My list contains only 2 groups: Demoshits and Repuboshits. On Tue, Dec 29, 2009 at 4:47 PM, dick thompson <[email protected]>wrote:
> Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt > Politicians” for 2009 > > - > View<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/dec/judicial-watch-announces-list-washington-s-ten-most-wanted-corrupt-politicians-2009> > - Discussion <http://www.judicialwatch.org/node/9615/talk> > > *Contact Information:* > Press Office 202-646-5172, ext 305 > *Washington, DC* > > Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes > government corruption, today released its 2009 list of Washington’s “Ten > Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The list, in alphabetical order, > includes: > > *1. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT):* This marks two years in a row for > Senator Dodd, who made the 2008 “Ten Most Corrupt” list for his corrupt > relationship with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for accepting preferential > treatment and loan terms from Countrywide > Financial<http://www.examiner.com/a-1449448~Bank_of_America_PAC_money_behind_Dodd_s_Countrywide_loan.html>, > a scandal which still dogs him. In 2009, the scandals kept coming for the > Connecticut Democrat. In 2009, Judicial Watch filed a Senate ethics > complaint<http://www.judicialwatch.org/files/documents/2009/Senator%20Christopher%20Dodd%20Ethics%20Complaint%20April%2024%202009.pdf>against > Dodd for undervaluing a property he owns in Ireland on his Senate > Financial Disclosure forms. Judicial Watch's complaint forced Dodd to amend > the forms. However, press reports suggest the property to this day remains > undervalued. Judicial Watch also alleges in the complaint that Dodd > obtained a sweetheart deal for the property in exchange for his assistance > in obtaining a presidential pardon (during the Clinton administration) and > other favors for a long-time friend and business associate. The false > financial disclosure forms were part of the cover-up. Dodd remains the head > the Senate Banking Committee. > > *2. Senator John Ensign (R-NV):* A number of scandals popped up in 2009 > involving public officials who conducted illicit affairs, and then attempted > to cover them up with hush payments and favors, an obvious abuse of power. > The year’s worst offender might just be Nevada Republican Senator John > Ensign. Ensign admitted in June to an extramarital affair with the wife of > one of his staff members, who then allegedly obtained special favors from > the Nevada Republican in exchange for his silence. According to *The New > York > Times<http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/03/us/politics/03ensign.html?_r=1&hp> > *: “The Justice Department and the Senate Ethics Committee are expected > to conduct preliminary inquiries into whether Senator John Ensign violated > federal law or ethics rules as part of an effort to conceal an affair with > the wife of an aide…” The former staffer, Douglas Hampton, began to lobby > Mr. Ensign's office immediately upon leaving his congressional job, despite > the fact that he was subject to a one-year lobbying ban. Ensign seems to > have ignored the law and allowed Hampton lobbying access to his office as a > payment for his silence about the affair. (These are potentially criminal > offenses.) It looks as if Ensign misused his public office (and taxpayer > resources) to cover up his sexual shenanigans. > > *3. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA):* Judicial Watch is investigating a $12 > million TARP cash > injection<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/aug/jw-sues-treasury-records-tarp-funds-distributed-boston-bank-after-intervention-rep-bar>provided > to the Boston-based OneUnited Bank at the urging of Massachusetts > Rep. Barney Frank. As reported in the January 22, 2009, edition of the Wall > Street Journal, the Treasury Department indicated it would only provide > funds to healthy banks to jump-start lending. Not only was OneUnited Bank > in massive financial turmoil, but it was also "under attack from its > regulators for allegations of poor lending practices and executive-pay > abuses, including owning a Porsche for its executives' use." Rep. Frank > admitted he spoke to a "federal regulator," and Treasury granted the funds. > (The bank continues to flounder despite Frank’s intervention for federal > dollars.) Moreover, Judicial Watch uncovered documents in > 2009<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/aug/jw-sues-treasury-records-tarp-funds-distributed-boston-bank-after-intervention-rep-bar>that > showed that members of Congress for years were aware that Fannie Mae > and Freddie Mac were playing fast and loose with accounting issues, risk > assessment issues and executive compensation issues, even as liberals led by > Rep. Frank continued to block attempts to rein in the two Government > Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs). For example, during a > hearing<http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=108_house_hearings&docid=f:92231.wais>on > September 10, 2003, before the House Committee on Financial Services > considering a Bush administration proposal to further regulate Fannie and > Freddie, Rep. Frank stated: "I want to begin by saying that I am glad to > consider the legislation, but I do not think we are facing any kind of a > crisis. That is, in my view, the two Government Sponsored Enterprises we > are talking about here, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are not in a crisis. We > have recently had an accounting problem with Freddie Mac that has led to > people being dismissed, as appears to be appropriate. I do not think at > this point there is a problem with a threat to the Treasury." Frank > received $42,350 in campaign contributions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac > between 1989 and 2008. Frank also engaged in a > relationship<http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,432501,00.html>with a Fannie > Mae Executive while serving on the House Banking Committee, > which has jurisdiction over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. > > *4. Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner:* In 2009, Obama Treasury > Secretary Timothy Geithner admitted that he failed to pay > $34,000<http://finance.senate.gov/press/Bpress/2009press/prb011309d.pdf>in > Social Security and Medicare taxes from 2001-2004 on his lucrative salary > at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), an organization with 185 member > countries that oversees the global financial system. (Did we mention > Geithner now runs the IRS?) It wasn’t until President Obama tapped Geithner > to head the Treasury Department that he paid back most of the money, > although the IRS kindly waived the hefty penalties. In March 2009, Geithner > also came under fire for his handling of the AIG bonus scandal, where the > company used $165 million of its bailout funds to pay out executive bonuses, > resulting in a massive public backlash. Of course as head of the New York > Federal Reserve, Geithner helped craft the AIG deal in September 2008. > However, when the AIG scandal broke, Geithner claimed he knew nothing of the > bonuses until March 10, 2009. The timing is important. According to > CNN<http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1886138,00.html>: > “Although Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told congressional leaders on > Tuesday that he learned of AIG's impending $160 million bonus payments to > members of its troubled financial-products unit on March 10, sources tell > TIME that the New York Federal Reserve informed Treasury staff that the > payments were imminent on Feb. 28. That is ten days before Treasury > staffers say they first learned ‘full details’ of the bonus plan, and three > days before the [Obama] Administration launched a new $30 billion infusion > of cash for AIG.” Throw in another embarrassing disclosure in 2009 that > Geithner employed “household help” ineligible to work in the United States, > and it becomes clear why the Treasury Secretary has earned a spot on the > “Ten Most Corrupt Politicians in Washington” list. > > *5. Attorney General Eric Holder:* Tim Geithner can be sure he won’t be > hounded about his tax-dodging by his colleague Eric Holder, US Attorney > General. Judicial Watch strongly > opposed<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/jan/judicial-watch-urges-judiciary-committee-reject-holder-appointment>Holder > because of his terrible ethics record, which includes: obstructing > an FBI investigation of the theft of nuclear secrets from Los Alamos Nuclear > Laboratory; rejecting multiple requests for an independent counsel to > investigate alleged fundraising abuses by then-Vice President Al Gore in the > Clinton White House; undermining the criminal investigation of President > Clinton by Kenneth Starr in the midst of the Lewinsky investigation; and > planning the violent raid to seize then-six-year-old Elian Gonzalez at > gunpoint in order to return him to Castro’s Cuba. Moreover, there is his > soft record on terrorism. Holder bypassed Justice Department procedures to > push through Bill Clinton’s scandalous presidential pardons and > commutations, including for 16 members of FALN, a violent Puerto Rican > terrorist group that orchestrated approximately 120 bombings in the United > States, killing at least six people and permanently maiming dozens of > others, including law enforcement officers. His record in the current > administration is no better. As he did during the Clinton administration, > Holder continues to ignore serious incidents of corruption that could impact > his political bosses at the White House. For example, Holder has refused to > investigate charges that the Obama political machine traded VIP access to > the White > House<http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/28/democratic-donors-rewarded-with-wh-perks/?feat=home_cube_position1>in > exchange for campaign contributions – a scheme eerily similar to one > hatched by Holder’s former boss, Bill Clinton in the 1990s. The Holder > Justice Department also came under fire for dropping a voter intimidation > case against the New Black Panther > Party<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203550604574361071968458430.html>. > On Election Day 2008, Black Panthers dressed in paramilitary garb threatened > voters as they approached polling stations. Holder has also failed to > initiate a comprehensive Justice investigation of the notorious organization > ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), which is > closely tied to President Obama. There were allegedly more than 400,000 > fraudulent ACORN voter registrations in the 2008 campaign. And then there > were the journalist > videos<http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,550941,00.html>catching ACORN > Housing workers advising undercover reporters on how to evade > tax, immigration, and child prostitution laws. Holder’s controversial > decisions on new rights for terrorists and his attacks on previous efforts > to combat terrorism remind many of the fact that his former law firm has > provided and continues to provide pro bono representation to terrorists at > Guantanamo Bay. Holder’s politicization of the Justice Department makes one > long for the days of Alberto Gonzales. > > *6. Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)/ Senator Roland Burris (D-IL):* One of > the most serious scandals of 2009 involved a scheme by former Illinois > Governor Rod Blagojevich to sell President Obama’s then-vacant Senate seat > to the highest bidder. Two men caught smack dab in the middle of the > scandal: Senator Roland Burris, who ultimately got the job, and Rep. Jesse > Jackson, Jr. According to the *Chicago > Sun-Times<http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/blagojevich/1515427,jesse-jackson-jr-ethics-probe-blagojevich-040709.article> > *, emissaries for Jesse Jackson Jr., named "Senate Candidate A" in the > Blagojevich indictment, reportedly offered $1.5 million to Blagojevich > during a fundraiser if he named Jackson Jr. to Obama's seat. Three days > later federal authorities arrested Blagojevich. Burris, for his part, > apparently lied about his contacts with Blagojevich, who was arrested in > December 2008 for trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat. According to * > Reuters <http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE51G6Q620090217>*: > “Roland Burris came under fresh scrutiny…after disclosing he tried to raise > money for the disgraced former Illinois governor who named him to the U.S. > Senate seat once held by President Barack Obama…In the latest of those > admissions, Burris said he looked into mounting a fundraiser for Rod > Blagojevich -- later charged with trying to sell Obama's Senate seat -- at > the same time he was expressing interest to the then-governor's aides about > his desire to be appointed.” Burris changed his story five times regarding > his contacts with Blagojevich prior to the Illinois governor appointing him > to the U.S. Senate. Three of those changing explanations came under oath. > > *7. President Barack Obama:* During his presidential campaign, President > Obama promised to run an ethical and transparent administration. However, > in his first year in office, the President has delivered corruption and > secrecy, bringing Chicago-style political corruption to the White House. > Consider just a few Obama administration “lowlights” from year one: Even > before President Obama was sworn into office, he was interviewed by the FBI > for a criminal investigation of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s > scheme to sell the President’s former Senate seat to the highest bidder. > (Obama’s Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and slumlord Valerie Jarrett, both from > Chicago, are also tangled up in the Blagojevich scandal.) Moreover, the > Obama administration made the startling claim that the Privacy Act does > not apply to the White > House.<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/oct/obama-administration-tells-federal-court-privacy-act-does-not-apply-white-house> > *The Obama White House believes it can violate the privacy rights of > American citizens without any legal consequences or accountability. > *President Obama boldly proclaimed that "transparency and the rule of law > will be the touchstones of this presidency," but his administration is > addicted to secrecy, stonewalling far too many of Judicial Watch's Freedom > of Information Act requests <http://www.judicialwatch.org/open-records>and is > refusing to make public White House visitor logs as federal law > requires. The Obama administration turned the National Endowment of the > Arts (as well as the agency that runs the AmeriCorps program) into propaganda > machines,<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/oct/jw-obtains-documents-regarding-neas-controversial-8-10-conference-call-encouraging-art>using > tax dollars to persuade "artists" to promote the Obama agenda. > According to documents uncovered by Judicial Watch, the idea emerged as a > direct result of the Obama > campaign<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/nov/jw-obtains-more-documents-regarding-neas-conference-call-encouraging-artists-promote-o>and > enjoyed White House approval and participation. President Obama has > installed a record number of "czars" in positions of power. Too many of > these individuals are leftist > radicals<http://www.judicialwatch.org/weeklyupdate/2009/47-soft-terrorism>who > answer to no one but the president. And too many of the czars are not > subject to Senate confirmation (which raises serious constitutional > questions). Under the President’s bailout schemes, the federal government > continues to appropriate or control -- through fiat and threats -- large > sectors of the private economy, prompting conservative columnist George Will > to write: “The administration's central activity -- the political > allocation of wealth and opportunity -- is not merely susceptible to > corruption, it is corruption.” Government-run healthcare and car companies, > White House coercion, uninvestigated ACORN corruption, debasing his office > to help Chicago cronies, attacks on conservative media and the private > sector, unprecedented and dangerous new rights for terrorists, perks for > campaign donors – this is Obama’s “ethics” record -- and we haven't even > gotten through the first year of his presidency. > > *8. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA):* At the heart of the corruption problem in > Washington is a sense of entitlement. Politicians believe laws and rules > (even the U.S. Constitution) apply to the rest of us but not to them. Case > in point: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her excessive and boorish > demands<http://www.judicialwatch.org/news/2009/mar/judicial-watch-uncovers-documents-detailing-pelosis-repeated-requests-military-travel>for > military travel. Judicial Watch obtained documents from the Pentagon in > 2008 that suggest Pelosi has been treating the Air Force like her own > personal airline. These documents, obtained through the Freedom of > Information Act, include internal Pentagon email correspondence detailing > attempts by Pentagon staff to accommodate Pelosi's numerous requests for > military escorts and military aircraft as well as the speaker's 11th hour > cancellations and changes. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also came under fire > in April 2009, when she claimed she was never briefed about the CIA's use of > the waterboarding technique during terrorism investigations. The CIA > produced a report documenting a briefing with Pelosi on September 4, 2002, > that suggests otherwise. Judicial Watch also obtained documents, including > a CIA Inspector General > report<http://documents.nytimes.com/c-i-a-reports-on-interrogation-methods#p=1>, > which further confirmed that Congress was fully briefed on the enhanced > interrogation techniques. Aside from her own personal transgressions, Nancy > Pelosi has ignored serious incidents of corruption within her own party, > including many of the individuals on this list. (See Rangel, Murtha, Jesse > Jackson, Jr., etc.) > > *9. Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) and the rest of the PMA Seven:* Rep. John > Murtha made headlines in 2009 for all the wrong reasons. The Pennsylvania > congressman is under federal investigation for his corrupt relationship with > the now-defunct defense lobbyist PMA Group. PMA, founded by a former Murtha > associate, has been the congressman's largest campaign contributor. Since > 2002, Murtha has raised $1.7 million from PMA and its clients. And what did > PMA and its clients receive from Murtha in return for their generosity? > Earmarks -- tens of millions of dollars in earmarks. In fact, even with all > of the attention surrounding his alleged influence peddling, Murtha kept at > it. Following an FBI raid of PMA's offices earlier in 2009, Murtha > continued to seek congressional earmarks for PMA clients, while also hitting > them up for campaign contributions. According to *The > Hill<http://thehill.com/index.php?as_q=murtha+pma&Itemid=315&option=com_gsearch&btnG.x=16&btnG.y=11> > *, in April, "Murtha reported receiving contributions from three former > PMA clients for whom he requested earmarks in the pending appropriations > bills." When it comes to the PMA scandal, Murtha is not alone. As many as > six other Members of Congress are currently under scrutiny according to *The > Washington > Post<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/29/AR2009102904699.html> > *. They include: Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN.), James P. Moran Jr. (D-VA), > Norm Dicks (D-WA.), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), C.W. Bill Young (R-FL.) and Todd > Tiahrt (R-KS.). Of course rather than investigate this serious scandal, > according to *Roll Call <http://www.rollcall.com/news/33974-1.html>* House > Democrats circled the wagons, "cobbling together a defense to offer > political cover to their rank and file.” The Washington Post also reported > in 2009 that Murtha’s nephew received $4 million in Defense Department no-bid > contracts<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/11/AR2009051101695.html>: > "Newly obtained documents…show Robert Murtha mentioning his influential > family connection as leverage in his business dealings and holding unusual > power with the military.” > > *10. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY):* Rangel, the man in charge of writing > tax policy for the entire country, has yet to adequately explain how he > could possibly "forget" to pay > taxes<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/10/AR2008091003462.html>on > $75,000 in rental income he earned from his off-shore rental property. > He also faces allegations that he improperly used his influence to maintain > ownership of highly coveted rent-controlled apartments in Harlem, and > misused his congressional office to fundraise for his private Rangel Center > by preserving a tax loophole for an oil drilling company in exchange for > funding. On top of all that, Rangel recently amended his financial > disclosure reports, which doubled his reported wealth. (He somehow “forgot” > about $1 million in assets.) And what did he do when the House Ethics > Committee started looking into all of this? He apparently resorted to > making "campaign contributions" to dig his way out of trouble. According to > WCBS TV <http://wcbstv.com/local/charles.rangel.ethics.2.1160326.html>, a > New York CBS affiliate: “The reigning member of Congress' top tax committee > is apparently ‘wrangling’ other politicos to get him out of his own > financial and tax troubles...Since ethics probes began last year the > 79-year-old congressman has given campaign donations to 119 members of > Congress, including three of the five Democrats on the House Ethics > Committee who are charged with investigating him.” Charlie Rangel should > not be allowed to remain in Congress, let alone serve as Chairman of the > powerful House Ways and Means Committee, and he knows it. That’s why he > felt the need to disburse campaign contributions to Ethics Committee members > and other congressional colleagues. > > > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at > http://www.PoliticalForum.com/<http://www.politicalforum.com/> > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
