Congress For Sale: Who Else Was Bribed With Limos, Cash...

Congress For Sale: Who Else Was Bribed With Limos, Cash and Prostitutes?

Contributed by Working Assets

High-level corruption and sleaze are alive and well in Washington D.C. -- and your member of Congress might just be the next one indicted. The newest scandal involves allegations that multiple members of Congress and high-ranking CIA officials were bribed with free limo rides1, hospitality suites at hotels in Washington, and prostitutes to induce them to steer federal contracts to undeserving businesses.

For more than a decade, defense contractors Brent Wilkes and Mitchell Wade2 bribed former Representative 'Duke' Cunningham with millions of dollars in return for fat government contracts for their companies. But apparently, Cunningham wasn't the only recipient, and the bribes offered weren't just financial.

Wilkes and Wade also hosted regular parties at hospitality suites at the Watergate and Westin hotels where powerful guests could play poker and it is alleged, avail themselves of the services of prostitutes. The third-ranking official in the CIA, Kyle Foggo, has admitted to being at these parties – but "just for poker." 3 (Foggo, apparently, will now resign from the CIA.)

Will the corruption and sleaze ever end? Representative Cunningham was the first one convicted for illegal behavior, but other indictments are most certainly going to come out in upcoming weeks. Here are four of the worst to keep your eyes on:

Representative Bob Ney, R-OH: Representative Ney is at the center of the Abramoff corruption scandal. Rep. Ney and his staff reportedly took numerous gifts and trips, including golfing at the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. In addition, they had regular meals and drinks at Abramoff's Washington restaurant and used Abramoff's luxury box suites at Camden Yards baseball stadium in Baltimore for campaign fund-raisers. A former aide to Rep. Ney, Neil Volz, has just pleaded guilty to conspiring with Abramoff to corrupt Ney and other members of his staff by peddling trips, free tickets and meals.

Senator Conrad Burns, R-MT:Senator Burns received close to $150,000 in campaign funds from Indian tribes through Jack Abramoff and his associates. Originally, Sen. Burns pledged to return the money after the Abramoff story made headlines -- but in late April, it was reported that Rep. Burns will now use the money to pay for his defense against corruption charges.

Representative William Jefferson, D-LA: A Louisville businessman recently pled guilty in federal court to paying more than $400,000 in bribes to Jefferson; he has also been accused of misusing federal resources in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The nonpartisan ethics watchdog group CREW has called for an investigation; recently, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi agreed.

Representative John Doolittle, R-CA: Representative Doolittle has been paying 15% commissions on all his fundraising to a company, Sierra Dominion, that is owned by his wife (and also on retainer from Jack Abramoff’s company). This resulted in Rep. Doolittle, in effect, enriching himself by skimming off campaign funds into his own household budget.

Do these elected officials have no shame? They should come to their senses and resign and allow the public to elect honest replacements.

Call to action
Ask Representatives Ney, Jefferson, and Doolittle, as well as Senator Burns, to resign.

http://www.workingforchange.com/activism/action.cfm?itemid=20766