The Washington Post reports that the return on investments companies make in lobbying is so big that lobbying will certainly continue to increase no matter what reforms are passed. In a related story, the Wall Street Journal reports that lobbying expenditures for the first half of 2005 reached $1.16 billion – a record for lobbying. “Corporations, trade associations, lawyers and unions spent about $6.5 million a day to lobby Congress and the Bush administration during the latest period.” The high amount of lobbying money was spurred by President Bush’s Social Security proposal. The top lobbying spender for the half was AARP, also the leading opponent of the Social Security overhaul, spending $27.8 million.
Continue readingTough Time for House GOP on Reform:
The House Republicans are having a tough time figuring out reform proposals that they can agree on, according to Roll Call. After an indecisive meeting during the Republican weekend retreat House Republicans plan to meet again this week to work out a set of proposals. New Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) is “in no hurry to bring a reform package to a vote.” The Senate Republicans may force the hand of the House as Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) “aims to mark up a bill in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by the end of the month.”
Continue readingRichard Pombo Faces Questions about Abramoff, Donors:
House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) has come under increasing fire for his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and political donations that he receives from companies that have business before his committee, according to the Los Angeles Times. Months before a proposal to open up federal land to mining came before the Resources Committee, “a former committee aide who once worked for Abramoff's firm and is now a lobbyist for mining interests hosted a $1,000-a-head fundraiser for Pombo.” Also, “Pombo supported the resumption of commercial whaling while accepting thousands of dollars in international travel from a private foundation funded by the seafood industry and a whaling association.” Pombo also aided a GOP fundraiser and helped a Massachusetts tribe and client of Abramoff’s gain recognition after receiving a $20,000 donation.
Continue readingWhite House Confirms Bush-Abramoff Meeting:
The White House confirmed the authenticity of a photograph published by Time Magazine and the New York Times showing the President at a meeting with Jack Abramoff. According to the Associated Press, a White House spokesman said, “We now know that Mr. Abramoff attended this meeting.” The White House continues to deny that the President knew Abramoff or had a personal relationship with him. The President says that, “he had his picture taken with Abramoff an unknown number of times, but he does not remember any of them.”
Continue readingReid Defends Against Abramoff Connection:
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is rebutting an Associated Press article that claims a relationship between Reid’s actions that benefited clients of Jack Abramoff and contacts and contributions by Abramoff’s law firm and his clients. According to Roll Call, Reid states that the letters that he co-authored with Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) to oppose the construction of a casino the Jena Band of Louisiana were actually to protect Harrah’s Entertainment – a Las Vegas-based entertainment company that operates four casinos in Lousiana – and not the Mississippi Choctaws, who were represented by Abramoff. Allegations dealing with contacts between Reid and the law firm, Greenberg Traurig, took a step back as the lobbyist who frequently contacted Reid revealed that he was not part of “Team Abramoff” and had not tried to influence Reid on a minimum-wage bill.
Continue readingGOP Fundraiser Indicted on Theft Charges:
Ohio Republican Fundraiser Tom Noe was indicted on 14 felony counts, according to the Toledo Blade. Noe, who was tapped to invest state funds in rare coins, is being charged with “22 counts of forgery, 11 counts of money laundering, eight counts of tampering with records, six counts of aggravated theft, five counts of grand theft, and one count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity under the Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) act.” Noe has already been indicted three felonies for laundering $40,000 to President Bush’s campaign.
Continue readingPombo Travel Coming Under Increased Attack:
House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) is coming under increased fire for his family RV vacation to national parks and his high spending of taxpayer money for his committee to travel. Pombo defended that RV trip by saying that he was visiting national parks and meeting with park directors as a part of his job. The Sacramento Bee now reports that some park directors have no recollection of these meetings. Pombo’s Resources committee staff also accepts trips from corporate interests that have business before the committee, such as the American Gas Association and British Petroleum.
Continue readingHigh Spending Mine Owner Leads to Calls for Reform:
The high spending political action of West Virginia’s Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy Co., is leading to calls for campaign finance reform, according to the Wall Street Journal. Blankenship has spent $6 million over the past two years on “political advertising campaigns, battling Democratic judges and fighting high taxes.” He has helped unseat a State Supreme Court Justice and lower the state’s food tax. Public officials have attacked Blankenship for not spending enough money on worker safety protections at his mines – recently, “four workers have died at Massey-owned mines in West Virginia, two of them in a fire on Jan. 21.”
Continue readingContractor Fraud Case Set to Begin:
The first civil fraud trial of contractors accused of war profiteering in Iraq goes to trial tomorrow, according to the Washington Post. The contractors, Scott Custer and Michael Battles, are accused of “overcharging the government millions of dollars by running inflated expense billings through a series of shell companies they created.” The trial is expected to highlight problems within the Coalition Provisional Authority that ruled Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government.
Continue readingLobbyist Leaves Key PACS:
Bruce Gates, a lobbyist who served as treasurer to the political action committees of Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) and Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA), has quietly left those PACs, according to Roll Call. Bruce Gates is one of the most influential lobbyists in Washington working for RJ Reynolds, the American Banking Association, and Citigroup, among other clients. Gates’ wife is former aide to Boehner.
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