Press

PRESS

August 18, 2010

CREW Welcomes New Member to the Pork Parade: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)

Earmarks, Pork, Pork Parade, Press Releases, House Members, Duncan Hunter

Washington, D.C. - The Pork Parade has another member, and he’s a chip off the ol’ block. Congressman Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA-52) has picked up where his father, former Congressman Duncan L. Hunter, left off. The freshman member is doing his best to bring home the bacon for some of his biggest campaign donors, one of which is a company founded by his uncle.

At the same time, Congressman Hunter touts his commitment to cutting government spending on his own website. It seems the best way to maintain government funding is to donate to Mr. Hunter’s campaign.

“The rotten apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” said Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “It’s pretty easy to draw a straight line from the contributions to Congressman Hunter to the earmarks he is requesting for his biggest donors. Perhaps he should be more honest about his actions and just place a for sale sign on his door.”

Rep. Hunter requested $26 million in earmarks for General Atomics and $3 million for TREX Enterprises for Fiscal Year 2010. General Atomics employees are among his largest campaign donors, contributing at least $26,200 to his campaign and PAC since 2007. Employees of TREX aren’t far behind, donating at least $10,350 since 2007.

Both of these companies have hired one of his father’s former staffers to lobby on their behalf. Between 2003 and 2006, TREX employed the lobbying firm NorthPoint Strategies and its founding partner Frank C. Collins; General Atomics also employed the firm and Mr. Collins in 2003 and 2004. Mr. Collins founded the firm in 2002 after serving as chief of staff to convicted felon former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-CA-50) and as district director to former Rep. Hunter. Both former congressmen notoriously earmarked to General Atomics and even held fundraisers at General Atomics headquarters.

Click here to read CREW’s report, Congressman Duncan Hunter’s Pork Parade.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions. For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact David Merchant at 202.408.5565 or dmerchant@citizensforethics.org