Senator Spectors Directs $50 mil to Aide's Spouse

[kpete]

Senate aide's spouse gets a windfall
By Matt Kelley, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Sen. Arlen Specter helped direct almost $50 million in Pentagon spending during the past four years to clients of the husband of one of his top aides, records show.\

Specter, R-Pa., used a process called "earmarking" 13 times to set aside $48.7 million for six clients represented by lobbyist Michael Herson and the firm he co-founded, American Defense International. The clients paid Herson's firm nearly $1.5 million in fees since 2002, federal lobbying records show.


Herson's wife, Vicki Siegel Herson, is Specter's legislative assistant for appropriations. She deals with Specter's work on the Senate Appropriations Committee and its defense subcommittee, where all the earmarks originated. Siegel, who uses her maiden name at work, is a former lobbyist for defense contractors who has worked for Specter since 1999.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-02-15-specter-earmarks_x.htm

[Hubert Flottz]

1. So this is why Sphincter was going to let Bush off the hook about

Snoopergate...But now the cat is out of the bag!

[worldgonekrazy]

10. My first thought exactly

Interesting timing here. All these stories about the White House getting GOP Senators "in line" with regard to the illegal wiretapping. Then, one of these pesky troublemakers is outed for what could be a potentially serious crime (though I bet the whole lot of 'em are just as guilty). But hey, on the bright side, at least they didn't use classified information to nail him!

On edit: Notice the article gives no indication who led USA Today to this story. It cites "congressional records" as its source, but who pointed out such records to them?

[Gelliebeans]

16. ding ding ding....

I smell Karl

[Hubert Flottz]

2. K&R

This is one we need to keep kicked up! :kick:

[mzmolly]

3. Ahhh, so the R's are smeaing AS b/c he doesn't like wire tapping.

Amazing what can be found out about someone the moment they cross the junta.

[Burried News]

4. Too bad his hair is growing back cauz he's a daddy warbucks ...

But there is some serious competition for the role.

[Mnemosyne]

5. Doesn't it just figure?! filthy rotten... n/t

[enough]

6. So much for Specter's carefully cultivated "gravitas."

snip>

Earmarks are a way for powerful members of Congress to specify how federal money must be spent. They have been the subject of attention on Capitol Hill because they played a role in recent scandals, including the bribery conviction of former representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a longtime critic of earmarks, introduced legislation last week to curb the use of earmarks. The 2005 federal budget included 15,877 earmarks for $47.4 billion in spending, according to a Congressional Research Service study that McCain requested.

In a statement responding to questions from USA TODAY, Specter said he did not know the earmarks were going to clients of Siegel's husband. "I am advised that at no time did her husband lobby my office or seek appropriations from any member of my staff," the statement said. Specter declined to be interviewed.

Specter claimed credit for all the earmarks in news releases, noting the projects' ties to Pennsylvania. "These projects, key to our nation's defense, will be invaluable in our continuing war on terror," a Dec. 22 press release said in announcing $56 million worth of earmarks, including $17 million for four Herson clients.

snip>

[rpgamerd00d]

7. WTF does he think we are, stupid?

In a statement responding to questions from USA TODAY, Specter said he did not know the earmarks were going to clients of Siegel's husband. "I am advised that at no time did her husband lobby my office or seek appropriations from any member of my staff," the statement said. Specter declined to be interviewed.

Um.... Spectre, dude.... a HUSBAND CERTAINLY LOBBIED HIS OWN WIFE.

Dumbass.

[shanti]

17. of course they think we're stupid

they've gotten away with so much for so long, they're not about to stop now.

[Kber]

8. Well, that's a disapointment...

somehow I had hoped for better. Silly me.

[Teena]

15. I feel the same way.

I thought maybe, just maybe one of their leaders was on the up and up. But then there was the incident when Specter wouldn't swear in Gonzales and now this. God help us. We really need something to happen soon. Democrats MUST start taking charge. I really don't know if I can wait until November.

[pinto]

9. Legislative assistant for appropriations...there's not even any pretense

of ethics any more. It's a feeding frenzy.

[rumpel]

11. Ooops.

:evilgrin:

[IronLionZion]

12. As if he didn't know

his assistant for appropriations is married to the lobbyist who gets the appropriations. Nothing inappropriate at all. Nothing to see here....

Although I'm pleasantly surprised to see this in USA Today, it's disappointing that he thinks Americans are that stupid. It's even more disappointing that Americans probably are that stupid, or just don't give a shit.

[Ensalada]

13. when will the numbness set in?

theres so much to be outraged about, every day every day every day. i dont even know how to weigh the outrage. this is like a teardrop in the ocean and yet it still damn stings. the selling our public forests to the oil interest- it makes nearly gag everytime I think about it that its happning, RIGHT NOW. the diebold stealing elections every year, tje corruption, embezzlement of our taxes, lying, assassinations of journalists like that BBC guy, the wars profiteering, torture, chemical warfare, and on and on and on every bloody day. I log in here and spend a few minutes peeking around and am just so overwhelmed by outrage, its just so suffocating- its easy to understand why most people stick to reading msn articles about the next american idol or finding your mate in the neighboring cubicle or something. "feeding frenzy" is a perfect term for what i feel like im watching. its almost as if weve reached this turning point in government, like down all of American history politicians have been setting the government up for this moment like setting up a banquet, or theyve all along from skullandbone HQ been arranging a safe distance and defense just so- a defense made of public comfortableness, apathy, ignorance, perceived impotence; the collusion of the press which has become mainly an entertainment outlet feeding the Soma-numbed masses; a defense made of wholesale classifying documents and secrecy and fear and ennui and laziness. or maybe im just young and seeing things how theyve always been for the first time more and more.

[happydreams]

14. I'm worried that so many politicos are getting in trouble

over these money and influence peddling scandals. If they ever get together they may pass legislation making it all legal. :puke:

[shanti]

18. unless we vote their sorry asses out of office

oh wait...they control the voting machines too...:grr:

[kainah]

19. you mean, Specter isn't squeaky clean?

I'm shocked. But maybe if he starts to see his reputation getting even more tarnished, he'll stop pulling crap like not putting Gonzalez under oath.

[autorank]

20. "The Decline and Fall"...this is pathetic. It's so blatant. Recommended.

[Nothing Without Hope]

21. I wonder how Spector was repaid for giving the lobbyist's clients $50 mill

of our money? I expect a very dirty trail, and I hope it is exposed.

[Nothing Without Hope]

22. WaPo article on the huge increase in earmarked grants under Bush:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012602221.html

[Vinca]

23. This is doubly stinky because you know the White House

is behind the search and outing of Specter in retribution for his leadership in Snoop-gate. Karl's back in fine form.