Watchdog group hits Kanjorski for PAC funds spent on family

19 Jun 2007 // A Washington watchdog group released a report Monday that highlights U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski as one of dozens of congressmen who spent political campaign funds on services and expenses that went to family members.

In all, 96 congressmen — 41 Democrats and 55 Republicans — paid campaign money to family members since the beginning of 2002, according to the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington report.

In a statement, CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan said she hopes the report will spur Congress “to end these abuses.”

Mr. Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, called the report “sort of stupid” and said he hasn’t abused anything. Everything he’s done has been aboveboard and disclosed publicly since he took office in 1985, he said. At least some information about him in the report is incorrect.

Efforts to reach a CREW spokeswoman were unsuccessful.

The 149-page report, “Family Affair,” does not accuse Mr. Kanjorski of doing anything illegal.

It acknowledges lawmakers are allowed to employ family members in their campaigns or in so-called leadership political action committees under certain circumstances. Mr. Kanjorski is among many congressmen who have leadership PACs that raise money for other congressional candidates.

But the Federal Election Commission has found it illegal to use family members unless they’re paid at fair market rates for legitimate campaign-related services, according to the report.

In Mr. Kanjorski’s case, CREW questions:

¦ $22,515 in salary paid by his campaign committee to his nephew, Paul Eric Kanjorski, for managing his campaigns.

The report incorrectly attributes another $19,766 in expense reimbursements for the congressman to his nephew, one of his congressional staffers said.

Mr. Kanjorski said he hired his nephew to replace someone who left his campaign because his nephew is trustworthy and because the periodic nature of campaigns makes it difficult to keep capable staff. His nephew earned “no more than anyone else performing comparable work.”

¦ $30,000 in consulting fees and $461 in reimbursements paid by Citizens for Action to Mr. Kanjorski’s nephew, Peter. Citizens for Action is the congressman’s leadership PAC.

Peter Kanjorski is trustworthy and won’t misappropriate money, the congressman said.

“This has never been a problem for my campaign committee, because I only entrust its operation to people in whom I have absolute faith,” said Mr. Kanjorski, whose wife, Nancy, is an unpaid volunteer treasurer for Pennsylvanians for Kanjorski.

¦ $36,000 in rent paid by the congressman’s chief campaign committee, Pennsylvanians for Kanjorski, to K&K Real Estate for a campaign office on South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre. Mr. Kanjorski and his brother, Peter, co-own K&K Real Estate, which owns the building that houses the office. Another $4,500 in rent was paid to K&K by Citizens for Action.

Mr. Kanjorski said he has maintained the campaign office since he was first elected — at $500-a-month rent, or less than he could earn renting to others — simply because he has control over when and how the space is used. He fears important mail from the Federal Election Commission might get lost if he moved.

“I lose money on that, and have for 20 years,” he said.