Posted by Frank James at 12:34 pm CDT
One of the most powerful posts in Congress is Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, the panel that decides how taxpayer dollars are spent.
Rep. Jerry Lewis, (R-Calif.) who holds that post, has come under the scrutiny of federal investigators now examining the links between lawmakers, their staffs, lobbyists and money.
At bottom, investigators are looking for evidence of bribes, that lawmakers misused their positions to trade favors with well-connected friends. Members of the appropriations committee have come under particular examination because of the ease with which they can earmark money for specific projects with very little transparency to the public.
Lewis has not been charged with any wrongdoing. But questions are being raised about relationships he and people close to him had with lobbyists.
To learn more about the Lewis situation, be sure to read a story that ran yesterday in our sister paper, the Los Angeles Times. TPMuckraker.com, a spin off of talkingpointsmemo.com, a Democratic blog that prides itself on its investigative reporting, has also been aggressively going after the Lewis story.
This is worth paying attention to.
(Photo from Rep. Jerry Lewis's official website.)
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Comments
I don't believe everything I read but his stepdaughter is involved also?
Posted by: lochnessmonster | June 9, 2006 1:59 PM
I'm not going to excuse Congressman Lewis' behavior, but why hasn't the Tribune Swamp had anything on Dem Congressman William Jefferson from New Orleans or the Dem congressman from West Virginia who are under investigation? Or what about Harry Reid, who should be under investigation? Reid and his sons have benefitted with million of dollars and with jobs for their activities and Reid recently was photographed at a boxing match, with seats given to him by a lobbyist. Reid said he was there to "investigate" boxing matches and "to find out what takes place at boxing matches."
Come on Trib, focus on these folks too!!!
Posted by: John D | June 9, 2006 2:09 PM
"...because of the ease with which they can earmark money for specific projects with very little transparency to the public...."
John D. is right.
Corruption does not have any political stripe attached to it. This is Dan R. all over again.
I had a friend who said he would easily trade in a couple of years in the clink if it meant he would have 10 million in the bank at the end of the day. He suggested many people would do that.
If that's the case, we need to change the way we think. We should presume people are possible of guilty behavior. So the key is to set up so many oversights to discourage it.
Posted by: Jorge from Bloomington | June 10, 2006 7:29 AM
John D, just another typical right-wing-nut response to an investigation of a republican politician caught with his hand in the cookie jar, you try to point a finger at someone else to draw attention to a democrat. Partisan politics at it’s finest. I’m not defending any criminal activity from any politician, regardless of political affiliation. Just pointing out the fact that the republican party, with all its partisan politics, is the biggest problem in Washington today.
Posted by: Rory M | June 10, 2006 8:18 AM
Yeah, Tribune...do what John D recommends.
Only do it as a comparative list: Democrats who have been under investigation/indicted/charged vs. Republicans who have been investigated/indicted/charged. Side by side.
And to make the task easier, just do it since 1994, when Republicans took control of our government...
Posted by: dylan | June 10, 2006 9:28 AM
How about something all or most of us can agree on?
Anonomous earmarks need to go.
Posted by: Doug Zook | June 11, 2006 10:53 AM
John D is pushing that lie that surfaced in the Washington Post about Harry Reid. He wasn't given tickets and when it came time for a vote, he voted against the boxing interests.
Posted by: Cheryl | June 11, 2006 2:42 PM
Cheryl,
Of course John D is pushing a lie. If Republicans didn't lie they'd have nothing to say.
In any case, Harry Reid received those tickets from a lobbyist for a government agency. By LAW, he COULD NOT have paid for those tickets. And unlike GOP scum who sell their votes for meals or cold hard cash, Harry Reid voted the opposite way to what the lobbyist wanted.
And regarding Rep. Jefferson, Nancy Pelosi called him to resign his committee post. When a Repug is found committing a crime, his fellow GOP thugs just circle the wagons. Which is why, if you notice, the GOP wagons are in so many circles they can't get anything straight.
Posted by: Patrick | June 12, 2006 1:33 PM
Oh Cheryl,
Reid's free boxing tix were no lie. Heavens he was even pictured there. And if it was "a lie" then why did Reid eventually say he was wrong to accept the tickets and would never do it again?
Sort of blows your theory apart, doesn't it? Facts usually do blow lib's ideas apart!!
Posted by: John D | June 12, 2006 2:29 PM