Pombo (R) paid kin from campaign

[Tony_FLADEM]

SACRAMENTO -- Federal records show that Rep. Richard Pombo used campaign funds to pay his wife and brother a total of $255,916 over the past two years -- or 25 cents for every dollar the Tracy Republican raised for his re-election effort.

Reports filed with the Federal Election Commission also show Pombo's campaign paid the congressman's wife, Annette, an additional $39,938 from 2001 to 2002. His brother Randall received $169,299 during the same period, bringing the total payments to the family since 2001 to $465,153.

While it is not unheard of for members of Congress to hire relatives, experts say the amount of money involved in Pombo's case is eye-opening. For example, retiring Rep. Scott McInnis of Colorado made national news this year for paying his wife $39,000 to work as a campaign staffer.

"Spending 25 percent of what you raise on two staffers, especially when they happen to be relatives, raises some serious questions," said Larry Noble of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks federal campaign financing.

<http://www.recordnet.com/articlelink/120504/news/articles/120504-gn-2.php>
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[bo44]

1. He is the dork trying to dismantle the ESA

Richie is the puppet of big ag and development interests that want to start selling off their land for housing tracts. Cannot do it without killing endangered species law and regulations. I just hope upon hope the Dems in San Joaquin County run somebody capable of beating him in 2006.

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2004/12/6/235026/918/23#23

[VolcanoJen]

2. Kick!!!!

Gotta love them family values!!

[0rganism]

3. No kidding!

For once, we actually get a real price tag on the value of the family! Neato!

[theHandpuppet]

4. Mary Cheney was paid a hundred grand

... to run her father's re-election campaign, and funny how no one in the media thought that to be improper, including the CRP. I hope Mary and her partner are enjoying the payoff of thirty pieces of silver they were given to betray the GLBT community. Of course, when your Daddy is as corrupt and rich as Dick Cheney you don't have to worry about losing your domestic partner benefits, do you.

Yet there's always another way to make sure "family" is taken care of -- just ask Colin Powell, whose progeny got that cushy job as head of the FCC so he can spend his days worrying about Janet Jackson's nipple.

Pombo's family "business" pales by comparison to that of the Bushreich's extended crime family.