Pattern of Corruption (LTTE in Roy Blunt's District)

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Ron Bull (Globe, Feb. 12) criticized my suggestion that Blunt may be corrupt, in part, by pointing out that many other politicians have received money “connected to Abramoff.” This is the same tactic Allen Shirley (Globe, Feb. 12) recently employed. Yet I never once mentioned anything about politicians receiving money “connected to Abramoff.”

I did mention that Blunt had received money from Abramoff himself. The primary difference between Abramoff and his hundreds of clients is that Abramoff has pleaded guilty to crimes including bribing public officials. Yet, there is another difference.

The Republican National Committee and their local affiliates know they would be hard-pressed to find a single Democrat who took one dime from Abramoff this century. This is why they lump Abramoff and his clients’ donations together hoping to universalize the corruption made apparent by the Abramoff scandal.

I raised concern not about a single activity Blunt took part in, but about a pattern of activities.
These activities include accepting money from a crook while doing favors for his clients and having a history of engaging in conflicts of interest in undemocratic and underhanded ways (that would financially aid a corporate contributor who employs his family members as lobbyists, etc.).
The professional ethics of some disciplines prohibit these activities and I see no reason to make an exception for the powerful. The fact that Democrats have their own ethical problems does not make it acceptable.

Seth Jackson
Lamar

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