Posted on 12/26/2010 2:39:03 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Numerous times this year, members of Congress have held fundraisers and collected big checks while they are taking critical steps to write new laws, despite warnings that such actions could create ethics problems. The campaign donations often came from contributors with major stakes riding on the lawmakers' actions.
....Earlier this month, the chairman of the Senate committee overseeing tax policy, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), gave himself a birthday-party fundraiser - on the same day that the chamber took its first vote on an $858 billion tax package that would provide breaks to wealthy citizens and business interests.
....Over the course of three weeks in June, the 35 conference committee members collected $440,000 in donations from the financial industry. Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), the chairman of the Senate banking committee and a powerful conferee, collected the most that month - about $90,000 from financial interests.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was mentioned as the VIP guest for a Florida lawmaker's fundraiser 48 hours before the committee officially began work. The party host was DLA Piper, a law firm registered to lobby on the bill for several financial clients, including Discover Financial Services, Experian and Charles Schwab. Frank's committee office did not respond to a request for comment, but Frank has previously said that he follows all ethics rules carefully.
....Senators collected $469,000 from the financial industry the day before, the day of and the day after that key Sept. 16 vote, a Post review of donations shows. The biggest recipient was Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who shepherded the legislation and faced a tight reelection race.
Reid spokesman Zac Petkanas said the timing was not of Reid's making. The vote was supposed to come months earlier but was delayed by Republican obstruction, Petkanas said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
“Lawmakers seek cash during key votes”
THIS is news?
The Washington Post is making the "valiant" effort to close the barn door now that a new Congress is set to begin.
“The Washington Post is making the “valiant” effort to close the barn door now that a new Congress is set to begin.”
Weekend news dump to show they are not bias.
Well! As long as he says he follows the rules I guess there is nothing for us to see here...move along.
It’s a shame we can’t find people who will go to serve instead of to cash in. And I believe most of the tea party candidates will cash in, too. I’ll stop believing that if they will introduce legislation putting all government employees, including themselves, into the SS system.
WAIT!!.. Hold it.. I am getting an idea...
THIS is news?
Real politicians of all parties don't consider stories of payoffs and questionable fundraisers to be ethics problems.
They consider them to be problems with intrusive nosey busybodies from the peasant classes.
THIS is news?
Real politicians of all parties don't consider stories of payoffs and questionable fundraisers to be ethics problems.
They consider them to be problems with intrusive nosy busybodies from the peasant classes.
“It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged.” — G.K. Chesterton
“It is terrible to contemplate how few politicians are hanged.” — G.K. Chesterton
Correct.
As dirty deals were floating to the surface, Harry Reid admonished his critics (paraphrasing)..... If your senator doesn’t have something self-serving in the bill, he/she isn’t doing their job.
Don't you DARE accuse Senator Reid of being unethical. It's the stingy Republicans fault.
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