Another Crew victory: Jerry Weller retiring

[malaise]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/568054,CST-NWS-weller21.article
<snip>
Republicans were eager to see Weller go, viewing him as a liability in their efforts to reclaim control of Congress. His planned announcement comes on the heels of a barrage of negative publicity.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, a Washington watchdog group, this week labeled Weller one of the 22 most corrupt members of Congress, accusing him of improperly disclosing land deals in Nicaragua. Weller, along with 11 other members of Congress, also is fighting a subpoena to testify in a bribery trial involving a jailed former California congressman.

Democrats are hopeful they can take over Weller's 11th Congressional District seat. The district includes parts of Will County and reaches as far south as McLean County.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

1. The Trib takes credit for it but it was the Reader that opened the can of worms

"Following a Tribune investigation" Weller may retire, sez the Trib.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/thursday/chi-weller20sep20,0,3825596.story

But here's credit where it's due: Frank Smyth broke the story in the Reader last year.

http://www.chicagoreader.com/features/stories/wellerbeach/

Good news regardless. :thumbsup:

[malaise]

2. Thanks for that info n/t

[L. Coyote]

3. K & R +++ A Word from CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan

A Word from CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan
http://www.citizensforethics.org/

Since 2003, CREW has closely monitored government ethics, bringing egregious conduct to light and holding public officials accountable for their misconduct. On our website you’ll find exhaustively investigated reports on corruption prepared by our research staff, high-impact lawsuits filed by our legal team, as well as the latest national ethics news. Thank you for your support.

[BlooInBloo]

4. Phew - they're dropping like flies. Gonna have to keep this video handy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMenB9Ywh2Q

[L. Coyote]

5. 2007.10.20 = CREW FILES FEC COMPLAINT AGAINST Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX)

http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/30169

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a Federal Election Commission (FEC) complaint against Ted Poe for Congress, the principal campaign committee of Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), alleging multiple egregious violations of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and FEC regulations.

The complaint is based primarily upon the Commission’s recent audit of Ted Poe for Congress, which revealed that the campaign committee consistently failed to comply with the disclosure provisions of FECA and FEC regulations during the 2003-2004 election cycle. Over the seven-month period leading up to the November 2004 election, Ted Poe for Congress received no fewer than five written warnings from the Commission that the campaign was failing to properly identify its contributors.

The FEC’s Audit Division found that Ted Poe for Congress had violated FECA and FEC regulations by failing to disclose occupation and/or employer information for an astonishing forty percent (40%) of the individuals who contributed to the campaign - individuals who contributed more than $450,000, or more than one-quarter of the entire $1.7 million raised by Ted Poe for Congress during the 2003-2004 election cycle.