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March 17, 2011

I Didn’t Do It

By crewstaff

Earmarks, Ethics, Congressional Ethics, News, The Hill, States, Texas, House Members, Eddie Bernice Johnson

When confronted by a critical parent, often a child’s first line of defense to avoid punishment is “I didn’t do it.” Even if the walls are scrawled with “art” and the child in holding a crayon - the kid will inevitably deny responsibility.

Generally speaking, we expect this phase to pass before kids reach middle school - and certainly before they reach Congress. Apparently Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) missed that lesson.

First, some background: this past fall, CREW worked long and hard with a bipartisan coalition on earmark reform. (Senator Jim Inhofe even called Melanie Sloan a “Great American” for the work). Yet instead of adopting these principles, House Republicans made a big show about banning earmarks outright.

Except they didn’t. The Hill reports members are making an end run around the ban by sending letters directly to agencies, asking for money for specific projects. When confronted about the practice, some lawmakers are fessing up. For example: Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) says he “firmly believe[s] that local communities, not Washington bureaucrats, are in the best position to identify projects that will enhance safety, create jobs and improve our quality of life.” OK.

What was Rep. Johnson’s response when confronted with the letter she sent to the Department of Education? I didn’t do it.

The congresswoman claims she never saw the letter, which has her signature on it. This is the same excuse she trotted out a few months ago, when letters with her signature turned up asking that the Congressional Black Caucus send scholarship money directly to her relatives.

This is now at least the second time Rep. Johnson has been caught with the crayon in her hand. That allows for only two conclusions: either the congresswoman has no control over her staff (a troubling notion)… or she has a serious problem with the truth. Which seems more likely?