Roy Blunt took favors from sleazy defense contractor

[quaoar]

Found this gem over at TPM. It seems that the soon-to-be-crowned Majority Leader, Roy Blunt, was being ferried around on a private jet operated by an "airline" set up specifically to ferry around members of Congress. This "airline" was owned by Brent Wilkes, a defense contractor tied to Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

This story came out in December but got buried. But now Blunt is about to be made majority leader in order to "clean up the House." Yeah, right. That's like putting Osama bin Laden in charge of counterterrorism.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/cunningham/20051209-0709-congressman-bribery.html

WASHINGTON – Two defense contractors at the center of ex-Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham's bribery case also spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to curry favor with other influential lawmakers, records show.

One contractor, Brent Wilkes, provided private jet flights to lawmakers, including Reps. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who is serving as majority leader while DeLay fights money-laundering charges in Texas.

[DanCa]

1. Why is it all these "holier than thou" without exception anti choicers

are the most sleaziest politicians around. Generally speaking that is.

[reichstag911]

2. Old news...

...Blunt is alread featured prominently as "Legislator A" in the Abramoff indictment and/or plea deal. He won't get the Majority Leader spot because the last thing the Repukes want is to have two consecutive leaders of their House faction being indicted. (PS The date on the story is 12/9.)

[missouri dem 2]

6. I wish that was right but "Legislator A " is Ney.

[reichstag911]

9. My bad...

...serious brain cramp.

[babylonsister]

3. This might be of interest; primarily involving DeLay

scandals, but Blunt is earlobe-deep in it, too.
Run your mouse over the cast of criminals and see how they are connected!

http://www.dccc.org/houseofscandal/main.html

[SushiFan]

4. Blunt is no f-ing good. I know cuz I live in Missouri ------- nt

[MO_Dem]

8. I'll echo that.....

and it goes double for his evil son that is our governor. I don't think I've ever disliked a politician more than I dislike little Baby Blunt. I hope the truth comes out about them all. I also kinda hope Blunt does get to replace the Hammer--it will be all the sweeter when he brings down the whole bunch of them in November.

[rainbow4321]

5. His favor list seems just as long, if not longer, than Delay's

Link has more, these are just a few on his list...there are also links to the original articles about the "favors".

http://www.davidsirota.com/2005/09/blunts-record-shows-hes-as-corrupt-as.html

BLUNT DOES FAVORS FOR SON-TURNED-TOBACCO-LOBBYIST: "Only hours after Rep. Roy Blunt was named to the House's third-highest leadership job" he tried "to quietly insert a provision benefiting Philip Morris USA into the 475-page bill creating a Department of Homeland Security...The new majority whip, who has close personal and political ties to the company... Blunt has received large campaign donations from Philip Morris, his son works for the company in Missouri and the House member has a close personal relationship with a Washington lobbyist for the firm." Blunt later married Philip Morris's lobbyist. – Washington Post, 6/11/03

BLUNT DOES FAVORS FOR SON-TURNED-LOBBYIST, PART II: "In April, for instance, Blunt managed to have a provision inserted into a Senate bill, without debate, on behalf of United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. The two companies were seeking to block the expansion of a foreign rival's U.S. operations. Blunt's son Andrew also represents UPS in Missouri, as the Wall Street Journal first reported, and the two companies have contributed a total of $120,000 to Blunt since 2001, according to Federal Election Commission data." – Washington Post, 6/11/03

BLUNT USES LOBBYISTS AS DE FACTO WHIPS TO PASS CORPORATE TAX CUT: "Blunt's mobilization of the lobbying community proved crucial in winning passage" of a massive special-interest tax cut bill in 2004. Though the public opposed the bill, Blunt had a "solution to breaking the logjam: Every major lobbying interest got something... The task of rounding up the votes was delegated by Blunt's whip operation to a coalition of lobbyists, all of whom had clients with huge stakes in the outcome." – Washington Post, 5/17/05

BLUNT TRIES TO GIVE "ONE-OF-A-KIND" EXEMPTION TO COMPANY UNDER FEDERAL INVESTIGATION: "Westar, the biggest electric utility in Kansas, is seeking an exemption that would free it from new oversight by the Securities and Exchange Commission...The company wanted the one-of-a-kind exemption inserted in a wide-ranging energy bill. It was criticized as the kind of loophole that contributed to the failure of Enron Corp....House Republicans were pushing the provision at the request of two Missourians, GOP Reps. Sam Graves and Roy Blunt... state regulators barred the company from splitting off its unregulated business a congressional exemption 'would have the effect of removing an important obstacle to Westar splitting its companies and leaving non-utility debt with the utility companies,' Kansas Corporation Commission chairman John Wine wrote" on the same day Westar disclosed it was the target of a federal investigation. – AP, 10/1/02

------------------

http://www.beyonddelay.org/summaries/blunt.php

Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) is a fifth-term Member of Congress, representing the 7th district of Missouri. In 1999, two years after taking office, Rep. Blunt was handpicked by then-Whip DeLay to serve as Chief Deputy Whip, and Rep. Blunt assumed the role of Whip in 2003, when DeLay became the Majority Leader. Rep. Bluntís ethics issues stem from his misuse of his position for the benefit of his family.

In 2003, Rep. Blunt divorced his wife of 31 years to marry Philip Morris (now Altria) lobbyist Abigail Perlman. Before it was known publicly that Rep. Blunt and Ms. Perlman were dating – and only hours after Rep. Blunt assumed the role of Majority Whip – he tried to secretly insert a provision into Homeland Security legislation that would have benefitted Philip Morris, at the expense of competitors.

In addition, Rep. Bluntís son Andrew lobbies on behalf of Philip Morris, a major client he picked up only four years out of law school. Notably, Altria is Rep. Bluntís largest campaign contributor, having donated more than $270,000 to political committees tied to him.

[quaoar]

11. Damn

That's some serious sleaze there.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Wilkes is the next Abramhoff. Drag him out into the light. nt

[AlinPA]

10. R's are losing their heart and soul. Four key people are in trouble.

All four - Karl Rove, Jack Abramoff, Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed were in the young Republicans Club in college and were the energy that built today's corrupt party. They are linked like a chain.

With DeLay and these others under scrutiny/investigation the R party is real trouble. If Rove is indicted by Fitzgerald, the chain is broken.

Even locally, Melissa Hart (PA), a recipient of DeLay/Abramoff money may be in trouble. She has been very popular and could be seriously challenged.

Now Roy Blunt a "leader" of sorts is under heavy scrutiny.

Hastert can't lead without those others.

[sarcasmo]

12. I hope Reed burns like a smoldering fire.