Updated 12:02 p.m.
By Jim Tankersley
Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) has landed on a Washington watchdog group's list of the "22 most corrupt" members of Congress – and, separately, been subpoenaed in a criminal case linked to disgraced former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham of California.
The "most corrupt" list, an annual compilation of the group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, includes several congressmen and senators reportedly under investigation for ethical issues, including Reps. John Doolittle (R-Calif.), Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) and William Jefferson (D-La.) and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).
Weller makes the list, the group said, for a host of ethical questions, including his failure to report some Nicaraguan land deals on his financial disclosure form. The group also alleges Weller appears to have used his position to boost interests in Puerto Rico and Belize in exchange for campaign contributions.
You can see the full CREW dossier on Weller here.
Weller's spokesman declined to comment on the CREW list and referred questions over the subpoena to the House counsel.
The inclusion comes on a day when Congressional Quarterly reports that Weller was among more than a dozen members of Congress subpoenaed recently in the case of a defense contractor connected to bribery charges against Cunningham. All the members, including Weller and Re. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), are fighting the subpoenas.
As Weller stated in a "communication" to Speaker Nancy Pelosi entered into the Congressional Record yesterday:
DEAR MADAM SPEAKER: This is to notify you formally, pursuant to Rule VIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, that I have been served with a subpoena, issued in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, for testimony in a criminal case.
After consultation with the Office of General Counsel, I have determined that compliance with the subpoena is inconsistent with the precedents and privileges of the House.
Sincerely,
JERRY WELLER ,
Member of Congress.
Here's the Associated Press account.
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including Reps. John Doolittle (R-Calif.), Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.) and William Jefferson (D-La.) and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).
Somewhere along the line, we need to stop waving pom-poms for our sides, and hold these politicians accountable.
Posted by: bill r. | September 18, 2007 10:54 AM
Wow, 18 Republicans are on the list and 4 Democrats...
Actually, that is to be suspected. The Republican's were in power for a long time. You don't buy off someone who can do nothing for you, you buy off those with power. Simple.
The surprise, as far as I'm concerned, is that Hillary wasn't on the list.
Posted by: nisleib | September 18, 2007 10:59 AM
And 18 out of 22 most corrupt members of Congress are Republicans. This doesn't include David Vitter and the sex pervert Larry Craig (R-Idaho) who told us all he is not gay (and I do not care if someone is gay or not) or guilty then told his lawyer he was entrapped and wants to rescind his guilt.
It's nice to see 'bug eyes' McConnell, Ted Stevens, and Duncan Hunter made the list. J. Dennis Hastert should also be on this list. He has Jack Abramoff stuffed in his closet out there in Yorkville. My Republican commiteeman, who lives down the block from me, always said Republicans are moral, honest, ethical, family-values orientated, law abiding citizens.
GOP= unethical, vile, foul-smelling hypocrites, to say the least.
Posted by: Doug R. | September 18, 2007 11:23 AM
As usual, Frank James passes along an anti-GOP screed from another leftist group, and as usual tries to hide the partisan nature of the attack.
"The Hill", which the Swamp often cites, has reported that CREW may be brought up on charges of misusing tax-exempt status to make partisan attacks on Republicans. The article was headlined "Watchdog's tax status, politics are questioned".
Funny how Frank James leaves this fact out of his article.
Posted by: Bruce | September 18, 2007 12:05 PM
Wow I am shocked that we have another politician in illinois is a crook. A member of the Mental Minority party no less
Posted by: Dan | September 18, 2007 12:06 PM
Why are all of the most corrupt politicians always, always from Illinois??
Posted by: Whatupwiththat? | September 18, 2007 12:10 PM
More of what Frank James doesn't want you to know: Melanie Sloan, CREW's director, is a former staffer to Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE), Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Con. John Conyers (D-MI). She's about as non-partisan as DNC Chair Howard Dean.
No wonder public confidence in the corrupt, partisan left media is at an all-time low.
Posted by: Bruce | September 18, 2007 12:57 PM
RNC Bruce,
Go blog on Faux News. It's where your tedious self will find fullfillment.
Do you ever get tired of whining?
Posted by: Doug Zook | September 18, 2007 1:10 PM
RNC Bruce,
Go blog on Faux News. It's where your tedious self will find fullfillment.
Do you ever get tired of whining?
Posted by: Doug Zook | September 18, 2007 1:22 PM
Don't confuse the most corrupt with the most obvious. There isn't a Mother Theresa among any of them.
Notice that politicians are anxious to give away other peoples money while staying tight fisted with their own.
Posted by: whatnow | September 18, 2007 1:33 PM
RNCBruce,
If its a perceived or actual liberal outlet its wrong, yet every single time you quote an authority its an ultra-right wing outlet, yet this is okay in your brainwashed little mind? Its the facts stupid...PERIOD! Lay off the kool-ade for a while!
Posted by: Neal | September 18, 2007 1:41 PM
"BRENT WILKES SAYS NO NOT ME MR. VICE PRESIDENT"
TIME IS ON OUR SIDE, YES IT IS.
It is only a matter of time before the Bush Administration is brought to is culture of corruption chambers of justice.
Meanwhile troops are not waiting for Larry Craig to come to the floor and bow down to Bush no longer a GD Traitor but on the path of destruction with the rest of them.
Meanwhile Condi Rice is doing an exceptional job in DIPLOMATIC RESOLUTIONS IN IRAQ. I mean 593 Billion dollars, you think she would be DIPLOMATICALLY SOLVING THAT ISSUE instead of playing host to Israel and the Palestines.
HEY BUT OJ IS IN JAIL, FORGET OSAMA, OUR JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND MEDIA HAS THAT EMAIL, THAT AUDIO BUT CAN'T FIND OSAMA. HEY BUT AGAIN, OJ IS IN JAIL our National Security issues resolved. So does this mean no more eavesdropping?
Posted by: Roger Morris | September 18, 2007 1:55 PM
Excepting "Dr. No," Rep. Ron Paul, why not put the entire congress on the list? The very essence of what congress does is corrupt.
Posted by: Nicolas Martin | September 18, 2007 9:32 PM
What happened to Maxine Waters? She was on the previous list. Did she suddenly become uncorrupt? As far as I know, she is unapologetic about her economic money funneling to her direct relatives.
Posted by: Sang Moon | September 19, 2007 8:41 AM
[quote]
"The Hill", which the Swamp often cites, has reported that CREW may be brought up on charges of misusing tax-exempt status to make partisan attacks on Republicans. The article was headlined "Watchdog's tax status, politics are questioned".
Funny how Frank James leaves this fact out of his article.
Posted by: Bruce | September 18, 2007 12:05 PM
[/quote]
Bruce, the Swamp title for this article is "Weller makes "22 most corrupt" list". Your diversionary facts have absolutely nothing to do with the story and everything to do with trying to discredit the source.
You posts are getting sadder all the time.
Posted by: BC | September 19, 2007 11:45 AM
There is more to come on this corruption issue. The real crime is all of the lobbyists who are relatives of Congress members. Just within the IL delagation we have:
Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) elected in 1986. His son, Joshua, is a lobbyist on Capitol Hill (he had formally worked as the manager of a Pizza Hut). He represents the Small Business Technology Coalition and Accurate Automation, and has been a registered lobbyist since 2002.
Rep. Luis Guiterrez (D-IL) elected in 1992. His wife, Soraida, lobbies the Illinois State Legislature on behalf of Popular Securities, Inc. (banking).
Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)— Father, former Rep from IL, William, is registering as a lobbyists for the railroad industry and will be working on issues that will come before the railroad subcommittee his son works on.
and
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) elected in 1996. His wife, Loretta, is affiliated with Government Affairs Specialists, Inc., representing American Lung Association of IL, Mazur & Associates, and Metropolitan Planning Council in lobbying the IL State Legislature.
Look it up in CleanUpWashington.org
Posted by: Perch Rapala | September 20, 2007 4:17 PM
When talking about the 22 most corrupt members of congress, don't you have to include the senate tie-breaker, Dick Cheney?
Posted by: Robert Gumm | September 21, 2007 7:07 PM