Posted on 01/04/2006 4:56:47 AM PST by cp124
WASHINGTON — Maine's Democratic congressmen said Tuesday that the conviction of lobbyist Jack Abramoff should bring about reform and could taint House Republicans in this year's election.
"It's clear the Justice Department now has its sights trained on members of Congress and their staffs," said Rep. Tom Allen, D-Maine. "I have no doubt that as this scandal unfolds, it will expose practices that the Republican leadership in the House has wanted to keep hidden."
His comments came as congressional watchdogs reported that no member of Maine's delegation - including its two Republican senators - received contributions from Abramoff in recent years.
Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges of conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud. A federal judge said he had engaged in a conspiracy involving "corruption of public officials" by providing campaign contributions, trips and other items "in exchange for certain official acts."
Abramoff contributed $204,253 to federal candidates since the 2000 election cycle and the Indian tribes he represented gave nearly $4.2 million, according Federal Election Commission reports analyzed by the Internet watchdog group Center for Responsive Politics.
But Maine lawmakers got none of it since at least the 2002 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics and another Internet watchdog, PoliticalMoneyLine.org.
"The actions of Jack Abramoff and his partners are absolutely shameful," said Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine. "I strongly support efforts to stop this type of corruption and hope that this leads to further efforts to reform the campaign finance system."
Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, declined comment on Abramoff's case through a spokesman.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, was traveling in Antarctica and couldn't be reached for comment, a spokeswoman said.
But Allen suggested the conviction is a blot on the entire political system. "Underlying the Abramoff corruption is the idea that it's OK to get what you want no matter how much you have to pay for it," he said.
Allen said he hopes Abramoff's guilty pleas prompt discussion of his legislative proposals to change the way the House conducts business.
Allen proposed legislation in December that would prohibit lawmakers from accepting trips from lobbyists, among last perks allowed under ethics reforms of the mid-1990s. Allen would also require time for lawmakers to read bills before voting on them and restrict votes from being held open for hours while leaders twist arms to change results.
"There's a continuum of anti-democratic practices," Allen said. "Some are illegal, and some corrupt the process and make it less fair."
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bart Jansen can be contacted at 202-488-1119 or at:
bjansen@pressherald.com
In which case, you may disregard any of the forgoing.
See Long Distance Rider's post #37; I think he nails it.
It's why conservatives want there to be less government, period. If the government didn't have so much power/money, there wouldn't be nearly so much opportunity for bribery.
The way the GOP has governed the last few years is a great case for divided government. The way the democrats are is the best case against.
That's a really interesting statement, and sadly very, very true.
So what's your favorite Koolaid flavor?
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