CREW released, Family Affair [0], our first-ever analysis of the misuse of power by the chairmen and ranking members of all House of Representative committees and subcommittees, as well as top leadership positions, to financially benefit their family members. The new report names 96 members from 33 states: 41 Democrats and 55 Republicans. Again, these 96 members constitute only those U.S. Representatives holding key positions in the House.

USA Today [1] published an exclusive article about Family Affair in Monday's edition of the paper:

Seventy-two members of the House of Representatives spent $5.1 million in campaign funds to pay relatives or their relatives' companies or employers during the past six years, a liberal watchdog group says in a report to be released Monday.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) found nearly $3.5 million in campaign payments to relatives during the past three election cycles, from 2001 to 2006. Campaigns paid about $1.6 million to firms owned by or employing the lawmakers or their relatives, the group found.

 

It is not illegal for federal candidates to pay family members for political work, as long as they are paid fair market value, the Federal Election Commission has ruled. Some would like to change the law because of recent investigations.

Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Mike Castle, R-Del., introduced a bill this month that would prohibit congressional candidates from paying their spouses with campaign funds and require campaigns to disclose family relationships with close relatives on the payroll.

"I think the ban on spouses drawing campaign checks is needed because there's simply been too much abuse of the practice," Schiff says.

CREW decided to undertake the study in light of several well publicized cases of members of Congress using their positions to enrich their family members. And we agree with Rep. Schiff's assessment that there has been abuse of the practice by members. CREW examined 337 members of the House over the 2002, 2004 and 2006 election cycles.

Highlights of the report include:

64 paid family members through their campaign committees or PACs (26 Democrats and 38 Republicans);

24 have relatives who lobby Congress (10 Democrats and 14 Republicans);

19 used their campaign committees or PACs to pay a family business or a business that employs a family member (9 Democrats and 10 Republicans);

17 used their campaign funds to make campaign contributions to relatives (11 Democrats and 6 Republicans);

15 used their positions to benefit a family member or a family member’s client (3 Democrats and 12 Republicans); and

At least 7 paid offspring who ranged from school-age to college-age (all Republicans).

When CREW issued this latest report, Melanie Sloan said:

CREW's report, Family Affair, shines a spotlight on the troubling practice of lawmakers using their congressional positions as profit centers for family members. Our hope is that the release of Family Affair spearheads a public debate leading to changes in existing law to end these abuses.

And as you'll see, Family Affair includes both an analysis of the legal implications of the findings and recommendations for changes to existing law.