Security chief's ties to lobbyist under scrutiny

[Judi Lynn]

Jan. 13, 2005, 9:49PM

Security chief's ties to lobbyist under scrutiny
Congressmen say questions of special treatment have been raised
By PETE YOST
Associated Press


WASHINGTON - Two Democratic congressmen on Thursday asked Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to provide Congress written communications between his department and a lobbying firm run by a longtime friend.

The request stems from an Associated Press story that the day after President Bush named him secretary, Ridge flew to Arizona and spent several days with a prominent Bush-Cheney fund-raiser, David Girard-diCarlo. It was the first of two trips Ridge made to Scottsdale, Ariz., in late 2002 and early 2003 to stay at Girard-diCarlo's home.

Two of Ridge's homeland security aides left the White House after the first trip and went to work for Girard-diCarlo lobbying Ridge's newly created department. Several of the lobbying firm's clients have been awarded contracts by the department.

"These relationships raise questions about potential conflicts of interest and preferential treatment," Reps. Henry Waxman of California and Bennie Thompson of Mississippi wrote Ridge. Waxman is the ranking Democrat on the Government Reform Committee and Thompson the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee.
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Waxman and Thompson say they want the documents before Feb. 1 to clarify the relationships between Girard-diCarlo's lobbying firm, Blank Rome, and top political appointees at Ridge's department.
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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/2991837

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1. Duplicate

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