The 20 most corrupt members of Congress

[Hope And Change]

The 20 most corrupt members of Congress

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA)
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
Rep. Vito J. Fossella (R-NY)
Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA)
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
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. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

Dishonorable mentions

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Sen. Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Rep. Laura Richardson (D-CA)
Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH)

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Beyond DeLay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and four to watch)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is CREW’s 2008 annual report – our fourth edition – on congressional corruption. Over the past few years, corruption has become a significant political issue, with interest peaking in early 2007. In the 2006 mid-term elections, exit polls showed that 42% of voters called corruption an extremely important issue in their choices at the polls, ahead of terrorism, the economy, and the war in Iraq. With the downturn in the economy, however, voters’ attention is unsurprisingly more focused on pocketbook issues than on congressional misconduct. Nevertheless, ethics still matter if for no other reason than that members of Congress who are using their positions for their own self-interest may not be focusing on the needs of their constituents.
Nine members included on last year’s list have fallen off either because they have announced their retirements, the ethics committees have taken limited action or more likely failed to act, or there is no new information to add. Whenever a member falls off, however, another is always available to serve as a replacement. New to this year’s list are Reps. Marsha Blackburn, Vern Buchanan, Vito Fossella, Dan Lipinski, Charlie Rangel, Laura Richardson and Mike Turner, and Sens. Mary Landrieu and Norm Coleman.

Of this year’s list of 24, at least 12 are under investigation: Ken Calvert, John Doolittle, Tom Feeney, Vito Fossella, William Jefferson, Jerry Lewis, Alan Mollohan, Gary Miller, Tim Murphy, Rick Renzi, Don Young and Ted Stevens. One other, Charlie Rangel, is under a self-initiated House ethics committee investigation.

As in the past, members continue to use their positions for the financial benefit of themselves, their friends and their families. Earmarks for large campaign contributors are commonplace and many members have traded legislative assistance for personal favors. As we noted last year, the number of members who have provided incorrect information or failed to include information on their personal financial disclosure forms is striking.

Lying on personal financial disclosure forms is a federal crime, punishable by up to five years in jail under 18 U.S.C. § 1001. Last year we advised members that although prosecutions for such violations have been rare, they are possible. Perhaps now that Sen. Ted Stevens has been indicted on seven counts of lying on his financial disclosure forms, members will take their obligations to respond fully and truthfully on these forms more seriously. We continue to suggest that the House and Senate ethics committees take a stronger stand against members who deliberately provide erroneous information or withhold information on these forms. As we have said repeatedly, ignoring congressional misconduct until it becomes so egregious that the Department of Justice steps in is simply not a rational, responsible, or reasonable ethics enforcement strategy.

Although new ethics reforms were passed this Congress and the House finally approved a new investigative process, little appears to have changed with the ethics committees. In the Senate, both Sens. David Vitter and Pete Domenici were given passes for their misconduct. Sen. Vitter on the weak ground that his crime of soliciting for prostitution had taken place before he was a senator, and Sen. Domenici on the absurd notion that there was “no substantial evidence” that he had attempted to improperly influence an ongoing corruption investigation in New Mexico, despite clear statements from former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias that the senator had done exactly that. The committee never even considered Sen. Stevens’ misconduct. In fact, the only senator chastised by the committee was Larry Craig, suggesting that the Senate believes there is no more serious offense than gay sex.


more...

http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/report

[DeepBlueDem]

1. Lieberman, Bachmann?

[lonestarnot]

3. LOL funny that.

[cali]

2. Almost 2/3 of them are repukes

thank goodness I come from a state where I will never have to worry about that. you just can't get elected to Congress here if you're even a tiny bit tainted by corruption. Hell, you can't even get elected to Congress here if you're wealthy.

[fascisthunter]

4. where?

[cali]

9. Vermont

we're just too small and gossipy for anyone with any whiff of corruption to succeed politically. you should have seen what we did to the dem auditor of acconts a few years back when she racked up a few hundred dollars of personal calls on her gov't cell phone. boom, out and trashed by members of her own party. And actually, the same holds true for the much marginalized puke party here too. you're from northern NY, as I recall, so you probably know how different the politics of northern NY are from that of Northern Vermont (or all of VT for that matter)

Pat, Bernie and Peter are all clean- and they rank among the least wealthy pols in D.C.

[fascisthunter]

13. Good for You... corruption should NEVER be excused

once it is, you poison the system.

I'm from Massachusetts

[nyc 4 Biden]

5. K&R

It appears the list is in alphabetical order. I wish they would put them in order with the worst on top so we could see who the top scumbags are. This is still a great resource though.

[indepat]

6. Watch Marsha move up it the stratosphere of corruption: surely she has the stupidest electorate in

land without question because she surely does not represent the interests of even 5% of those who vote for her imv. :P

[Hutzpa]

7. This needs to go Viral....

Please lets help send it VIRAL so folks can see, the last thing we need is Congressmen like
these hampering the progress of the new President-Elect.

It will quickly reverts to business as usual and we don't want that.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Why Landrieu?

[Jennicut]

17. Maybe this will answer your question:

From http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/node/427

"Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) is a second-term senator from Louisiana. Her ethics issues stem from inserting an earmark into an appropriations bill to benefit a large campaign donor.

Earmark for Voyager Learning

The Voyager Expanded Learning literacy program had no proven track record when Congress appropriated $2 million in the fall of 2001 to be spent on the program, aimed at District of Columbia kindergartners and first graders. Voyager’s founder, Randy Best, had hired former Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA) to help get Voyager’s programs into schools without having to sell the curricula to any district school systems. On September 24, 2001, the House Appropriations Committee included $1 million for Voyager in the District of Columbia’s appropriations bill with the condition that the District provide an additional $1 million. When Mr. Livingston was unable to obtain a similar earmark in the Senate, Voyager hired the lobbying firm of O’Connor & Hannon, which arranged for Mr. Best to meet with Sen. Landrieu, the chair of the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the District of Columbia.

After Mr. Best met with Sen. Landrieu, a member of the senator’s staff called to ask him if he would throw a campaign fundraiser for her. On October 19, 2001, Mr. Best threw a fundraiser for Sen. Landrieu at his home in Dallas, Texas. Shortly afterward, Sen. Landrieu’s campaign committee received contributions of approximately $30,000 from Voyager employees and their relatives.

Four days after the contributions were received, when the Senate took up consideration of the District of Columbia appropriations bill passed by the House, Sen. Landrieu successfully lobbied for a $2 million earmark for the reading program.

Federal law prohibits public officials from directly or indirectly demanding, seeking, receiving, accepting, or agreeing to receive or accept anything of value in return for being influenced in the performance of an official act. It is well-settled that accepting a contribution to a political campaign can constitute a bribe if a quid pro quo can be demonstrated."

Looks like she got money from this fundraiser by the company she sought to give some pork too. Not the worst I've seen but not great either.

[HooptieWagon]

10. Feeney lost re-election...

and it looks like Stevens and Coleman are likely out as well. That leaves only 17 to go...

[rdmtimp]

11. Rick Renzi retired......

...and Ann Kirkpatrick (D) won his seat.

[Ellipsis]

16. Feeney Lost? Alll righhhhtt! That greasy weasel!

:toast:

[yourguide]

12. I agree with Rangel

Bastard has 3 rent stabilized apartments, I could use 1 of them.

[judasdisney]

14. Where's Jane Harmon?

[ddeclue]

15. Feeney's GONE... so is his sidekick Ric Keller

We kicked Congressional ass in Central Fl!