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Posted on 12/19/2004 10:12:34 AM PST by wagglebee
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters' family members earned more than $1 million over the last eight years by doing business with companies, candidates and causes that she helped, according to a newspaper report Sunday.
Waters' daughter and son pocketed fees from campaigns endorsed by the congresswoman's election mailers while her husband worked for a bond underwriting firm seeking government business from her political allies, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Waters, an influential lawmaker who has represented Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena and parts of Los Angeles since 1990, declined to answer detailed questions, insisting her family's fortunes were kept apart from her political activities.
"They do their business and I do mine," said Waters, 66. "We are not bad people."
The Waters' close financial ties are not expressly prohibited by state laws or congressional ethics rules.
According to the Times, Waters and her children are linked through a political organization that publishes an election mailer listing campaigns she endorsed. Some candidates are included free of charge, though others pay tens of thousands of dollars.
Of the $1.7 million L.A. Vote collected in the last eight years, nearly $450,000 went to Karen Waters and her consulting firm, public disclosure reports show. About $115,000 was paid to the congresswoman's son.
Karen Waters, 46, said she and her mother kept their business dealings separate. Her son, Edward Waters, 49, a high school basketball coach and political consultant, declined to comment.
Waters' children have also landed consulting work with the mailer's advertisers, including former 1998 gubernatorial candidate Al Checchi and Indian tribes.
Campaign consultants for the tribes, whose interests and ballot measures Waters has consistently backed, said Karen Waters was hired on her merits. "We didn't hire her because of her mom," said consultant Chuck Winner.
Waters' husband, Sidney Williams, has made nearly $500,000 as a consultant to a municipal bond company and lobbying politicians his wife supports, according to public records.
The 62-year-old former professional football linebacker and U.S. ambassador to the Bahamas said Waters complied with public disclosure laws, but declined further comment.
The Times reported that Williams helped the firm win a $40 million school bond sale approved by school board members that paid Waters' mailer operation to advertise her endorsement.
With his assistance, the company also secured a $424 million bond deal to build a prison in Delano after successfully pitching the office of state Treasurer Philip Angelides.
Angelides, who has been regularly listed in Waters' mailers, said in a statement that his decisions are based solely "on the advice of the professional staff."
Bond underwriter Siebert, Brandford & Shank hired Williams for his own connections and not those of his wife, according to Napoleon Brandford III, the firm's chairman and co-owner.
Well they should be, this crap has gone on way too long in both parties.
Water, Jackson, Sharpton = criminals needing IRS/FBI probes.
No doubt this is a CIA plot! /sarcasm
OMG don't tell me the THE Maxine Waters might be enriching herself and her family on the backs of the Public. Nah - Only Jesse Jackson would ever stoop that low. /Sarcasm
Waters....the crook, criminal...must go...!!!
It will never happen, she's got that job as long as she wants it.
Maxine Waters is and always will be a low-life politician of the nastiest kind - I can't stand looking or listening to her when she gets her mouth running - what is the matter with the citizens of California? I hope she goes the way of her fellow scuzbag congresswoman Carolyn Macarthy(??? - is that right)from a few years ago who was found to be a money grabbing freak with her father.....
Democrat is as democrat does.
She'll skate, just like the Clintons and their minions.
"These allegations are racist and baseless. I have worked tirelessly to over come the extreme racist attitiudes of the right and I will continue to do so on behalf of the people of Los Angeles and all people of color.
You just know something like this is coming.
Never forget Albert Jay Nock's dictum that the purpose of government is provide a good living for those who run it. He also added the amount of their labor was minimal to the task.
It is always instructive hearing once again how a banana republic operates.
She would never have done anything so low and it must be a plot by Rove and President Bush to discredit her. She is a credit to the people of California you know and just what they deserve.
You do realize a thread such as this about her will be considered as "racist" LOL.
Of course it is. No matter what the crisis and regardless of who is involved (skin color is irrelevant), in any crisis the 'Rats ALWAYS cry racism.
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"...what is the matter with the citizens of California..."
I think Ms. Waters represents southcentral LA, which is mostly low income blacks, isn't it? I imagine these people mostly think rich whites are the reason they are in their downtrodden situation, and believe Ms. Waters deserves anything and everything she can get! I may be totally wrong on this...don't know much about her district.
A judge and jury usually decide that - no?
Then she should complain to her leftist pals at the LA Times -- they broke the story.
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