Posted on 05/03/2005 6:39:27 AM PDT by Pikamax
Lobbying firm paid for part of Dicks trip Congressman calls it honest mistake; he pays back $571
By CHARLES POPE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., allowed a lobbying firm to cover part of the cost of a trip he took to a military conference three months ago, a violation of House ethics rules that he says has now been corrected.
Dicks took full responsibility yesterday for initially allowing the Spectrum Group, a defense lobbying firm to pay for his lodging and meals during a two-night stay in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in February.
Dicks, who as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee plays an influential role in defense spending, said in an interview that the violation was unintentional and that was immediately corrected after a reporter brought it to his attention. It was first reported by Roll Call, a newspaper that covers Capitol Hill.
"I think this is a reporter doing their job. I don't blame anybody for this," Dicks said. "It is my mistake and I take full and complete responsibility for it."
Once the problem was brought to his attention, Dicks said he immediately reimbursed Spectrum $571 for two nights spent in a Fort Lauderdale hotel and for meals.
House rules prohibit lobbying groups from paying for congressional trips. Dicks said he believed the hotel and meals were being covered by Raydon Corp., a Florida company that produces military training simulators. House rules allow companies such as Raydon to pay for congressional travel that is directly related to a lawmaker's fact-finding responsibility.
In this case, Dicks serves on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and Raydon's simulators were being displayed at the symposium.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattlepi.nwsource.com ...
Democrat = Honest Mistake.
Republican = Criminally Unethical
The Democrates are going to be VERY sorry they picked this fight.
Is it just me, or are the vast majoriety of the political and business corruption stories about Democrates. They seem to always be at the center of it.
A perfect example is New Jersey, the Democrates are exposed in a new scandle almost daily.
You will not believe the "facts" that can be found on the golf course.
What's that saying? He who casts the first stone????? or something like that....go ahead Libs, I can't wait for this fight to start.....pandora's box maybe?????
I don't vote for an incumbant.
I am shocked! /sarcasm on
House Dems ar in CYA mode now, Pelosi , Dicks and others have already started updating their records . look for a lot more of it in the near future. The crap is about to hit the fan.
WOW !! imagine that , I'm sure it was an honest mistake .(hic-up)(gag)(barf) .. .. ..
Did he go alone, or were all the Dicks in his family along? This is important. Paying for one Dicks is bad but paying for a bunch of Dicks is worse!
Prediction:
The republicans manage to submit enough complaints to match up with all the democrat complaints. The committee deadlocks 5-5 on every complaint, leaving them sitting throughout the next year and a half.
The MSM ignores the democrat ethics complaints, and repeatedly reminds us that Delay and other republicans are under an "ethical cloud".
The "better" outcome: There are so many democrat ethics complaints that the democrats have to cut and run, so the committee reaches a compromise where most everything is dismissed and every single complaint is resolved with the lightest reprimand. That will be 1 for most people, but 4 for DeLay, and the MSM will point out that ONCE AGAIN Delay has been found unethical.
The best outcome I can see: Everything is simply dismissed, like one big mulligan, thus letting McDermitt (who has an actual conviction) along with several other breaking stories which involve criminal conduct, get away without an ethical hit, just to save DeLay.
I hope I am wrong.
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