AP: Lobbyist Paid for Lawmakers' Travel

Link

At least two aides to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and two Democratic congressmen received travel expenses initially paid by lobbyist Jack Abramoff on his credit card or by his firm, internal records of the lobbying firm show.

Longtime House ethics rules that applied to the 1996 and 1997 trips to the Northern Mariana Islands have strictly prohibited lawmakers and their staffs from accepting any congressional trips from lobbyists or their firms.

DeLay's office and one of the lawmakers, Rep. James Clyburn (news, bio, voting record), D-S.C., said they had no knowledge that Abramoff or his firm paid the expenses. The office of Rep. Bennie Thompson (news, bio, voting record), D-Miss., did not return several calls seeking comment.

Abramoff, whose lobbying is under criminal investigation, pressed his clients, the Northern Marianas government, to reimburse him for the travel because of concerns the payments might draw scrutiny from the House committee that investigates lawmakers' conduct, the documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

Better call off the whole investigation thing.

Or, we could weed out all the corruption. As the minority party, the Democrats can't possibly be hurt as bad as the GOP will.

n/t

That statement would not be said by any repuke if the shoe was on the other foot

with the Republicans who get punished. If we don't, then we are as hypocritical as they are.

Let's weed out the corrupt idiots out of both parties- we have no use for them.

rules passed, that cut off alot of this professional bribery lobbying.

It wouldn't hurt my feelings to see most of the current "politics as usual" crowd get tossed out and replaced - esp if they were replaced with people who still remember what it feels like to work 18 hours a day just to feed a family, people who remember how it tugs at your heart to make those "groceries vs trip to the doctor" type decisions.

Anyone who's using Jack's AMEX needs to see the door. Like yesterday!!!

No more "honest Politicians!" Honest in the way of "Once bought, they stay bought."

Let the sunshine cleanse the way!!!

(what's left of it) from too much corporate control. I personally don't care if the offender is Repuke or Dem., just get them out!

A pox on both their houses. Dems need to be agressive about this, and can't defend their own if their own are on the payrolls...

I do hope that we can maintain a sense of proportionality about this. If a lobbyist paid for a round of golf at Swank Hills Country Club, that's a little different from paying for a round of golf at Royal St. Andrews in Scotland, complete with air fare and deluxe hotel accommodations.

The punishment is handed out by the ethics committee and congress. With Repubs in charge, don't expect an even hand.

Republican or Democrat - if a rep or senator has been bought off by a lobbying group, they need to go.

After 2004 election, I came to the conclusion that we really need to clean house. If there are some left in Congress that have not been bought, keep them if its possible.

But if there is no way to keep these few, I say throw out all the crooks. Don't let anyone who has served more than 2 years run for Congress. Then institute term limits.

How can this be done? I do NOT know. What I do know is that until we get rid of the politicians who are in this for their own gain, and not for the good of the people, America is in Trouble. Party is irrelevant.

But we can't have mud on our hands either or we're just as bad.

:kick:

One reason people have such dim views of politicians and "politics as usual" is because of quid pro quo, "everyone does it" crap like this.

Ethics should be about what's right, not about what you can get away with.

DTH

Democrats' Travel Costs Linked to Abramoff

By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 4, 2005; Page A01

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff paid at least a portion of the expenses for two Democratic members of Congress and two staff members to then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) during a pair of trips in the mid-1990s to the Northern Mariana Islands, according to a former Abramoff secretary and travel records published on the Internet yesterday.

The payments represent two new instances in which lawmakers and staff members on overseas trips had their expenses initially covered by a registered lobbyist despite a blanket ban in congressional ethics rules on direct payments by lobbyists for travel-related expenses.

The two congressmen were James E. Clyburn (S.C.), now vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, and Bennie Thompson (Miss.), now the senior Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. The aides to DeLay were Edwin A. Buckham, now a lobbyist for the Alexander Strategy Group, and Tony Rudy, now a member of Buckham's lobbying firm.

In these instances, Abramoff was reimbursed by his law firm, Preston Gates Ellis. The island government, which had hired the law firm, eventually paid it back for the expenses incurred by Abramoff, according to a source close to the incidents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. House ethics rules contain no exemption for payments by lobbyists that are later reimbursed by others.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/03/AR2005050301792.html

We don't need Dems playing DeLay's corrupt games either.

but if they are playing the game, they must pay the price.

if Abramoff was lobbying them for something, they are probably working against our side from the inside...I wouldn't trust them again...what's their voting record like?