Defense contractors who openly discussed a suspected pay-to-play scheme in e-mails released by congressional ethics investigators had ties to a powerful lobbying firm and won millions of dollars in federal earmarks after contributing to the campaign of an Indiana congressman.
Democratic Rep. Peter J. Visclosky requested a $2.5 million federal earmark for Nevada-based defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) five days after a March 2007 fundraiser for which the company's owners and its political action committee contributed $18,800 to the congressman's campaign.
Similarly, Mr. Visclosky requested $2.5 million for defense firm 21st Century Systems -- five days after its employees ponied up $17,050 for the same fundraiser. The firm's chief executive was awarded an "honorary seat" next to Mr. Visclosky at that fundraiser.
In both cases, company executives wrote e-mails linking campaign donations to earmarks Mr. Visclosky secured or special access to the congressman, a congressional ethics board concluded.
At the time, SNC and 21st Century, along with other defense contractors, had secured the services of the then-high-flying Washington area lobbying firm, the PMA Group -- now the target of a federal grand jury investigation.
Government watchdog groups have long questioned the ties between PMA and its three key allies on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee -- Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, who died in February; Rep. James P. Moran, Virginia Democrat; and Mr. Visclosky.
All three members of the powerful subcommittee that doles out millions of dollars annually in Pentagon appropriations received hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from PMA employees and the firm's clients who wanted earmarks -- often within mere days of each other.
PMA, which earned more than $16.4 million in 2007 specializing in defense earmarks for clients, was one of the 10 top-grossing lobbying firms in Washington before it imploded. Federal agents raided it and owner Paul Magliocchetti's home in November 2008.
Late last year, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) accused Mr. Visclosky of soliciting PMA clients for campaign donations in 2008 and then giving them special access to him and his staff one week before authoring their defense earmarks.
The eight-member OCE Board of Directors referred the findings on Mr. Visclosky to the House ethics committee, saying they found "probable cause" to believe he solicited or received contributions in exchange for earmarks.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
$18,000 for $2.5 million? That's a factor of 139. Good investment on their part.
#2
where's that arrogant prick, Moran? Why isn't he also front-and-center? POS
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/23/2010 8:38 Comments ||
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#3
Good investment on their part.
Not really. Consider the trillions China got in return for a few millions to Bill and Al.
Posted by: ed ||
06/23/2010 10:55 Comments ||
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#4
If you are following the Glenn Beck story of Soros, Obama, Center for American Progress, White House policy recommendations, Soros Petro-Bras investment of $1 billion, US "loan" of $2billion for deep water exploration (at more than twice the depth of the gulf rig), Petro-Bras value growth, BP disaster, Center for American Progress recommendation for 6 month moratorium on deep water drilling for environmental reasons, Petro-Bras plans for bidding to move the rigs from Gulf of Mexico to Brazil for the deep water wells anticipated..... you see corruption on a scale that echoes the early 20th centruy robber barons...
As Stalin said, "One death is a tragedy, one million deaths is a statistic".
If I bribe a public official to get a contract worth a pittance, I'd get a lengthy prison sentence, when Soros does it to make Billions, its just "politics".
Ay Pee so just the highlights.
Nearly 1,300 prison inmates wrongly received more than $9 million in tax credits for homebuyers despite being locked up when they claimed they bought a home, a government investigator reported Wednesday.
The investigator said 241 of the inmates were serving life sentences.
In all, more than 14,100 taxpayers wrongly received at least $26.7 million in tax credits that were meant to boost the nation's slumping housing markets, said the report by J. Russell George, the Treasury Department's inspector general for tax administration.
Posted by: Deacon Blues ||
06/23/2010 12:13 ||
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What do you expect when you have a tax cheat for Secretary of the Treasury?
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/23/2010 20:50 Comments ||
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House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that tax increases will eventually be necessary to address the nation's mounting debt, raising a difficult election-year issue as Democrats fight retain control of Congress.
In the shorter term, Hoyer raised the possibility that Congress will only temporarily extend middle-class tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year. He pointedly suggested that making them permanent would be too costly.
Tax cuts enacted under former President George W. Bush are scheduled to expire at the end of the year, affecting taxpayers at every income level. President Barack Obama proposes to permanently extend them for individuals making less than $200,000 a year and families making less than $250,000--at a cost of about $2.5 trillion over the next decade.
"As the House and Senate debate what to do with the expiring Bush tax cuts in the coming weeks, we need to have a serious discussion about their implications for our fiscal outlook, including whether we can afford to permanently extend them before we have a real plan for long-term deficit reduction," said Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat.
The tax cuts will be a big political issue in many congressional elections this fall, providing potential fodder for both political parties. Democratic leaders have yet to lay out a schedule for dealing with the tax cuts, but many rank-and-file Democrats want to extend them before the elections, so they can campaign on passing tax cuts for the middle class.
Republicans argue that many of the high earners who would face tax increases under Obama's plan are small business owners struggling to stay afloat in a tough economy.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/23/2010 00:00 ||
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#4
Yup, Can't allow the sheeple to keep any of OUR money, they'll spend it stupidly on food and clothing, Can't allow that, WE CONTROL WHERE IT GOES, NOT THE SHEEPLE.
(Sarc, as if the tag was needed)
But it's truth as well.
All money is theirs except the little we are allowed to use (Until they want it back)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/23/2010 1:59 Comments ||
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#5
How much you wanna bet that the Legacy Media is gonna spin this as "Our boyfriend really really wanted to keep those tax cuts, but the greedy Rethuglicans in Congress wouldn't let him!" when someone points out his campaign pledge to people making under 200-250k?
(Yeah, I know the Repubs don't control Congress, and this putz isn't a Repub either, but the average Oblahblah/Dem voter isn't smart enough to realize that....)
#6
Pull out a dollar bill, RJ (if you still have one): it says "United States of America" on it twice, but nowhere does it say "Redneck Jim." See - it IS their money, and not yours.
That said, the bills have to be paid, and payment can only come from those with either earning power or assets, through taxes or (and) inflation. Even if you vote out the current crowd their replacements will do the same thing.
#7
The Middle Class is the biggest voting block and the one that is getting screwed the hardest with taxes, cost of living increases and health care expenses.
The dhimocrats really don't want to be in power past 2010-2012 if they try to pull this.
#9
Good point Cornsilk - Remember that when the housing crisis hit the media laid it all on the 'evil Republincans' even though the Democrats had controlled both houses of congress for 2 years and block each and every attempt at reform.
#11
Pull out a dollar bill, RJ (if you still have one): it says "United States of America" on it twice, but nowhere does it say "Redneck Jim." See - it IS their money, and not yours.
That's right. And, as Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's."
It's just that Caesar really is spending too much money on stupid stuff. And besides that, Steny Hoyer is a pig who deserves to lose his job.
#12
If the CEO of a company with a major cash flow issue and a catastrophic balance sheet problem went to his board and said that there was just no way to reduce the company's operating expenses, that CEO would be out on his ass and/or the company would be consulting bankruptcy counsel.
The federal government employs about 2 million civilian workers. While I have no doubt that that number includes many people who really give the country its money's worth, is every one of those 2 million employees mission critical? Would the nation survive without the services of the Second Assistant Undersecretary of State for Andorran Affairs? What would be lost if Nancy Pelosi had to fly coach? What exactly does the Department of the Interior do for a living and why does it need 67,000 employees to do it?
Because we're way past the point of having to distinguish between services that might be desirable and those that are truly essential.
Posted by: Matt ||
06/23/2010 13:40 Comments ||
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How about taxing rent-seeking instead of working, investing, employing and saving?
Oh the whole idea is to make it easy for the rent-seeker politically connected class at the expense of those working, investing, employing or saving.
Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been indicted on federal fraud and tax charges. He'll be arraigned July 13.
Federal prosecutors say the alleged scheme is related to the Kilpatrick Civic Fund, a tax-exempt fund that was supposed to pay for voter education and other purposes. Instead, Kilpatrick is accused of using it as a slush fund to take cash payments for himself, friends and relatives.
In an indictment filed Wednesday, he's accused of failing to report at least $640,000 in taxable income between 2003 and 2008, which includes money, private jet flights and personal expenses paid by the civic fund.
The government says he used the money to pay for yoga and golf lessons, golf clubs, summer camp for his kids, personal travel, moving expenses, as well as "counter-surveillance and anti-bugging equipment."
Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Groner sentenced Kilpatrick to up to five years in prison on May 25 for violating probation stemming from his conviction for lying under oath about an affair with his chief of staff. The 2008 criminal case forced him out of office.
PHOENIX, Arizona - Mexico on Tuesday asked a federal court in Arizona to declare the state's new immigration law unconstitutional, arguing that the country's own interests and its citizens' rights are at stake. Messico has standing to sue against enforcement of our laws? When did that start?
Lawyers for Mexico on Tuesday submitted a legal brief in support of one of five lawsuits challenging the law. The law will take effect June 29 unless implementation is blocked by a court.
Share The law generally requires police investigating another incident or crime to ask people about their immigration status if there's a "reasonable suspicion" they're in the country illegally. It also makes being in Arizona illegally a misdemeanor, and it prohibits seeking day-labor work along the state's streets.
Citing "grave concerns," Mexico said its interest in having predictable, consistent relations with the United States shouldn't be frustrated by one U.S. state. Mexico also said it has a legitimate interest in defending its citizens' rights and that the law would lead to racial profiling, hinder trade and tourism, and strain the countries' work on combatting drug trafficking and related violence.
"Mexican citizens will be afraid to visit Arizona for work or pleasure out of concern that they will be subject to unlawful police scrutiny and detention," the brief said.
Article 33. Foreigners are those who do not possess the qualifications set forth in Article 30. They are entitled to the guarantees granted by Chapter I, Title I, of the present Constitution; but the Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action.
Foreigners may not in any way participate in the political affairs of the country.
#6
Thought an article couple weeks ago about putting land mines across along the border in place of a fence was over the top. Now that the Meskin Government is opening up on AZ, I am starting to think that would not be such a bad idea, for starters.
#8
Meanwhile, already in a bad mood, the AZ legislature contemplates a resolution to declare war against Mexico.
LOL. It would send a strong message. Mexico shouldn't meddle in our affairs. They have plenty of their own problems which they are not addressing. So screw them.
#10
I'd suggest Arizona immediately sue Mexico to nullify the anti-foreigner part of their constitution, specifically "the Federal Executive shall have the exclusive power to compel any foreigner whose remaining he may deem inexpedient to abandon the national territory immediately and without the necessity of previous legal action."
Goose - gander.
Chutzpah indeed.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/23/2010 12:28 Comments ||
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I read that the US is experimenting with a "pain ray" in Afghanistan, a non-leathal system that apparently causes intense pain but no permanent damage.
Gee, imaghine a chain of them across the US Mexico Border. What are the odds that might happen?
#12
Arizona should pass a law that for every illegal they find inside of their state, they will annex 10 square miles of mexican land, which will NEVER be returned.
#13
They should scrap the current immigration bill and substitute the exact language of the Mexican law. They can even leave it in Spanish to make sure Mexico gets the point.
Posted by: Caesar Unolurong1429 ||
06/23/2010 13:25 Comments ||
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#14
Aparently Mexico needs a convienient nearby place to dump excess population.
How dare you interfere with our (Mexico) population dumping?
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
06/23/2010 13:47 Comments ||
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Well, if they have excess, there's ALWAYS room in the organ banks.
#18
"How 'bout a 25% Arizona state tax on money wired to Mexico?"
Howzabout 100%, DMFD?
Or maybe 110%, to help pay the state back all the money spent on illegal aliens?
Oh, and just to make it fair, slap the same 100% tax on money wired to Chavez-land, Pakistan, Turkey, etc.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
06/23/2010 15:43 Comments ||
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Apparently Mexico needs a convenient nearby place to dump excess population.
The purer Spanish blood ruling caste has been doing it since the Reagan amnesty in the 80s, dumping mestizos y indios rather than reform their social economic system and trying to avoid revolution. It's been racial/ethnic cleansing assisted by the usual suspects north of the border who are the first to scream racism about the Arizona law.
#20
Procopius 2k: Here in Tucson I've many times heard your words repeated by fully assimilated (albeit usually fair skinned) Mexican-Americans. They are realists and opponents of "LaRaza" type movements: they and WE should realize the depths of racism inherent in Mexican culture. Families teach their children to "lighten up" the family by favoring the fair-skinned for marriage. This "culture" has been transferred to the USA - I've heard and seen it first hand in my wife's extended family...
Gringo y Guero Borgboy
______________________
p.s. and OT: it is common knowledge in Mexico Lindo that Judios (Jews) read and study only the Koran (!!!) I've been told that by many on both sides of the border - including my wife's Tia (Aunt). Que barbaro!
#22
borgboy, ah yes....the emphasis on going as fair skinned as possible has some weird ways of expression. My favorite is that having illegitimate kids is ok only if they are blond. My mother found that one out back in the 70's, when she checked out Acapulco with me & my brother....and without our dad, because he was sick back in the hotel.... ;)
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Tuesday that tax increases will eventually be necessary to address the nation's mounting debt, raising a difficult election-year issue as Democrats fight retain control of Congress.
