tax evasion, special treatment and enrichment that seemed to increase with his power and prestige in Congress. Whether it's living in rent-stabilized apartments while making a hefty salary, or failing to disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in earnings and assets, his actions betray a consistent, defiant sense of entitlement. And when he is caught, the powerful Democrat blames a right-wing conspiracy.

Shaming Charlie's pals. House Republicans, clearly frustrated by the sloth-like pace at which the Ethics Committee is looking into the tangled financial affairs of Rep. Charles Rangel, have finally decided to take the bull by the horns. Good move. Unless Rangel steps down this week as chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee — the House's tax-writing body — the GOP will introduce a resolution demanding his removal.

Rangel is Robin Hood in reverse. How does Rangel have so much money and where did it come from? This is a man who draws a salary from the government of about $175,000 a year. It's a comfortable salary, but it certainly isn't going to make anybody this rich — especially someone living in one of the world's most expensive cities. Rangel did not inherit a fortune and did not marry one. And nor had he built some huge fortune before he first won election to Congress in 1970.

Charlie sneaks $3M in pork for CCNY. Two years after creating a center in his own name at City College, Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel has come through with a $3 million defense grant for the school — for a project the Pentagon doesn't even want, The [New York] Post has learned.

Angles on Rangel — the final vote. House Democrats have successfully killed a privileged resolution by Rep. John Carter, R-Tex., which called for the removal of an alleged tax evader from the House's top tax post, pending an ethics investigation. The vote on whether to oust Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y. as chairman of Ways and Means fell largely along party lines, with a final tally of 246-153, with 19 members voting "present" and 14 not voting.

Another Vote to Spare Rangel. Rep. Charlie Rangel, who has collected tax and ethics scandals the way some people collect stamps (in big batches, that is), sits atop the House Ways and Means Committee because neither the Speaker of the House nor his colleagues have the nerve to kick him out.

It's looking impossible to clean this House. Every criminal operation has its code of silence. The Mafia enforces omerta. Bad cops erect their blue wall of silence. And Democrats running Congress have their "motion to refer." That was the slimy tool Speaker Nancy Pelosi wielded on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday [10/7/2009] to cover up for her tax-dodging top committee chairman, Charlie Rangel.

How long can Democrats stand by Charlie Rangel? Even some Democrats who have stuck with him through his messy financial problems are beginning to wonder if they can't stick with him anymore. The House ethics committee expanded a sprawling investigation into Rangel Thursday [10/8/2009], digging into allegations stemming from an August restatement of his personal finances, in which he under-reported hundreds of thousands of dollars in assets.

House ethics panel to expand Rangel probe. The House panel investigating alleged ethics violations by Rep. Charles B. Rangel, New York Democrat, said Thursday [10/8/2009] it voted unanimously to expand the probe. A statement by the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct said its investigative subcommittee already has issued nearly "150 subpoenas, interviewed approximately 34 witnesses resulting in over 2,100 pages of transcripts."

Rangel Innocent Until Proven Guilty, Pelosi Says. Innocent until proven guilty — that's why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi refuses to remove New York Rep. Charles Rangel from his powerful chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee. As the House Ethics Committee investigates a string of allegations against Rangel, who represents New York's Harlem district, a spokesman for Pelosi said Friday that the "bipartisan process" should be allowed to finish before the congressman's fate is decided.

The Editor says...
Under a truly bipartisan process, he would already have been ousted.

Swamp Creature Rangel Needs to Find the Exit. It is with great regret that I write that Democrats must remove Charlie Rangel from his chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee. Almost everyone likes Rangel, which is why he's survived a raft of allegations of financial impropriety that would make a Wall Street banker blush.

Pelosi's Sinking In the Swamp. If she hopes to survive a bloody battle in 2010 — one where her own words and actions will be used against her — Speaker Pelosi must insist that New York Congressman Charlie Rangel resign immediately.

Charlie Rangel has let us all down with his fiscal shenanigans. New York waited for decades to gain the kind of congressional clout that Rep. Charlie Rangel has wielded as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and now he has let the home team down. Big time. To say that Rangel has become damaged goods is to engage in understatement.

Will Rangel ever step down? The House Ethics Committee is continuing its 16-month investigation into House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-New York), who is accused of failing to disclose more than $600,000 in previously unreported assets, and tens of thousands of dollars in unreported income.

N.Y. Dems agitate for Rangel action. Support for Charles Rangel within his home state delegation is showing signs of strain — with upstate New York Democrats grumbling about the impact of Rangel's ethics woes on their already tenuous reelection chances.

Not as Much Fun Being Charlie Rangel. Being Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee normally guarantees lucrative fund-raising. But having trouble with House ethics rules — and the law — appears to be putting a crimp in Rep. Charlie Rangel's fund-raising.

Ethics probes may saddle Democrats in 2010. The House ethics committee investigation of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) is likely to extend well into 2010, according to sources familiar with the probe, meaning that the fate of the powerful chairman of the Ways and Means Committee could become a major political issue for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and the Democratic leadership during a difficult election year.

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2009. [Including] Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY): Rangel, the man in charge of writing tax policy for the entire country, has yet to adequately explain how he could possibly "forget" to pay taxes on $75,000 in rental income he earned from his off-shore rental property. He also faces allegations that he improperly used his influence to maintain ownership of highly coveted rent-controlled apartments in Harlem, and misused his congressional office to fundraise for his private Rangel Center by preserving a tax loophole for an oil drilling company in exchange for funding. On top of all that, Rangel recently amended his financial disclosure reports, which doubled his reported wealth. (He somehow "forgot" about $1 million in assets.)

Has the MSM Forgotten the Rangel Investigation That Has No End? Back in early 2009, while the MSM noted the tax evasion problems of several of Obama's appointees, Congressman Charlie Rangel (D, NY) sat nearby, grinning like the Cheshire Cat from Wonderland. The tax transgressions of Timmy Geithner, Tommy Daschle, Nancy Killefer, et al are equivalent to shoplifting a candy bar from a convenience store when compared to Charlie's multiple, long-term, bank heists. Cholly's been at it for four decades!

House Panel Admonishes Rangel for Taking Trips as Gifts. A House ethics committee said on Thursday that it had admonished Representative Charles B. Rangel for violating Congressional gift rules by accepting corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008.

Why Pelosi can't just get rid of Rangel: Suddenly, it looks like Nancy Pelosi will have to confront her Charlie Rangel problem after all. For more than a year, the House Speaker has managed to buy herself time every time Republicans or the media (or both) have made noise about Rangel and his ethical issues.

Charlie Rangel ruling puts Nancy Pelosi in a jam. The House ethics committee's decision to admonish New York Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel over improper corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean leaves Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the ethics committee itself facing difficult questions. When then-Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) was admonished by the ethics committee in October 2004, Pelosi and other Democratic leaders went on the offensive against him.

Rangel refuses to step aside after ethics slap. New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel said Friday [2/26/2010] he won't step down as chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee despite being admonished for violating rules by letting corporations pay for his Caribbean trips. Rangel asserted that that [sic] the ethics report "exonerates" him because it says there is no evidence that he knew the trips were sponsored by corporations. The report said his staff knew who paid for the trips.

Dems call for Charlie Rangel's gavel. After months of holding ranks, some Democrats are finally turning on House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) in the wake of an ethics committee finding that he violated House rules by accepting a Caribbean junket.

Relieve the Chairman of His Gavel. Congressman Charles Rangel was far from humbled after the ethics committee admonished him for taking corporate-paid Caribbean junkets in violation of the House ethics code. Rather, the New York Democrat berated the panel's leaders on the House floor.

Charlie the coward. This newspaper has had its share of differences with Rep. Charlie Rangel over the years, but one word we never thought to associate with the Harlem lawmaker is "coward." Yet what other term is appropriate when a 79-year-old political veteran, the dean of the New York delegation and chairman of one of the most powerful panels on Capitol Hill, ducks responsibility for a pretty obvious personal ethical lapse by throwing his staff under the bus?

Pelosi: Rangel stays — for now. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Sunday [2/28/2010] she wants let House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., hold onto his gavel for now, despite his admonishment by the House ethics committee last week.

Defiant Rep. Charles Rangel vows reelection bid despite uproar over alleged ethics violations. Rep. Charles Rangel made it clear Saturday: He's running this year for a 21st term as Harlem's congressman. Rangel, under fire for alleged ethics violations, acknowledged he was aware of calls for his retirement or resignation.

The Editor says...
Mr. Rangel seems to be conveniently unaware of a lot of stuff. He sounds a lot like former congressman William Jefferson, who is now serving 13 years for bribery.

Nancy's dirty house. This is a mess ideally suited for Nancy Pelosi's broom — if it weren't stashed in a closet alongside President Obama's promises to curtail earmarks drastically and to broadcast sensitive legislative negotiations. Pelosi pleads for patience for Rangel, who's still being investigated in many other matters and, after all, has not done "something that jeopardized our country in any way." This means Rangel will only step down as chairman after exacting the maximum possible political embarrassment.

Ethics Scandal Will Hurt Democrats in November. The Charlie Rangel scandal is the latest in a series of embarrassing episodes that have plagued Democrats over the past year as they have struggled to get control of an agenda that is dead, dying or on life support. The New York congressman lost the chairmanship of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee last week, 24 hours after he said "you bet your life" he would hold on to the plum post, despite a long list of troubling congressional investigations into unethical and possibly illegal activities, such as not paying his taxes.

Meet Your Lords and Masters. Don't like the way America's tax code is shaping up? Well then, at least some of the blame goes to Charles Rangel because as the Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, he had a lot to do with it. Of course, Rangel apparently didn't like America's tax code very much either — or at least that's the conclusion that you might draw from the fact that he cheated on his taxes.

House to Try Top Democrat. House investigators have laid out a series of ethics accusations against Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel, the once-powerful tax-writer who is one of the most senior members of Congress, presenting his party with a new complication in advance of the fall elections. Mr. Rangel, of New York, will have the opportunity to defend himself at a public trial before the House ethics committee beginning next week, according to a statement Thursday [7/22/2010] from the panel, formally known as the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

Rangel's Chickens Come Home to Roost. A House ethics investigative committee today announced what amounts to a Congressional indictment of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) on multiple ethics violations. These charges will be made public next week by an adjudicatory subcommittee set up to try the charges.

Charlie Rangel Is Toast. Charlie Rangel, oleaginous octogenarian extraordinaire, put on a press conference at lunchtime on Friday [7/23/2010] that was such a master class in shifty-eyed flimflam that no one who watched it can have left its Harlem venue (or their TV screens) unconvinced that he is, by some great distance, the most knavish congressman in Washington.

The Rangel Standard. The House ethics committee announced on Thursday that it would bring charges against Charlie Rangel, and the Manhattan Democrat responded by telling reporters that "I look forward to airing this thing." Don't we all.

House Democrat calls on Rep. Rangel to resign. In a major development, Rep. Betty Sutton (D-Ohio) on Friday night [7/23/2010] called on beleaguered Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) to resign. Sutton's statement comes one day after the House ethics committee charged the 80-year-old Democrat with multiple violations.

The End Of Rangel's Arrogant Rule. The former Ways And Means chairman faces possible expulsion for playing fast and loose with his finances and taxes. Since that's what the Congress has done with ours, maybe they should all face expulsion.

Rangel Scrambling to Make Deal on Ethics Charges. Embattled Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel was meeting with the head of the House ethics committee and other top Democrats amid rumors he may try to work out a deal rather than face a full vetting of the charges he is now facing. A settlement would mean Rangel must admit he committed some ethical misconduct.

Panel hits Rangel with 13 alleged ethics charges. House investigators accused veteran New York Rep. Charles Rangel of 13 violations of congressional ethics standards on Thursday [7/29/2010], throwing a cloud over his four-decade political career and raising worries for fellow Democrats about the fall elections.

The Enablers of Charlie Rangel. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the world's worst cleaning lady. How has she fulfilled her vaunted promise to "drain the swamp" and preside over the "most ethical Congress in history"? By shrugging her shoulders, downplaying the gravity of myriad ethics charges against corruptocrat Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel and waiting for the "political chips" to "fall where they may." Imagine a custodial service that fixed toilet clogs by letting the overflowing waste and polluted waters "fall where they may."

He's ready for crime time, feds. Hey, feds, do you need a road map? Well, here it is. The charging documents in the sprawling House investigation into the shady, double-dipping deals of Charlie Rangel reads like a crime novel.

Charlie Rangel's Career Comes Full Circle. Congressman Charlie Rangel's congressional career began 40 years ago as a battle against corruption. It seems as if his life has come full-circle, or, a commentary on two distinguished political careers; both brought down by a combination of personal hubris and institutionalized congressional corruption.

House of Entitlement. My favorite part of the ethics report on Charlie Rangel involves his efforts to "close" a $10 million gift "to create AIG Hall" as part of the Rangel Center at the City College of New York. Yes, that AIG. ... The insurance giant wasn't so sure about writing the check, citing the "potential headline risk."

A Party for Charlie Rangel? A House ethics panel charged Rangel with serious violations of House rules. Some suggest he could be charged by the IRS for not reporting income. And the band plays on. Donations to his campaign coffers pour in. About two-thirds of his campaign cash in 2009 went to legal fees — so when donors cough up for Charlie's campaign they likely indulge in a bit of nudge, nudge, wink, wink: "this money is for getting old Charlie off the hook."

Charlie Rangel's Birthday Bash: A Night for Ethics Amnesia. It was the antithesis of Chelsea Clinton's wedding — a glittering social event on the New York political calendar that many prominent politicians wished (very privately) they did not have to attend and hoped (very secretly) would somehow be canceled.

Charles Rangel loses ethics lawyer. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who faces an ethics trial next month, has parted ways with his lead defense attorneys in the case, according to several sources familiar with the matter. It is unclear what, if any, impact this will have on the Rangel trial, which is scheduled to begin Nov. 15. It is also not clear whether Rangel decided to get rid of his attorneys or if they left of their own volition.

Rangel's new rush. Oh, so now he's in a hurry. Following a two-year probe, Rep. Charlie Rangel, "dean" of the New York congressional delegation, reportedly now suddenly wants to face his accusers quickly and to put all of his legal woes to rest at an upcoming House ethics committee trial. This, though he hasn't said boo about the trial in weeks — even as House Democrats staged a 60-day game of stall-ball to stave off any pre-election, Rangel-related embarrassing publicity.

Rangel: 'I have no real chance of fighting back'. Embattled Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) struck a defeated tone Monday, hours after he walked out of his own ethics trial. Rangel reiterated his claim that his due process rights had been violated over his lack of legal representation at the trial that began Monday morning [11/15/2010].

Charlie Rangel found guilty of 11 ethics violations. Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) was found guilty Tuesday [11/16/2010] of breaking 11 separate congressional rules related to his personal finances and fundraising efforts for a New York college.

Rangel Found Guilty. A House subcommittee has found Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., guilty of 11 counts of breaking ethics rules. Rangel declined to offer a reaction, saying "No, I really haven't studied it." Asked whether he was hoping the punishment would be limited to a reprimand, he said: "I don't know."

Ethics watchdog renews call for Rangel resignation. After Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) was found guilty of violating House ethics rules, the ethics watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) again called on him to resign from Congress. CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan approved of the decision and said Rangel should resign.

Rangel Claims He Doesn't Have a Lawyer. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) asked the House Ethics Committee to postpone his ethics trial because he does not have legal representation. ... One of Rangel's excuses for not having a lawyer is that accepting free legal representation would violate the House gift ban. Meanwhile, famed defense lawyer Abbe Lowell accompanied Rangel to the hearing and departed with him.

Rangel Should Have Worked for the UN. Rep. Charles Rangel is having an unpleasant season, convicted on Tuesday [11/16/2010] by a House panel on 11 counts of ethics violations — including failure to properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal financial assets. Rangel would have done far better to work for the United Nations. For UN senior staff members, as long as they don't get carried away and attempt an act of genuine transparency, it is virtually impossible to fail to properly disclose their personal financial assets to the public.

Rangel Convicted on 11 of 13 Corruption Charges. The former chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charlie Rangel, has been convicted on most of the corruption charges brought against him.

Rangel Brings Shame on Democrats. In almost any other election year, Rep. Charlie Rangel's ethics problems would have been a major campaign issue, in much the way that Republicans' myriad ethics and corruption scandals framed the 2006 election. The only reason Democrats got a "pass" on Rangel before the election is that so much else was going wrong for them and dominating the headlines.

Charlie Rangel Is a Symptom of a Bigger Problem. Charlie Rangel, convicted of eleven ethics violations — the most ever found against any member of Congress — was resoundingly re-elected, getting 80% of his district's vote. After 40 years representing these folks, you can't conclude he was an unknown commodity. Granted, the conviction occurred after the election, but the charges were well publicized.

House censures Rangel for ethics violations on 333-79 vote. The House has voted to censure Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), the once-powerful chairman of the Ways and Means panel, for a string of ethics violations. In a vote of 333-79, the House handed down its steepest form of punishment short of expulsion to one of the most senior and beloved members of the House.

House censures Charles Rangel by overwhelming vote. The House voted overwhelmingly on Thursday [12/2/2010] to censure Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), who pleaded for leniency but now finds his 40-year career tarnished after his colleagues rebuked him using a rare form of public punishment for ethics violations.

At long last, the tide is turning in swamps of Washington. The fall of Charlie Rangel is bigger than the fate of one 80-year-old man. It is the tale of hubris, of arrogance drunk with power, meeting its match in an aroused citizenry.

The Rangel Censure Joke. For months now, we've witnessed a charade when it comes to the wrongdoing of Rep. Charles Rangel, Democrat of New York. The charade came to a climax yesterday with the official vote to censure Rangel. But what is censure? Censure is nothing. Rangel will have to stand before his colleagues and have the details of his wrongdoing read aloud to him. That's it.

Censure, then Dinner and Back to Work. The nauseating fight over which word was a more appropriate punishment for Charles Rangel is everything that's wrong with Congress.

Censure without shame. The bipartisan House Ethics Committee found Mr. Rangel guilty of 11 ethics-rules violations related to unpaid taxes on rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic, failure to disclose personal financial assets and improper solicitation of donations. Additionally, last spring, Mr. Rangel resigned as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee after being found guilty of accepting corporate-financed travel. Now the Federal Election Commission is investigating whether Mr. Rangel improperly used $400,000 from his National Leadership PAC to fund his defense on the previous ethics charges.

Charlie Rangel should leave the Congress on His Own Terms. Rangel did not do anything the Congressmen before him hadn't, and many still do. The difference is that Rangel was starting to be considered a liability by the Pelosi camp, so she fed him to the Republicans and public as the token Democrat to live up to her rhetoric on "draining the swamp" of corruption in the Congress. Strangely, the earliest charge only dates back 10 years ago. It seems odd that after 40 years of public service, Rangel would suddenly start betraying the public trust.

$$ party for Charlie. Charles Rangel wants to party away his legal bills. The embattled Harlem congressman — who has been buried under a mountain of debt from his ethics case — is throwing a fund-raiser next month to raise money for his legal-defense fund. Tickets to the event — co-hosted by former state Comptroller Carl McCall — start at $250 and go up to $5,000.

Rangel says U.S. 'not broke,' should reject GOP cuts. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) on Wednesday [3/9/2011] said the federal government is not broke, and that Congress should not begin cutting programs in the way that Republicans have proposed. "Make no mistake about it, we're not broke," Rangel said in a floor discussion with Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) "It wasn't that we overcompensated public employees. They didn't cause this deficit." Rangel's remarks go against those made by Republicans, who argued that continued deficit spending is unsustainable.

The Democrats' 'Culture of Corruption'. Remember Rep. Charles Rangel? A quick recap of his rap sheet: The onetime chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, which writes the nation's tax laws, was guilty of massive tax evasion. The Sunlight Foundation catalogued "28 instances in which Rangel omitted assets worth between $239,026 and $831,000 that were either purchased, sold, or held from his financial disclosures." He further solicited millions for the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College directly from his congressional office — even from a number of interests that had business before his powerful committee. There's also his illegal use of rent-controlled apartments and the House parking garage, as well as other infractions too numerous to name.

Charlie Rangel's Religious Awakening. There are few things in politics as sacred to liberals as the so-called separation of church and state. Even the slightest reference to God or Jesus in the public square leaves the left quivering and blubbering about imposing religious values upon the public. ... Yet when it comes to scoring cheap political points, Democrats are always eager to cloak themselves in religion and more than willing to sermonize. Enter disgraced New York Democrat Charles Rangel, last seen defending the honor of Anthony Weiner.

Charlie Rangel Is Back Living the High Life. Censure by the House hasn't cramped his style one bit.

Another Underling Prosecuted as Rangel Gets Free Pass. James Capel, who until February was a top aide to Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), pleaded guilty yesterday in Manhattan Criminal Court to charges resulting from his failure to file a tax return for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. Capel reportedly did not file a tax return from 2003 onward, but was saved from prosecution by the statute of limitations for the earlier years. Capel must pay $42,088 in back taxes and pay a $1,000 fine.

Rangel Junket Figure Karl Rodney Sentenced Today. Karl Rodney, the organizer of the Caribbean junkets that contributed to the downfall of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two years probation and 500 hours of community service. He was also fined $2,500. District Judge Emmet Sullivan included no jail time in the sentence.

Albany's gift to Charlie Rangel. Even as his fellow pols in Albany swore up and down that their gerrymandering — er, redistricting — efforts are as pure as the driven snow, Assemblyman Denny Farrell was giving the true game away. The way Farrell tells it, the Assembly's top priority is making Rep. Charles Rangel happy — and keeping him in Congress for one more term.

Isn't this the same guy who wanted to bring back the draft a few years ago?

Governor Rod Blagojevich

Part 1: Articles written about Governor Blagojevich before he was arrested on December 9, 2008.

Obama's Iraqi Oil for Food connection. Rezko's relationship with Barack Obama goes back to at least 1990, when Obama's law firm did work relating to a Rezko housing development. Rezko was a key early-money fund raiser in Obama's state Senate campaigns and his failed run at the US Congress. In June 2005, when the mansion was purchased, Rezko was widely known to be under federal investigation. Rezko also is a key fundraiser for Illinois Democratic Governor Rod Blagojevich.

Four Stumps in the Water for Obama: [Scroll down] The Rezko trial highlights another problem for Obama, potentially a devastating one, though it is unlikely to arise for several months or more. Antoin "Tony" Rezko is on trial for taking large bribes in return for political favors. The feds allege that he was able to steer state contracts and policy decisions, such as authorization to build hospitals in specific locations, because he was so close to Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (for whom he was a top fundraiser) and because he was willing to share the graft with his cronies.

Illinois Governor's $1 Million Grant Under Investigation. "The Chicago Tribune … uncovered 235 donations of exactly $25,000 apiece (for a total of $5,865,000) to the governor. Three-fourths of those donations came from persons who received financial benefits from the Blagojevich administration."

Is Rezko working with the feds? As his sentencing nears, pressure is mounting on Tony Rezko to cooperate with federal investigations into some of the highest-profile politicians in the state — including Gov. Blagojevich. Two more trials — one in Chicago next spring, one in Las Vegas — hover over the Wilmette businessman and onetime prolific political fund-raiser for the governor and Barack Obama.

Feds indict friend of governor. Christopher Kelly, one of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's (D-Ill.) closest advisers and the chief fundraiser on his two campaigns, was indicted Thursday [12/13/2007] on tax fraud charges alleging he improperly used corporate funds to cover gambling debts he had run up in Las Vegas and with a local bookie.

Gambling expansion stalls in wake of indictments. The political fallout from the indictment of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's friend and gambling adviser began today as a potential vote next week on a massive state gambling expansion was canceled. ... On Thursday federal prosecutors indicted Chris Kelly, a South suburban roofing contractor and close personal friend of the governor, on charges stemming from alleged illegal betting and breaking the law to conceal gambling debts.

Indicted insider has story, home to sell. Christopher Kelly — our unreform governor's gambling point man — was indicted Thursday on federal tax evasion charges involving huge gambling losses with Chicago bookies and Las Vegas casinos. And I was busy enjoying an online tour of his sumptuous castle, a Burr Ridge estate with a $3.3 million asking price. It was put up for sale weeks ago as if Kelly knew this could happen.

Obama giving away indicted donor's cash. Barack Obama is getting rid of an old $5,000 campaign donation that was given to him by an Illinois businessman who was indicted this week. The money was donated to Obama's U.S. Senate campaign in 2003 by Abdelhamid "Al" Chaib of LaGrange Park, Ill. Chaib was indicted Thursday on federal charges of taking part in a scheme to fraudulently obtain a $3.4 million loan.

Probe is closer to governor. A federal corruption probe moved closer to Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday [12/21/2007] as prosecutors issued a document in which the governor allegedly boasted to a key witness that he "could award contracts, legal work and investment banking" to boost campaign fundraising. Blagojevich is not quoted by name but is referred to as "Public Official A" in the 78 pages that prosecutors filed….

Patti's $47K Rezko deal. [Illinois] Governor Blagojevich's wife got nearly $50,000 from a real estate deal in late 2002 involving Antoin "Tony" Rezko, a developer and former top Blagojevich political fund-raiser now under federal indictment. In the following two months, the governor began giving friends of Rezko seats on influential state boards and began hiring former Rezko employees to upper-level state jobs.

Possible Evidence To Indict Gov. Blagojevich. A source tells CBS 2 News Wednesday night that a team of federal agents believes it has the evidence needed to indict Governor Rod Blagojevich. Investigators believe they've established solid evidence of fraud and conspiracy.

Part 2: Articles written about Governor Blagojevich after he was arrested on December 9, 2008.

This section includes occasional references to Tony Rezko, but for more information about Mr. Rezko, please refer to this page. Nobody (so far) has accused Barack Obama of any involvement in Governor Blagojevich's alleged schemes, but you might want to read the subsection about Obama's shady Chicago background. I had been expecting to see Obama's presidency punctuated by minor scandals, but this bombshell was big -- and close!

Why Can't Blagojevich Sell a Senate Seat? "Blagojevich also was charged with illegally threatening to withhold state assistance to Tribune Co., the owner of the Chicago Tribune, in the sale of Wrigley Field, according to a federal criminal complaint. In return for state assistance, Blagojevich allegedly wanted members of the paper's editorial board who had been critical of him fired." ... This is just the beginning. As the Chicago Machine rolls into Washington DC, "change" is here! How do you like it so far?

Illinois First Lady Prominent in FBI Affidavit Charging Governor. Illinois first lady Patricia Blagojevich's official Web site says she's "committed to spreading the governor's message." That's putting it mildly, according to the 76-page FBI affidavit released Tuesday accusing her husband, Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and his chief of staff of corruption.

Questions Arise About the Obama/Blagojevich Relationship. Asked what contact he'd had with the governor's office about his replacement in the Senate, President-elect Obama today [12/9/2008] said "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so we were not, I was not aware of what was happening." But on November 23, 2008, his senior adviser David Axelrod appeared on Fox News Chicago and said something quite different. While insisting that the President-elect had not expressed a favorite to replace him, and his inclination was to avoid being a "kingmaker," Axelrod said, "I know he's talked to the governor and there are a whole range of names many of which have surfaced, and I think he has a fondness for a lot of them."

The Blithesome Banality of Blago's Blunders. There's no tragedy here. No wasted potential. No undeserving victims. No profound and complicated symbolic issues (I somewhat doubt the Serbian-American lobby is going to cry racism). This is the sort of criminality we want the Feds to find, particularly in Chicago.

Jackson gets pulled deeper into scandal. President-elect Barack Obama tried to further distance himself from the burgeoning scandal in Illinois Wednesday, joining a near-unanimous chorus of public officials calling on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to step down. At the same, another prominent Illinois politician — Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. — was getting drawn even deeper in to the case, admitting for the first time that he was, in fact, the "Senate Candidate 5" in the criminal complaint but denying any wrongdoing.

Rep. Jackson under scrutiny by ethics panel. Congressional ethics officials are investigating Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s actions in connection with Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged attempt to sell the U.S. Senate seat left open by Barack Obama's election to the presidency, the congressman confirmed today [4/8/2009].

House ethics panel defers probe on Jesse Jackson Jr.. A House ethics panel said it is investigating allegations against three lawmakers, including Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Jackson allegedly launched a "public campaign" to be appointed to President Obama's former Senate seat in Illinois.

Jackson expects to be 'vindicated' in ethics probe. U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. said Saturday night [10/29/2011] he expects to be "vindicated" in a House ethics probe looking at his involvement in trying to secure President Barack Obama's vacated Senate seat from then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Jackson also said he has never met or spoken to Robert Blagojevich, the former governor's brother and then-head of campaign fundraising, who has offered to appear before the House Committee on Ethics to testify about Jackson's interest in the seat.

Blago Senate scheming even before Obama win. Even before Barack Obama won the presidential election, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was plotting how he could make money off it or steal political leverage from it. To capture a glimpse of the high drama and palace intrigue, it's useful to connect the internal Blagojevich conversations taped by the FBI with the public movement of the Obama transition team.

Chicago Tugs on Obama's Sleeve. Does what happens in Chicago stay in Chicago? Tuesday's arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on charges that included trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama's U.S. Senate seat has brought renewed national attention to the state's corrupt political culture while creating a headache for the incoming administration.

Who Loses? Aside from the criminal defendants and the Illinois Democratic Party, who are the big losers in Blago-gate? Really anyone who wants to get away with something or get something they don't really deserve. I'd put in that category: Al Franken, Charlie Rangel, Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder. No one now has the stomach for even a hint slick dealing or nefarious politics — at least for awhile.

Obama Was Mute on Illinois Corruption. What remains to be seen is whether this episode will put an end to what Chicago Tribune political columnist John Kass calls the national media's "almost willful" fantasy that Mr. Obama and Chicago's political culture have little to do with each other. Mr. Kass notes that the media devoted a lot more time and energy to investigating the inner workings of Sarah Palin's Wasilla, Alaska, than it has looking at Mr. Obama's Chicago connections.

Obama and Blagojevich: A picture is worth a thousand words.

The Tainting of the President-Elect. The notion that a newly elected president who is also a sitting U.S. Senator would have no "contact" whatsoever with the governor charged with appointing his Senate successor is a fantasy.

Obama must explain Blago ties. Time magazine foolishly gave Chicago politics its clean government seal of approval last month. Celebrating Barack Obama's election, the magazine said John McCain's attempts to tie Obama to corruption in the Windy City failed because they were "based on an outdated caricature." The left-leaning magazine went on to note that Obama was bringing the Chicago trio of David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel and John Podesta to the White House and insisted that these days, "Chicago Democrat appears to be a winning label." Oops.

Jackson denies Senate bribe. Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. vehemently denied Wednesday trying to bribe Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich to name him to President-elect Barack Obama's old Senate seat, as Mr. Obama and all 50 members of the Senate Democratic caucus called on the embattled governor to resign. Mr. Jackson's attorney acknowledged that his client was the "Senate Candidate 5" mentioned 16 times in a 76-page affidavit laying out the FBI's corruption case against Mr. Blagojevich, but he said Mr. Jackson was not aware of anyone cutting deals on his behalf.

The Blago Saga Begins. Perhaps the most shocking part of the wiretaps revealed so far was a sequence where Blago talked of needing to get out of the Illinois Governors' chair so as to avoid impeachment, and instead get to the US Senate, which would also serve to position him better for a 2016 Presidential run. How do you describe someone so delusional?

Axelrod's Comment on Talk with Blagojevich Seems to Contradict Obama. As Obama works to set up his new administration and deal with a national economic crisis, suddenly he also is spending time and attention trying to distance himself from Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and charges that the governor was trying to sell the now-vacant Senate post.

Blagojevich's arrest puts spotlight on his wife. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has some close company in his misery. His arrest this week on corruption charges also shone a spotlight on Patti Blagojevich, his wife and a mother of two. The first lady may have been introduced to the public by profanity-laced tirades as outlined by federal prosecutors, but she already was being investigated for her real-estate dealings.

Blagojevich's Big Conference Call and Valerie Jarrett's Clean Break. The call lasted about two hours. On the phone were Mr. Blagojevich, his wife, his general counsel, an unnamed adviser, and John Harris, the governor's chief of staff and his co-defendant in this week's case. But what's drawing the most interest is who was on the line from Washington, and the sequence of political events that followed that same night and in the ensuing days regarding Barack Obama's close friend and adviser, Valerie Jarrett.

Democratic Party Scandal: How High Will It Go? The Blagojevich True Crime Drama is not criminality as usual in Illinois politics. The malfeasance of Governor Rod Blagojevich is so outrageous, so brazen, so breathtaking in its scope and character that even jaded journalistic hacks whose beat has been the statehouse for years are shocked.

The Democratic Culture of Corruption. Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi can stop clucking now. For the last three years, Democratic leaders cheered GOP ethics woes. Dean accused Republicans of making "their culture of corruption the norm." Pelosi touted cleanliness as a liberal virtue. But with the eye-popping pay-for-play and bribery case against Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich topping a year of nationwide Democratic scandals, the corruption chickens are coming home to roost.

Good Old-Fashioned Graft? Seeing himself in possession of a valuable commodity, Blagojevich wasn't about to give it away for mere gratitude. "It's not coming for free. I've got this thing and it's (expletive) golden, and, uh, uh, I'm just not giving it up for (expletive) nothing. I'm not gonna do it." Then, demonstrating a fine appreciation for his legal authority, he added, "I can always use it. I can parachute me there."

Absolutely Corrupt. The media had a frenzy Tuesday with the "stunning" news that Illinois Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich had been arrested on corruption charges. The only thing stunning is it doesn't happen more often. ... For years, Illinois' state legislature has been controlled by one party, the Democrats — just as Washington will be in January.

Why Tony Rezko Isn't Blago's Best Friend Forever. In the run-up to election day we heard a great deal about Tony Rezko, and how his criminal associations reflected poorly on Obama. Little did we suspect then that the biggest crook Rezko knows is the governor of Illinois. With the arrest of Governor Blagojevich this morning, it becomes clear that Tony Rezko played a significant role in putting him in jail.

Union Official Allegedly Liaison Between Governor, Obama Team. Among the revelations contained in the complaint brought against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich yesterday [12/9/2008] was the description of an official with the Service Employees International Union acting as an apparent intermediary between the governor and Barack Obama's camp in discussions over Obama's Senate seat.

Case Confirms Rezko Is Talking With Prosecutors. A footnote to the 76-page criminal complaint and affidavit charging Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D) with soliciting bribes confirms what has long been rumored — that a former longtime friend and fundraiser for President-elect Barack Obama is talking to federal prosecutors in hopes of a reduced sentence.

Prosecutors unsure if he will testify at a Blagojevich trial. While allegations that Gov. Rod Blagojevich tried to sell a Senate seat have grabbed the headlines, the complaint filed against him contained a nugget that might have once been front-page news: One-time confidant Antoin "Tony" Rezko has given federal authorities damaging information about the governor.

Blagojevich: Who Is Advisor B? Barack Obama has flatly said that he has "not discussed the Senate seat with [Rod Blagojevich] at any time." If that is true — and Obama will undoubtedly be asked the broader question of whether he communicated in any way with Blagojevich on the subject — then the big story in the Blagojevich scandal is the role of intermediaries.

Covering (Up) Obama. The mainstream media's covering for Barack Obama on his relationship with Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich is predictable, laughable and tragic. The only reporter really doing any kind of investigative journalism on the connection between Obama and Blagojevich is ABC's Jake Tapper.

Here It Comes. It took awhile, but the MSM is starting to flex its muscles. After all, they can't let a scandal as juicy as Blago-gate go uncovered. Faced with a tight-lipped presidential team, you knew that sooner or later the media would start — brace yourself — asking hard questions and becoming irritated by non-answers.

A Little Blago for Everybody. The past comes alive as Chicago's grand tradition of corruption is sustained for another generation. As the Chicago Tribune once wrote, "corruption has been as much a part of the landscape as corn, soybeans and skyscrapers." According to the Chicago Sun-Times, as of 2006, when Blago's predecessor, George Ryan, was sent to prison for racketeering, 79 elected officials had been convicted of corruption in the past 30 years. Among the perps: 27 aldermen, 19 judges, 15 state legislators, three governors, two congressmen, one mayor, two turtledoves and a partridge in a stolen pear tree.

Rahm Emanuel Reportedly Spoke with Blagojevich About Senate Seat. The firestorm surrounding Governor Blagojevich is putting some heat on Barack Obama's transition team. Fox Chicago News has learned about possible conversations between a top Obama aide and the governor regarding the open senate seat.

Obama Bungles Blagogate. Here's some free P.R. advice: if you've got nothing to hide, don't hide. The media may have been in bed with the president-elect during the 2008 campaign but they're bored and desperate to increase sales with something sexy. Until Obama explains himself more fully a cloud will hang over his head while leaving the public to ask what he knew, when he knew it and where else this drama will spray.

Union Is Caught Up in Illinois Bribe Case. The Service Employees International Union has long boasted that it is on the cutting edge of the labor movement. But the union found itself badly embarrassed this week when it was named in the federal criminal complaint charging Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich of Illinois with maneuvering to secure financial gain from the appointment of the state's next senator.

Man behind curtain is wizard of Rod, Rahm. When it comes to being the guy behind the guy, there is no one more conspicuous than Rahm Emanuel. As chief of staff for President-elect Barack Obama, he's usually at Obama's news conferences, standing off to the side, glowering like some fiercely loyal mini-me. But Emanuel wasn't there Thursday when Obama faced reporters to answer questions about federal charges against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D-Dead Meat), accused of trying to sell Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Obama and the Curse of Illinois: During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama's critics said he was a typical product of a seamy political culture. The arrest of Blagojevich, a fellow Democrat, validates the claims about Illinois. It also gives Obama a chance to prove he has managed to tiptoe through the sewer without getting dirty. Except for something that took place in 2001, this expose might not have happened.

Did Obama Have Contact with Blago or Didn't He? "I had no contact with the governor or his office and so I was not aware of what was happening," Barack Obama told reporters today in the wake of the Blagojevich arrest, the Chicago Tribune reports. But Jake Tapper notes that on November 23, Obama adviser David Axelrod was singing a different tune.

Scandal casts cloud over Obama presidency. Authorities stressed that Mr. Obama was not involved in the far-flung corruption probe, but a 76-page FBI affidavit mentions a top Obama adviser who will be a senior White House staffer, a prominent labor union that worked for his candidacy, convicted felon and former Obama fundraiser Tony Rezko, and Washington-based consultants. Within hours, lawmakers from both parties were calling for Mr. Blagojevich's resignation and Republicans were trying to exploit the scandal by demanding that Mr. Obama offer more details about his relationship with the disgraced governor.

Obama Must Be Forthcoming. If the charges laid out by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald are anywhere close to being true — and Fitzgerald is nothing if not a careful, meticulous, and relentless prosecutor — then the breadth and depth of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's corruption is staggering. ... But the question that has Washington atwitter is not simply, or even primarily, about Blagojevich and his chief of staff John Harris; it is whether the Blagojevich scandal will in any way touch Team Obama.

The 'Lady Macbeth' behind the Illinois governor: In secretly recorded tapes central to the case against the Illinois Governor, wife Patricia Blagojevich is the voice in the background that can be heard egging him on. The stream of expletives directed at her husband's enemies reveal she may be the real power behind the throne.

Illinois Law May Protect Patricia Blagojevich in Corruption Case. A word of advice to the Blagojeviches: whatever you do, don't get a divorce. An Illinois law dating to the 1960s may help protect the state's foul-mouthed first lady as the federal government proceeds with its investigation and prosecution of her husband, Gov. Rod Blagojevich.

Emanuel Not a Target of Blagojevich Probe, Sources Say. People who have been briefed on the Illinois governor corruption investigation say Barack Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is not a target of the probe. Emanuel, a Chicago congressman who would have been a likely contact between the Obama transition office and Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has been a focus of media attention since Obama said Thursday he has asked for an internal review of contacts between his staff and Blagojevich.

Rendell: Obama bungled Blago response. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell today criticized Barack Obama for not being more upfront about the Illinois corruption scandal. Now, he said, the story will continue to dominate the media's attention. "They have never been in an executive position before," Rendell said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "The rule of thumb is whatever you did, say it and get it over with and make it a one-day story as opposed to a three-day story. Politicians are always misjudging the intelligence of the American people."

The documents: Madigan's case for Blagojevich's removal. Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan has called on the Illinois Supreme Court today to temporarily remove Gov. Rod Blagojevich from office and appoint Lt. Gov. Patrick Quinn as acting governor, "so the business of the state of Illinois can go forward."

Blagojevich fundraiser held by Jackson allies Saturday. As Gov. Rod Blagojevich was trying to pick Illinois' next U.S. senator, businessmen with ties to both the governor and U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. discussed raising at least $1 million for Blagojevich's campaign as a way to encourage him to pick Jackson for the job, the Tribune has learned. Blagojevich made an appearance at an Oct. 31 luncheon meeting at the India House restaurant in Schaumburg sponsored by Oak Brook businessman Raghuveer Nayak, a major Blagojevich supporter who also has fundraising and business ties to the Jackson family, according to several attendees and public records.

Did Obama team have contact with Ill. governor? Barack Obama insists he didn't have any contact with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich or anyone else who might have been scheming to sell the president-elect's U.S. Senate seat. But he has not yet given his transition staff the same clean bill of health — perhaps with good reason.

Unfortunate Timing. Last week, the New York Post published its top ten political scandals of 2008. ... A more accurate and comprehensive list would include Representative William "Cold Cash" Jefferson (D-LA); Christopher Ward ... Representative Rick Renzi ... and Birmingham's Democratic Mayor Larry Langford ... But the real shame is that they published their list on December 7 — two days before Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested by the FBI for corruption of an almost-unprecedented scale.

The Fall of the House of Blago: How a Governor Self-Destructed. Wednesday was Rod Blagojevich's 52nd birthday, but you can bet it was not a happy one. After having been charged by federal authorities with trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat that President-elect Barack Obama vacated, the Illinois governor spent most of the day hidden from view inside the state office building in downtown Chicago. The few allies he had left have vanished.

Obama's rules or Chicago rules? There's nothing unusual about a senator or his staff talking with a governor about who will get a vacant Senate seat. That's normal politics, even outside Chicago. So far, it seems that Obama's team did the right thing. The question is, when the tapes and transcripts of their conversations are released, will there be something that makes us cringe? Obama's staff includes several people who know Blagojevich well. The president-elect's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, once bragged that he was one of the governor's most important advisors.

Barack Obama has to come clean about Rod Blagojevich — and fast. No one is suggesting that Obama ... was involved in this pay-to-play scheme. On the other hand, does anyone really think he had no interest in who took over his Senate seat? He made it known that his friend Valerie Jarrett (who's being cited on CNN as the best qualified candidate — which is true if being a friend of the president-elect is the best qualification) was his preferred candidate. Jarrett wanted the job. So why did she drop out so abruptly. Did she know what was going on? If so, did she tell the feds?

What Obama Offered Blagojevich: While Obama said he had never spoken with the governor about the Senate seat — understandable, given how toxic the scandal-plagued Blagojevich was — he did not say his staff had not done so. Which raises several questions: Did Obama direct or ask any staffer to speak to Blagojevich? Did Rahm Emanuel or David Axelrod, both of Chicago, never speak to the governor about the Senate appointment? Did Barack's aides all treat Blagojevich as a political leper and not communicate to him any interest in or concern about whom he might appoint to succeed Obama? This defies credulity.

Rahm Emanuel talked with governor's office about who should fill Obama's Senate seat. The revelation does not suggest Obama's new gatekeeper was involved in any talk of dealmaking involving the seat. But it does help fill in the gaps surrounding a question that Obama was unable or unwilling to answer this week: Did anyone on his staff have contact with Blagojevich about his choice for the Senate seat?

Rod Blagojevich Puts Obama in a Bad Light. In an interview on Fox News November 23, Obama's chief political strategist David Axelrod said matter-of-factly that Obama had talked with the governor about the Senate replacement. Now Axelrod has now said that he was "mistaken" about that. It strains credulity to suppose that no one on Team Obama communicated with Blagojevich on this matter, and circumstantial evidence that someone, maybe not Obama but someone obviously entitled to speak for him, did. The Obama transition team is now being pressed to detail all those contacts, and will probably be forced to confess to some.

Moral Vacuum in Illinois. In his profane and selfish ranting, Blagojevich provides the perfect example of a keeper of the public trust whose sense of responsibility has utterly absquatulated. Power corrupts, especially in Illinois, it would seem, where, even Chicago residents will admit, jail is beginning to look like a rite of passage for the state's governors (this, boys and girls, is what we mean by "Chicago politics").

Pssst ... Wanna Buy a Senate Seat? "Saddened and sobered" — that was Barack Obama's first response to the corruption charges against Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, charges that include an attempt to sell Obama's old Senate seat to the highest bidder. ... Wrong emotion. If someone had taken a poll of the rest of the people of Illinois that day I'd guess very few of them would have offered "saddened" in response to a question on their feeling about Blagojevich's efforts to make money on just about everything that happened in Illinois over the past six years. Outraged? Certainly. Disgusted? Sure. ... But "saddened" is the kind of reaction you have if a friend loses a spouse or if someone you trust lets you down. It's not the kind of reaction you have if you've run a campaign for a politician only to have him embarrass himself in wiretaps from a federal investigation into his six-year orgy of corruption.

Chicago Politics Find A Home In The White House. Obama has chosen three long-time associates, David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel and Valerie Jarrett, to fill key posts in his administration. All are products of the scandal-ridden Richard Daley machine that dominates the city's politics, and by virtue of that fact alone they are unfit to serve in top White House posts. ... [I]f you're closely associated with a notoriously corrupt political machine such as Chicago's Daley machine — you are more than merely tainted by the corruption, you share in it.

Senate scandal snares Obama's chief aide. The bullish, foul-mouthed but effective Chicago arm-twister Rahm Emanuel has come under pressure to resign as Barack Obama's chief of staff after it was revealed that he had been captured on court-approved wire-taps discussing the names of candidates for Obama's Senate seat. Emanuel's presence at the heart of the scandal threatens to roil the president-elect's administration as a Chicago prosecutor builds his corruption case against Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois governor.

Axelrod, the Obama team, and political corruption. The Obama team will vigorously deny they knew anything about Blago's attempts to sell his senate seat but that just doesn't pass the smell test. Given how careless Blagojevich was about the spread of such information, it is inconcievable that the president-elect, whose Chicago and Springfield connections are as good as anyone's, wouldn't have been aware of what was going on.

Holder as AG may have to withdraw from overseeing Chicago probe. If confirmed as attorney general, Eric Holder may have to consider removing himself from overseeing the Chicago corruption probe that ensnared Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, legal experts say. Holder was a co-chairman of Barack Obama's presidential campaign, joining in 2007 when the long-running investigation focused on a businessman who had been among the biggest fundraisers for Obama and Blagojevich. The legal ethics issue that Holder may have to deal with, called recusal, could arise if Holder had conversations about the Chicago investigation with Obama or his staff.

Swimming in the cesspool. What does Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich have to trade for a lighter sentence? Pondering this question is, I suspect, keeping many prominent people in Chicago awake nights. Mr. Blagojevich is accused of conspiring to sell government favors for personal benefit. But his great crime, in the eyes of many politicians, is that he has made "pay to play" all too easy for ordinary people to understand and too ugly for them to ignore.

No Mandate For A Tarnished Party. Here's the bottom line: While many media talking heads are working overtime to create the illusion of distance between Mr. Obama and his staff and anyone remotely connected to Gov. Blagojevich, the governor has been under investigation for three years. All the key actors here are Chicago politicians. And there's a union boss involved too. To borrow a phrase, it requires the willing suspension of disbelief to suggest that the junior senator from Illinois; Axelrod, a long-time political insider from Illinois; Obama chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, a former congressman from Illinois; and the governor of Illinois have not talked since the election. This is how the "game" of politics is played by hardball Chicago liberals, union bosses and community organizers.

Obama's 'My Pet Goat' moment. "I was appalled and disappointed by what we heard in those transcripts," Barack Obama said Thursday about the documented misconduct of the governor of Illinois. That's right. He was appalled. And it took him only 48 hours to realize it.

The Real Story Behind the Rushed Blagojevich Bust. Members of Fitzgerald's team are livid the scheme didn't advance, at least for a little longer, according to some people close to Fitzgerald's office. Why? Because had the plot unfolded, they might have had an opportunity most feds can only dream of: A chance to catch the sale of a Senate seat on tape, including the sellers and the buyers.

Two sides of troubled Illinois governor, sinking deeper. Blagojevich, 52, rarely turns up for work at his official state office in Chicago, former employees say, is unapologetically late to almost everything, and can treat employees with disdain, cursing and erupting in fury for failings as mundane as neglecting to have at hand at all times his preferred black Paul Mitchell hairbrush. He calls the brush "the football," an allusion to the "nuclear football," or the bomb codes never to be out of reach of a president.

The Blago Scandal: What's the Rush? There's no doubt the problems in Illinois are serious. But a closer look at events suggests that some key state officials, all of them close allies of Barack Obama, are actively fostering a sense of crisis and, in the case of Madigan, actually taking steps to make the crisis worse — while citing the worsening crisis as the reason Blagojevich must go immediately.

The Shifting Tale. The most recent version of the Obama transition team's contacts with Gov. Blagojevich or his staff follows an internal review. In a statement the transition team explained: "...that the President-elect's staff was not involved in inappropriate discussions with the governor or his staff over the selection of his successor as US Senator." Well, for those paying careful attention, this is a change. The line now is that there were no "inappropriate" conversations with Blago. That is a bit different from Obama's broader denial on December 11.

Could the Blago Scandal Ensnare Team Obama? You Betcha. The probe is being conducted, after all, by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, the man who prosecuted one of the most intensely investigated and politically-charged perjury-and-false-statements cases in Washington history. ... You don't think the Blagojevich matter could cause trouble for Obama? Then you haven't looked closely enough at the Plame affair.

Blago drama for Obama. President-elect Barack Obama's incoming chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, was pushing for Obama's successor just days after the Nov. 4 election, sources told the Chicago Sun-Times. Emanuel privately urged Gov. Blagojevich's administration to appoint Obama confidante Valerie Jarrett, and the Sun-Times learned Tuesday [12/16/2008] that he also pressed that it be done by a certain deadline.

The Real Housewives of Crook County. Mrs. Blago, the former Patti Mell, won the hearts of old-school thugs everywhere with her f-word-filled rants captured on FBI wiretaps, some of which were colorfully detailed in the criminal complaint against her hubby last week. It's old news to folks in Chicago, but the woman who masquerades as a sweet gubernatorial spouse dedicated to children's advocacy is a cutthroat wheeler-dealer in heels who schemed with the gov to fire pesky editorial writers and get herself placed on paid corporate boards in exchange for naming the president-elect's pick to the Senate.

Corruption and the untouchable Obama. First there was the federal trial of Obama supporter and fundraiser Tony Rezko. The charges against Rezko had nothing directly to do with Obama, who has donated $150,000 in Rezko-related contributions to charity. But Rezko did raise money for Obama's Senate run, to which he also personally contributed more than $21,000.

Source: Illinois gov nixed job for Jackson Jr.'s wife. Shortly after his 2002 election, Gov. Rod Blagojevich told Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. he didn't appoint the congressman's wife as lottery director because he had refused him a $25,000 campaign donation, a person familiar with the conversation told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

What Democrat Scandal? With the governor caught on tape unloading obscenity after obscenity about how he expected to reap a financial bonanza for handing out his gubernatorial perks, this story was so undeniably big, even the Obamaphile press couldn't ignore it. So instead these reporters tried to downplay its impact on the President-elect and the Democrats.

Does Obama team have something to hide? It may be that neither President-elect Barack Obama nor anyone else on his staff has anything to hide regarding the pay-to-play scandal involving Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Then, by all means, Obama and his team should stop acting as if they do have something to hide.

Democrats and the Culture of Corruption: As the Rod Blagojevich scandal continues to unfold, it's worth recalling that Democrats in 2006 — led by Representative Rahm Emanuel — ran on the theme that they would end "the culture of corruption." Indeed, Emanuel, in dismissing wrongdoings by Democrats at the time, explained them away as simply the actions of a few individuals. About Republicans, Emanuel said, "They have institutional corruption." The argument put forth was that Democrats would bring ethics and high standards to public office and that the Democratic Party would embody integrity and police its ranks. It hasn't quite worked out that way.

The Perils Of Special Elections. The scandal of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's alleged attempt to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat, and the much smaller controversies surrounding open seats in New York and Delaware, have led to questions about the way most states replace senators who leave office early — by direct gubernatorial appointment. Is this really a good way to fill such an important elective office?

Why the Guilty Conscience? Governor Rod Blagojevich is certain to go down in flames, but Barack Obama should make it through this scandal just fine. Why, then, is the President-elect acting so guilty? For example, Obama came out immediately and denied that he had any talks with Blagojevich or his folks about filling Illinois' vacant Senate seat. That is just not credible.

Chicago Cops Dodge Blagojevich/Sears Tower Investigation. No one should be surprised that 'Blago' and company are part of a conspiracy. It wasn't so long ago that Illinois officials conspired with Al Capone. The Chicago cops stood by and played dumb then, too.

Rod Blagojevich scandal a ticking bomb for Rahm Emanuel. So the Obama team's internal report into its contacts with Governor Rod Blagojevich is out — held, conveniently enough, until late afternoon on the day before Christmas eve when Obama is in Hawaii and the normally very available Rahm Emanuel is en route to Africa. The US attorney's interviews with Obama, Valerie Jarrett and Emanuel were completed on Saturday so the report could have been released then. Instead, Team Obama waited another three days, during time which they made a strategic Sunday leak to ABC News to draw the sting.

What Did Barack Obama Know and When Did He Know it? On December 23, when all of us were busy wrapping gifts and preparing for Christmas, the Obama team issued a report exonerating everyone on his team of any wrongdoing in the scandal to sell Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder. However, the report written by Greg Craig, famous for fighting the Clinton impeachment, raises more questions than it answers.

Obama Questioned by FBI for Two Hours. Two hours is a long time to talk to the FBI when you claim you've had no contact with Blagojevich. Obama is the first black President-Elect but he's also the first President-Elect to be questioned by the FBI about a major criminal investigation. Did the FBI ask Obama about this subject or was it just about Blagojevich?

Barack Obama questioned by FBI agents over Blagojevich scandal. President-elect Barack Obama has been interviewed for two hours by four federal investigators about the scandal surrounding the alleged sale of his Senate seat by Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois. Mr Obama has broken new ground by becoming the first US leader to face questioning by federal agents between election day and inauguration.

Obama Report Raises Questions. Last week's report from the Obama transition team raised more questions than it answered about President-elect Obama's staff's contacts with Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The report, issued by Obama attorney Greg Craig, cleared all Obama personnel, including Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), Obama's soon-to-be chief of staff, of any wrongdoing. But Craig failed to ascertain how many phone calls Emanuel actually made to the embattled governor.

The Twenty Biggest Stories Of 2008: (#14) Rod Blagojevich peddles Obama's Senate seat: The governor of Illinois was [allegedly] engaged in various illegal shenanigans including shaking down a children's hospital and peddling the barely used Senate seat of our current President-elect. Now, everyone wants to know how much Obama and his staff knew, whether Blago's appointee is going to be seated, and how long Blago will be in office before he's removed or thrown in jail. It's political soap opera at its finest.

Blago costs Jackson $100K in legal bills. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) spent $100,000 on legal expenses one week after it became clear that he was listed in Gov. Rod Blagojevich's (D) arrest documents as "Senate Candidate No. 5," according to Federal Election Commission documents. Jackson paid Chicago attorney James Montgomery $100,000 from his campaign account in one lump-sum payment on Dec. 18. The payment represents a very large amount — nearly one-tenth of what Jackson raised last cycle.

New Illinois House Votes to Impeach Governor. The new Illinois House has voted 117-1 to impeach Gov. Rod Blagojevich with his sister-in-law as the lone "no" vote. Rep. Deborah Mell voted Wednesday [1/14/2009] not to impeach the two-term governor. Her sister is married to Blagojevich.

Unanimous Vote: Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Thrown Out of Office. Gov. Rod Blagojevich was thrown out of office Thursday [1/29/2009] without a single lawmaker coming to his defense, brought down by a government-for-sale scandal that stretched from Chicago to Capitol Hill and turned the foul-mouthed politician into a national punchline.

More about Obama's Chicago connections.

Former Illinois Governor Indicted. A federal grand jury charged former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich on Thursday [4/2/2009] with racketeering, extortion and fraud, opening a new chapter in the prosecution of the voluble Democrat, who could spend years behind bars if convicted.

Blagojevich, his brother, top aides indicted. Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, his brother, and a former top fundraiser were among six men indicted today on political corruption charges, the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago announced. In addition to Rob Blagojevich, 53, and fundraiser Christopher Kelly, 50, charged were Lon Monk, 50, a lobbyist and former Blagojevich chief of staff; John Harris, 47, also a former chief of staff to Blagojevich; and William Cellini, 74, a Springfield insider for decades.

The Case Against Blago Looks Overwhelming. The beauty of tying everything together as a conspiracy is that jurors will be able to see the totality of the pay-to-play practices carried out by Blagojevich: from fund-raising schemes carried to completion early in his administration — on which his own fingerprints may be less distinct — to the shakedown interruptus captured on the wiretaps where his involvement will ring through loud and clear in his own voice.

The Blago Code. Rod Blagojevich has a message to his former political cronies: "If I'm going down, I'm taking all of you with me." And given his close, 14-year relationship with Barack Obama and Tony Rezko, this can only be bad news for the White House.

Ex-Blagojevich aide pleads guilty to corruption. A former chief of staff and longtime friend of ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich pleaded guilty to wire fraud Tuesday [10/20/2009] and promised to cooperate with federal prosecutors in their corruption case against the former governor.

Part 3: It's beginning to look embarrassing for President Obama.

Blagojevich Trial Nears: Can Obama Be Implicated? Will President Obama have to testify under oath about the appointment of his Senate successor?

Redactions Revealed ... From the Obama Subpoena Request. Former governor Rod Blagojevich's defense team asked Thursday [4/22/2010] to issue a trial subpoena to the President of the United States of America. The motion, intended to be heavily redacted, was improperly edited — the full document was easily viewable if the text is copied and pasted to another document (an error first revealed on Capitol Fax).

Blagojevich sends not-so-subtle message to Obama. Rod Blagojevich finally made good on a promise: He put President Barack Obama right in the middle of Blagojevich's own political corruption case.

Blago's lawyers: Obama lied twice. [Scroll down] Blago's lawyers also accused Obama of not telling FBI agents the truth when he said Rezko never relayed a quid pro quo offer from a lobbyist who wanted to hold a fundraiser for Obama in exchange for favorable legislation, and again when he denied having any conversations with Rezko about a license for a casino linked to the Chicago mob.

Blago's blacked out court docs made public. A computer glitch allowed some sealed information in court papers in Rod Blagojevich's corruption trial to become public Thursday. The court documents contained numerous blacked out portions. But several media outlets, including ABC7, discovered it was possible to unseal that information, which first appeared on an online blog that tracks TV and newsmakers.

Oops: You can read the Blago motion's redactions. Capitol Fax, one of the best sources for all things Illinois politics, didn't have to do too much work to discover that you can copy and paste former Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich's motion to subpoena President Obama and read the redacted portions. (Oops.)

Did Obama LIE? Did the President lie? Blago thinks so. Rod Blagojevich's team asked the court to issue a rial subpoena to President Obama to get him to answer some key questions in Blagojevich's trial. The ex-guv is accused of attempting to sell Obama's vacant Senate seat. The motion was made public but was supposed to have been heavily redacted. Unfortunately for the prosecution, the computer file released to the press was easily restored to an un-redacted state through simple computer features.

Judge won't allow Blago defense to subpoena Obama. The judge overseeing the corruption case against former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has denied a defense motion to issue a subpoena for the testimony of President Barack Obama.

What if Obama was aware of a bribe to fill IL Senate seat? The real reason the judge and Fitzgerald want to bury Obama's testimony is that if he was indeed aware of a bribe, and failed to report it, he would be guilty of the federal crime of misprision of a felony, which is the same charge Arlen Specter has made against Joe Sestak...

Supreme Court rules against delaying Blago trial. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens refused today [5/28/2010] to delay the June 3 trial of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Stevens, who handles emergency appeals from the 7th Circuit Court, turned down a motion from Blagojevich's lawyers who sought a 30-day delay. The defense team had argued the trial should be put on hold until the high court rules in several pending cases on constitutional challenges to the law that makes it a crime to deprive the public of "honest" services.

The Resurrection of Rod Blagojevich. It's going to be a long, hot summer of Chicago corruption. On Thursday, jury selection begins in the federal trial of disgraced former Democratic governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois. The timing couldn't be worse for Blago's old Chicago pals in the White House. Just as Team Obama tries to bury one job-trading scandal, another one resurfaces. It's a useful reminder that Washington didn't turn Obama into a business-as-usual politician. He was born and bred among the slimiest in their class.

Rod Blagojevich trial rattles insiders. The corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is already shaping up to be a political circus, promising to lay bare the underbelly of Chicago politics. But while the stakes are clear for Blagojevich — he could be the fourth Illinois governor in 40 years to retire to a federal prison — some of the most powerful Washington insiders are braced for potential political damage from the trial, which begins Thursday.

Patti got cushy job with Rezko, Monk testifies. [Alonzo "Lon"] Monk, a onetime close friend and adviser to former Gov. Rod Blagojevich, has been detailing the mechanics of corruption in the administration during his testimony this week. He has had a lot to say about the ways Rezko sought — and bought — influence.

Blago trial confirms: Obama's 'political godfather' is a sleaze. State Senate President Emil Jones, D, was President Obama's mentor. He also wanted to be Obama's successor, enough that he cut a deal with Gov. Rod Blagojevich, D, to make himself a U.S. Senator, according to testimony yesterday in the Blagojevich trial.

Blago once offered Holder a $300K job. Here's a Blagojevich-Obama connection you may not know about unless you've been reading the Chicago newspapers for quite some time. Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, D, tried to hire Eric Holder (now the U.S. Attorney General) six years ago to give a clean bill of health to a gaming company that prosecutors say had just paid Blagojevich a $40,000 bribe.

Blagojevich Trial Testimony Contradicts Obama and Jarrett. The transition team report on the president-elect's contacts with Blagojevich and what he knew about Blago's wheeling and dealing is at odds with sworn testimony.

Months later...
Ethics Committee re-launches probe into whether Jackson attempted to buy Obama's Senate seat. The House Ethics Committee announced Tuesday afternoon [10/18/2011] that it would resume its inquest into Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s role in possibly attempting to purchase the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama. A statement on the committee's website notes that the chairman of the committee, Alabama Republican Rep. Jo Bonner, and the ranking member, California Democratic Rep. Linda Sanchez, "have jointly decided to extend the matter."

Senator Roland Burris

Illinois GOP leader calls on Sen. Burris to resign. Just as Illinois was moving past the agony and embarrassment of former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's ousting, the fellow Democrat whom Blagojevich appointed to the U.S. Senate was hearing calls for his own resignation Sunday amid allegations he lied to legislators. Freshman Sen. Roland Burris released an affidavit on Saturday that contradicts his statements last month to a House committee investigating Blagojevich's impeachment.

The Rod Blagojevich train wreck continues — now Burris contradicts himself. In January, the Illinois House impeachment committee asked Senator Burris if he had spoken to Blago or any of his people about his desire for the Senate seat once held by President Obama. Back then he said he had only spoken to Lon Monk, a former aide of Blago's. Now he's updating his statement a bit. He has suddenly recalled speaking to three or maybe four more people. Including Blago's brother Rob three times about the Senate seat.

Burris changes his story again; the scandal that will not die. Roland Burris testified in January that he had not had any conversations with Governor Blagojevich of Illinois, or his people, regarding the Senate seat vacated by President Obama. He revised his testimony days later to say that he had discussed the matter with Blagojevich staffers, but never with the Governor's brother. Yesterday it was released that now Senator Burris had submitted yet another revised affidavit ... .

Perjury or not, Burris shows he is at least a liar. The word preposterous comes to my mind to describe Burris' explanation — and accompanying performance Sunday — in which he basically says his previous failure to disclose relev