CREW Releases List of Most Corrupt in Congress
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington today released its third annual report “Beyond DeLay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and Two to Watch)”:
- Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-NM)
- Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
- Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
- 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. Jerry Weller (R-IL)
- Rep. Heather A. Wilson (R-NM)
- Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
The two to watch are:
The links will take you to profiles of “the egregious, unethical and possibly illegal activities of the most tainted members of Congress. CREW has compiled the members’ transgressions and analyzed them in light of federal laws and congressional rules”. I’m sure you’ll be as unsurprised as I to see that 83+% of the names on the list are Republicans. What is it about these tax-cutting, family values guys that compels them to stick their hands in the till and/or their, um, other parts where they don’t belong?
September 18th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
Kathy:
How are we supposed to watch these guys? Any suggestions.
September 18th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Nice list. I’ve read some of what William Jefferson (the only Democrat in the top 10) has been up to, and I’m ashamed that he is still in office, although the Dems did strip him of his seat on the Ways and Means Committee.
September 18th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
Very disappointed in Murtha.
September 18th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
Tom, the first link in the post is to CREW’s blog, which will have updates on investigations as they progress. If you visit Beyond DeLay, you can click on any name from the list to get a report summary and download the full report. It’s good to see that there are no Alabama names included.
mooncat, we can only hope Jefferson’s constituents refuse to re-elect him in 2008 — assuming he isn’t already in the pokey by then.
September 18th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
“Very disappointed in Murtha.”
Me too.
September 18th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Disappointed in Murtha too, but not surprised at finding Weller’s name. He went to Guatemala a few years ago to study Spanish (related to those Puerto Rican bank contributions?), met and married Zury Rios Sosa, powerful member of the pseudo-religious right FRG and daughter of Efrain Rios Montt. She is also a member of the Guatemalan Congress. He’s in trouble for Nicaraguan land deals and questions are coming up about his wife’s foundation. (Wonkette writes: “But don’t worry, GOPers, this one’s straight as an arrow. The underaged objects of his attentions were the lady paigettes”).
Weller was on the Foreign Relations Commission at the time of his marriage and promised not to vote on bills affecting Guatemala, but turned around and voted for CAFTA (as did his wife).
At her website, ‘Zury Rios-Montt de Weller,’ she is quoted: “Para ser un buen político no hay que mancharse las manos”. “It is not necessary to gets one’s hands dirty to be a good politician.” http://www.zuryrios.com/
Her Rovian talents were seen in a riot organized after the Guatemalan Electoral Tribunal denied her father a run for the presidency (the current constitution bars anyone who’s participated actively in a coup), complete with hooded marshalls, cell phone communication and portolets.
September 19th, 2007 at 1:01 am
WEll as a former New Mexican I was pleased to see all the federal Republican office holders in the top 20. What a coup! Who else can claim such lack of ethics and morality???? Sheesh, no wonder I left. But hopefull heather Wilson will appear on Mike Rogers outing pages soon.. Come on an air force academy grad. You should see the picture of her in her hat. her picture is in the dictionary under “BUTCH>”
September 19th, 2007 at 1:57 am
Are those in order? I’ve got to say that I object if they are.
September 19th, 2007 at 9:12 am
I can’t say I’m surprised by any of the names on the list, quite frankly.
September 19th, 2007 at 10:00 am
Dan, the list is in alphabetical order, with Senators listed first and Reps second.
September 19th, 2007 at 11:10 am
Oh I see now.