Watchdog's latest report shows Congress still has plenty of corruption
Murtha goes from 'watch' list to being named among 'most corrupt'
A year after sweeping midterm elections shifted the balance of power in Congress, based in part on voters' perceptions that some lawmakers were more concerned with lining their own pockets than legislating effectively, the US Capitol still has plenty of potential crooks roaming its halls, a watchdog's annual report alleges.
For the third straight year, Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington released its list of the most corrupt members of Congress, comprising 22 lawmakers.
Additionally, two GOP senators who have found themselves embroiled in sex scandals in recent months -- Sens. Larry Craig and David Vitter -- earn "dishonorable mention" on CREW's list.
“Every year CREW creates this compendium of corruption to expose and hold accountable those members of Congress who believe they are above the law,” Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said in a news release. “With the third edition of Beyond DeLay it has become abundantly clear that many public officials believe that the rules don’t apply to them.”
Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha, one of four Democrats who appear on the list, was singled out last year by CREW as a "member to watch" for ethical improprieties. Since then, he has assumed chairmanship of a defense appropriations subcommittee, and CREW says he's used that position "to benefit the lobbying firm of a former long-term staffer" along with also threatening to block Republican earmark requests.
Additionally, CREW alleges, Murtha unnecessarily expanded the federal bureaucracy to funnel hundreds of millions of dollars to his district in establishing through an energy appropriations bill a nonprofit center. Contrary to Murtha's claims, Department of Energy did not request the earmark establishing the Center for Instrumented Critical Infrastructure, whose employees and family members have donated over $115,000 to Murtha's political committees.
"By earmarking funds for companies represented by the PMA group and CTC in return for campaign contributions, Rep. Murtha may have accepted bribes or illegal gratuities, committed honest services fraud and violated House rules prohibiting members from dispensing special favors," CREW says.
Alaska scores a dubious trifecta with every member of its congressional delegation appearing on the list -- Sens. Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young, all Republicans.
Stevens, the seven-term Republican, has found himself in the middle of a federal bribery investigation because of renovations to his home that were allegedly paid for by VECO Corp., an Alaska oil-services company that has benefitted from Stevens' largesse. His son, Ben Stevens, a state lawmaker also has been caught up in the investigation, although Ted Stevens maintained he has done nothing wrong.
Alaska's sole House member, Republican Don Young, is on CREW's list in part because of his own associations with VECO Corp. Young also comes under fire from CREW for leading the charge for the controversial "bridge to nowhere" projects last year and for his ties with criminal former-lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
A Republican long-shot presidential candidate, Rep. Duncan Hunter, finds himself on CREW's list for the first time this year. CREW says Hunter misused funds from his political action committee to run ads meant to bolster his presidential campaign, in violation of campaign finance law. The California Republican also has close ties to disgraced former-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham and the defense contractors who bribed the now-jailed onetime lawmaker.
CREW's corruption list, entitled "Beyond DeLay," is named after the former Republican Majority Leader who resigned amidst a criminal investigation in his home state of Texas,
Aside from Murtha, three other Democrats stand accused on CREW's list, including Georgia Rep. David Scott, West Virginia Congressman Alan B. Mollohan and Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA). Jefferson, who was famously busted with bundles of cash in his freezer, makes the list for the second-straight year after being indicted on bribery charges. CREW says he also improperly used National Guard troops to collect belongings from his New Orleans-area home after Hurricane Katrina hit.
Last year's corruption compendium included 25 lawmakers, 10 of whom are no longer in Congress either because they resigned, like former Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio), who pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges relating to the Abramoff investigation, or lost re-election. Eight lawmakers from last year's list are now under federal indictment.
On the same day CREW's report was released, 13 members of Congress, including many that appeared on CREW's list this year, were subpoenaed to testify in the investigation of defense contractor Brent Wilkes, who faces charges relating to Cunningham's bribery conviction.
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CREW's List of the 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress:
Members of the Senate:
Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Members of House:
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA)
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)
Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-CA)
Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV)
Rep. Timothy F. Murphy (R-PA)
Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA)
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM)
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL)
Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-NM)
Dishonorable Mention:
Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)
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CREW's Web site, Beyond DeLay, includes full reports on all listed members.
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