Posted on 10/16/2006 10:17:57 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Agents raid homes of Rep. Curt Weldon’s daughter, close friend By John Shiffman, Mitch Lipka and Patrick Kerkstra INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Federal agents raided the home of the daughter of U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.) and his longtime friend Charlie Sexton this morning.
The agents departed Karen Weldon's three-story brick home on Queen Street in Philadelphia with arms loaded with boxes.
A government car pulled into the alley to the back door of the house and loaded boxes into it. Three agents standing in an alley declined to identify themselves.
"I can confirm that we conducted a number of searches regarding an ongoing investigation," said FBI agent Jerri Williams, a spokeswoman in Philadelphia. "Details regarding those investigation cannot be provided because the accompanying affidavit is sealed."
In Delaware County, FBI agents had blocked off Kelli Lane leading to Charles P. Sexton Jr.'s Springfield house, and were removing at least one box and a bag of material from his home late this morning. Sexton, a long time ally of Weldon and a power in Delaware County GOP politics for more than three decades, is a business associate of Weldon's daughter.
The raids came three days after news broke that the FBI is investigating whether the Delaware County congressman used his influence to help his daughter, a registered lobbyist, win consulting contracts.
(Excerpt) Read more at siliconvalley.com ...
It's Rowe's fault.
Nothing to see here, another democrat caught with illegal (fill-in-the-blank) and will therefore be ignored by the MSM.
Perhaps there is much, much more to Able Danger than meets the eye. The AG doesn't seem to make this much effort against all the much more corrupt Ds.
My bad.
(R) !!!
Nope. THIS will be pushed by the MSM for the next three weeks.
If I wrote the rules of Congress, you couldn't have a first degree relative being a paid lobbyist. Father, mother, brother, sister, WIFE, son, daughter. Convince them to quit or you quit. It is such an obvious conflict of interest it just shouldn't be tolerated.
Weldon-R, not D
It's one way of making those pesky Able Danger questions go away.
I agree. Having a wife, sibling, parent or child as a lobbyist should be an immediate disqualification from holding office. It is a shame the most voters don't seem to have the same attitude.
How is it that suddenly so many Republican Congressmen are being raided and questioned etc by the FBI???
I'd like to see them ransack Rory Reid's house.
sheesh
Weldon is a Rep.
This looks like some retaliation for Weldon's pushing for opening the military's "Able Danger" researh.
Easy targets. No ACLU to worry about, no screaming talking heads in the media, no op-eds comparing them to the SS, etc.
Amazing how much influence the Clinton's still have in federal agencies like the FBI.
Weldon has been instrumental in pushing the investigation of Able Danger.
Weldon's opposition is a candidate handpicked by the Clintons.
There are Senators who ACTUALLY SLEEP with a lobbyest every night. Republicans AND democrats. And no one in DC sees the slightest thing wrong with this. There surely is a culture of corruption in Washington.
LOL! That leaves us with older only-children Foleys. Dems should like your idea:)!
It's scary, isn't it. They seem to have way too much influence on some agencies.
Philadelphia huh?
I think it has to do with both Able Danger and Clinton.
At what point does Bill and his mafia start killing people who would deny him a positive legacy?
I'd love to know who exactly in the DOJ timed this for three weeks before the election.
I guarantee you that there's a story there.
Don't worry too much about that. He can't get away with wiping out 40% of the US population.
Looks like a Clinton strike on Weldon. I can't vote for him. I'm stuck with Allyson Schwartz.
It is now obvious that the FBI is an arm of the Democratic Party. It is almost as if they are attempting to disrupt the '06 elections.
U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.)
How can it be a conflict of interest if it was ok for Tom Daschle's wife?? We all know she wouldnt be involved in a conflict of interest, her husband wouldnt allow that. Well she was a Democrat.
I don't know, but I sure wouldn't want to be in his way!
I know. What on earth is going on here? This is a Republican administration so why is the DOJ raiding Republicans right before an election? I sure hope they are doing this to clear him just before election day, but that seems unlikely.
***How is it that suddenly so many Republican Congressmen are being raided and questioned etc by the FBI???***
The Vast Left Wing Conspiracy and hillary's old FBI files coming to life.
On friday it was leaked that the FBI was investigating Weldon...Weldon denied the investigation, saying that if there was one, he would surely know about it. I wonder if the leak forced the FBI to move today.
Gee, maybe, just maybe, there might be some corruption amongst DC pubbies AND Democrats. Not every congresscritter is stupid enough to have the evidence in the freezer. Most corruption is a lot harder to ferret out, such as what Reid has done over the years.
I want all the dirty ones run out of town, and I don't care whether they have a "D" or an "R" next to their names. This crap is getting completely out of hand.
More depressing news for our side.
I think it is more likely that the leak came out a few days earlier so that this story would remain in the headlines for more than a day or two. Trying to get as much mileage out of it as possible.
Dingy Harry's sons are lobbyists and Cut "n Run Murtha's brother is a lobbyist.
If the Feds went after EVERY case of conflict of interest, there wouldn't be anyone left. The timing of this stinks. Wonder if Hastert & Jefferson will complain?
Any guesses who tipped off the media??
I can vote for Curt .. and will vote for him
And the Dems can shove it where the sun don't shine
ping
That's what I'm saying. They're all blind to it and Big Media is blindest of all.
Its an amazing coincidence that so many revelations about republicans appear right before elections. Somehow the media never seems to notice or care how they are used to swing elections (for rats) based on scandal and rumor.
"If I wrote the rules of Congress, you couldn't have a first degree relative being a paid lobbyist. Father, mother, brother, sister, WIFE, son, daughter. Convince them to quit or you quit. It is such an obvious conflict of interest it just shouldn't be tolerated."
Please tell dirty Harry Reid whose son is a lobbyist.
This is Philly Mo. The whole place is Rat infested. It's the Philly FBI. I'm thinking the police chief, who's son works for them, or Street, or Abraham, or Rendell. Pick your poison.
You're right .. it's the Police Chief's son
I remember many thought it was him that tipped off Street when his office was raided
Don't forget Rendell. He's buddy buddy with Hildabeast. I just called Weldon's office and wished them luck. Told them this smells and they agreed with me who it might be. Also told me the race is too tight right now.
Well .. Like I said before .. Weldon has my vote
Pa. Rep. Curt Weldon under federal probe
Saturday, October 14, 2006
By Greg Gordon, McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department is investigating whether Republican Rep. Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania traded his political influence for lucrative lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter, according to sources with direct knowledge of the inquiry. The Russian companies and a Serbian foundation run by the brothers' family each hired a firm co-owned by Mr. Weldon's daughter, Karen, for fees totaling nearly $1 million a year, public records show.
Karen Weldon was 28 and lacked consulting experience when she and Charles Sexton, a Weldon ally and longtime Republican leader in Delaware County, Pa., created the firm of Solutions North America Inc. in 2002. Both are registered with the Justice Department as representatives of foreign clients.
Word of the inquiry, which has been closely held within the Justice Department and the FBI, comes from two individuals with specific knowledge of the existence of the investigation. They both declined to be identified because of the confidentiality of criminal investigations.
--------
FBI is said to be probing Weldon over his influence
A close friend calls timing of the leaks "awful strange."
By Todd Mason and John Shiffman
Inquirer Staff Writers
The FBI is investigating whether U.S. Rep. Curt Weldon (R., Pa.) used his influence to help his daughter win consulting contracts, sources say, a development that could influence his close race for reelection. Weldon's campaign denied that an investigation was underway. "Our attorney tells us it is preposterous," said Michael V. Puppio Jr., his campaign manager.
"The allegation in a tight race like this does the damage," Puppio said last night. "You owe a duty to dig a little deeper."
Weldon, who has served 10 terms in Congress, is running neck and neck with retired Navy admiral Joe Sestak.
The investigation, based in Washington, has progressed beyond the preliminary stages, people familiar with the case told The Inquirer yesterday. McClatchy Newspapers broke the story.
FBI spokeswoman Deborah Weierman in Washington declined comment. Weldon's lawyer in Washington, William B. Canfield III, could not be reached at work, at home or by e-mail last night.
Charles Sexton, a political ally of the congressman and a business partner of his daughter, said the timing of the leaks is "awful strange."
"No one has contacted me," he said. "People can look at us all day long. There is no wrongdoing."
Sexton and Karen Weldon, 32, formed a public relations firm, Solutions North America, in 2002, and won $1 million in contracts from two Russian energy firms and a Serbian family with ties to Slobodan Milosevic.
That business dealing was first reported in 2004 by the Los Angeles Times. Sources said the FBI and Justice Department investigation was based on the Times story. The Inquirer reported in 2004 that Weldon had lobbied federal officials on behalf of one of those firms, Itera, a huge and controversial Russian natural gas company.
Weldon also complained to Karl Rove, President Bush's top political adviser, about Itera's treatment by the federal U.S. Trade and Development Agency.
Itera paid $500,000 to Karen Weldon and Sexton's firm. The contract was signed in Sept. 30, 2002, six days after the congressman helped arrange a dinner at the Library of Congress to honor Itera and Igor Makarov, the firm's chief executive officer.
Itera had a controversial past; Western investors in the former Soviet Union contended that the firm's rapid growth was a result of improper business deals.
Weldon was a student of the Soviet Union, and has frequently traveled to Eastern Europe.
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/15757798.htm
But you can't get me to believe that a local FBI office can raid a congressman's daughter without approval from the big guys at the FBI in Washington. So who in DC would have approved this raid at this time? This stinks.
I'm voting straight Repub.
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