Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington - Beyond DeLay

"The House Ethics Committee has demonstrated its irrelevance once again"

rusty — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:57:04 -0600

Melanie Sloan released the following statement today following the House Ethics Committee's announcement that it would begin an investigation into the activities of Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) who was indicted last week:

The House Ethics Committee has demonstrated its irrelevance once again by announcing an investigation of a member of Congress – Rick Renzi (R-AZ) already indicted by the Department of Justice. The trick would be for the Ethics Committee to spearhead an investigation of a member alleged to have engaged in misconduct before the Justice Department gets involved. Mr. Renzi undoubtedly will have retired – perhaps to a federal penitentiary – before the Ethics Committee ever takes any action against him. The current stalemate on ethics reform simply highlights that despite all the rhetoric, members still are not serious about taking on their unethical colleagues.

Beyond DeLay Spotlight: Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)

crew — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:16:20 -0600

Seems like a good time to shine the spotlight on why Rep. Renzi was named one of the most corrupt members of Congress in CREW's report, Beyond DeLay:

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) is a third-term member of Congress, representing Arizona’s 1st congressional district. Rep. Renzi’s ethics issues stem from assistance he offered to a former business partner and legislation he sponsored that benefitted his father’s employer. Rep. Renzi was included in CREW’s 2006 report on congressional corruption.

Suspect Land Deal

Just before Rep. Renzi’s reelection in 2006, federal authorities began investigating whether Rep. Renzi used his position as a member of Congress to promote the sale of land owned by his former business partner, James Sandlin. In 2005, mining company Resolution Copper sought to mine for copper in Superior, Arizona. Before mining could commence however, Resolution needed Congress to approve a land swap. Rep. Renzi agreed to support the land exchange bill if, as part of the swap, Resolution bought a 480 acre alfalfa field in his hometown owned by Mr. Sandlin. When Resolution Copper refused the deal, Rep. Renzi solicited the Petrified Forest Group to purchase the land for $4 million. Rep. Renzi assured the group that he would make sure that the swap got through the Natural Resources Committee. After the purchase, Resolution Copper complained that Petrified Forest had received priority treatment and Rep. Renzi dropped his support for the land swap.

Federal authorities are investigating whether a $200,000 payment Mr. Sandlin made in May 2005 to Rep. Renzi is connected to the land deal. The payment was made the same day that Mr. Sandlin received the first payment from the Petrified Forest Group and went to a wine company owned by Rep. Renzi. A few days later, the wine company was sold to Rep. Renzi’s father. Rep. Renzi has claimed that Mr. Sandlin paid the $200,000 to settle a debt stemming from a previous business transaction, although the payment was not noted on Rep. Renzi’s 2005 financial disclosure statement. The suggestion is that the payment may have been transacted through the wine company to avoid disclosure.

On April 19, 2007, Rep. Renzi’s business offices were raided by FBI agents.

Rep. Renzi Sponsored Legislation Financially Benefitting His Father

Federal authorities in Arizona have opened an investigation into whether Rep. Renzi violated any laws by sponsoring legislation that benefitted his father’s employer, ManTech International Corp. In 2003, Rep. Renzi sponsored legislation (signed into law in November 2003) that earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars to his father’s business while, according to environmentalists, devastating the San Pedro River. Rep. Renzi claimed he introduced the measure to prevent the closing of the Fort and to promote its enlargement. Notably, neither the fort nor the river is located in Rep. Renzi’s district.

A key beneficiary of Rep. Renzi’s legislation was ManTech, a Fairfax, Virginia based defense contractor where Rep. Renzi’s father, Retired Major General Eugene Renzi, is an executive vice president. ManTech had $467 million in contracts at Fort Huachuca with options for an additional $1.1 billion between 2004 through 2008. In addition, the company was the largest contributor to Renzi’s 2002 congressional campaign and the second largest in his 2004 campaign.

By using his position as a member of Congress to push Resolution Copper and the Petrified Forest Group to purchase land from Mr. Sandlin in exchange for legislative assistance, and by receiving $200,000 from Mr. Sandlin in return for that assistance, Rep. Renzi likely deprived his constituents, the House of Representatives, and the United States of his honest services.

By using his position as a member of Congress to push legislation that would benefit ManTech and therefore his father, Rep. Renzi may be depriving his constituents, the House of Representatives, and the United States of his honest services.

Beyond DeLay Spotlight: Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

crew — Fri, 8 Feb 2008 09:47:45 -0600

Over the past months, we've been profiling the 22 most corrupt members of Congress named in the 2007 edition of report, Beyond DeLay. Alaska has become ground zero for public corruption investigations. In fact, we named the entire congressional delegation to our report on the most corrupt members of Congress. We spend a lot of time in this blog discussing Senator Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young. Today, the spotlight shines on their colleague, Senator Lisa Murkowski:

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is a first-term senator representing Alaska. Sen. Murkowski’s ethics violations stem from her purchase of land in Alaska for a price below market value, her acceptance of a mortgage on terms not available to the general public and her failure to accurately disclose the transaction in her 2006 financial disclosure report.

Kenai River Property Purchase

In December 2006, Sen. Murkowski and her husband paid $179,400 for a 1.2 acre vacant lot on the banks of the Kenai River in Alaska from long-time friend and campaign contributor Bob Penney. Three days after the purchase, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assessing Department valued the land at $214,900, 20% over what Sen. Murkowski paid for the land. According to numerous real estate sources in the area, the Kenai lots actually sell for significantly higher than the Borough assessed price because they are located on a world-famous fishing river. Mr. Penney, the seller of the property, has been questioned in connection with a criminal investigation into real estate transactions involving Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. Mr. Penney, though a real-estate developer who has testified regarding the economic impact of fishing upon the Kenai River property values, claims that he was unaware that the Borough assessed value of Sen. Murkowski’s land had increased since 2005, when it was valued at $120,000.

By purchasing the land at a price below the property’s real value, Sen. Murkowski accepted an improper gift from Mr. Penny in violation of the Senate gift rule.

Mortgage for Purchase of Kenai River Property

Sen. Murkowski financed the purchase of the property with a loan for 80% of the purchase price from First Bank in Ketchikan. Sen. Murkowski once sat on the board of directors of First Bank, her sister is a shareholder and member of the bank’s board of directors, her father previously sat on the board of directors and her grandfather was president of the bank. Financial records show the maturity date for Sen. Murkowski’s loan as 2046, making it a thirty-nine year term. First Bank, however, told an Alaskan media outlet that the standard loans for undeveloped property such as Sen. Murkowski’s have a maximum seven-year maturity. On her 2006 financial disclosure form, Sen. Murkowski reported the term as 15 years.

By accepting a loan on terms not generally available to the general public, Sen. Murkowski accepted an improper gift in violation of the Senate gift rule.

Beyond DeLay Spotlight: Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA)

crew — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 16:18:39 -0600

Today's announcement that Rep. John Doolittle won't be running for re-election prompted this statement from Melanie Sloan:

Given that Rep. Doolittle's relationship with convicted felon and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has long been the subject of a federal criminal investigation, as has his relationship with convicted felon and former businessman Brent Wilkes, his announcement today that he will not seek re-election is overdue. Rep. Doolittle's constituents deserve a representative focused on their needs, rather than one focused on his own legal problems.

It also warrants another spotlight look at his extensive record of corruption from our report, Beyond DeLay:

Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA) is an ninth-term member of Congress representing California’s 4th congressional district. Rep. Doolittle’s ethics issues stem from his wife’s relationship to his campaign and political action committees, as well as campaign contributions and personal financial benefits he accepted from those who sought his legislative assistance. Rep. Doolittle is currently the subject of a Department of Justice investigation and was included in CREW’s 2006 report on congressional corruption.

Julie Doolittle

Rep. Doolittle’s wife Julie is the owner and president of Sierra Dominion Financial Solutions, a fundraising company retained by Rep. Doolittle’s campaign committee and his Superior California Leadership PAC. In her role as fundraiser, Ms. Doolittle receives 15% of every contribution raised. Ms. Doolittle has received at least $215,000 from Rep. Doolittle’s campaign committees since 2001, and took in nearly $224,000 during the 2006 campaign alone. Notably, the Association of Fundraising Professionals sent a letter to Rep. Doolittle stating that its long-standing ethics code, “explicitly prohibits percentage-based compensation” and urged the campaign to cease this practice with Sierra Dominion Financial Solutions.

Ms. Doolittle’s payments by her husband’s campaign appear to violate federal campaign finance laws and House rules, which prohibit converting campaign funds to personal use. By using his position as a member of Congress to financially benefit his wife, Rep. Doolittle may be depriving his constituents of his honest services, using his position for personal gain, and engaging in conduct that does not reflect creditably on the House.

After severe criticism, Rep. Doolittle announced that his wife would no longer serve as a paid fundraiser for his 2008 reelection campaign. Still maintaining that the percentage based fee his wife earned was fair, Rep. Doolittle has said his wife will continue to raise money for his Superior California Leadership PAC, but will be paid a flat salary rather than a commission. Rep. Doolittle still owes his wife’s company $76,471.20 for fundraising services rendered during the 2006 election cycle.

Ties to Jack Abramoff

In 1999, Rep. Doolittle also assisted Jack Abramoff in securing a lucrative lobbying contract with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), helped Mr. Abramoff stave off legislation protecting workers in the CNMI and wrote letters on behalf of some of Mr. Abramoff’s tribal casinos. In return, Rep. Doolittle, an alleged gambling foe, received $130,000 from gambling tribes with ties to Mr. Abramoff. If Rep. Doolittle received contributions from Mr. Abramoff in return for legislative assistance, he may have violated prohibitions against bribery, honest services fraud and House rules.

In April 2007, FBI agents searched the Doolittles’ Virginia home. Investigators sought the business records of Sierra Dominion Financial Services as part of an ongoing investigation into ties between Jack Abramoff and the Doolittles. At least three former and two current Doolittle aides have been contacted by the Justice Department as part of the investigation.

Brent Wilkes

Federal investigators are probing whether contributions made to Rep. Doolittle by now indicted defense contractor Brent Wilkes and his associates are linked to any official actions Rep. Doolittle took to help Mr. Wilkes’ company obtain millions of dollars in earmarks.

CREW on Doolittle's Overdue Retirement

rusty — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 12:35:53 -0600

Melanie Sloan made the following statement today after the retirement announcement of Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA):

Given that Rep. Doolittle's relationship with convicted felon and former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has long been the subject of a federal criminal investigation, as has his relationship with convicted felon and former businessman Brent Wilkes, his announcement today that he will not seek re-election is overdue. Rep. Doolittle's constituents deserve a representative focused on their needs, rather than one focused on his own legal problems.

Rep. Doolittle was included in CREW's annual list of the most corrupt members of Congress - Beyond Delay: The 22 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and two to watch). Rep. Doolittle's profile can be found here.

Beyond DeLay Spotlight: Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

crew — Wed, 3 Oct 2007 10:22:48 -0500

All three members of Alaska's congressional delegation were among the 22 most corrupt members of Congress in CREW's report, Beyond DeLay.

Today, we're shining our spotlight on Rep. Don Young who had many, many reasons for earning the distinction as one of the most corrupt members of Congress. From earmark scandals to Jack Abramoff, Young has developed his own culture of corruption:

Rep. Don Young is an 18th-term member of the House of Representatives, representing Alaska at-large. Rep. Young served as Chairman of the House Resources Committee from 1994 to 2000 and as the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee from 2000-2006. Currently, Rep. Young serves as the ranking member of the House Resources Committee.

Rep. Young’s ethics violations stem from the misuse of his position to benefit family and friends and to steer millions of dollars in earmarks to corporations in exchange for contributions to his campaign committee and political action committee, Midnight Sun PAC (MSPAC). Rep. Young is currently under four separate federal investigations including an investigation into his role in securing a $10 million earmark for a road in Florida, assistance he offered to recently convicted VECO executive Bill Allen, his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his financial relationship with recently indicted businessman Dennis Troha.

Earmarking Transportation Funds to a Campaign Donor

The Department of Justice is currently investigating whether Rep. Young earmarked $10 million dollars for a construction project in exchange for campaign donations. In 2005, while in Florida to discuss upcoming transportation projects, Rep. Young attended a fundraiser held by Daniel Aronoff, a land developer who stood to gain financially from the passage of an Interstate 75 expansion. The fundraiser brought in $40,000 for Rep. Young and Mr. Aranoff personally donated a total of $3,000 to Rep. Young’s campaign committee and PAC. Shortly after his Florida trip, Rep. Young earmarked $10 million in the Fiscal Year 2006 transportation bill for I-75 improvements.

After the Lee County Metropolitan Planning Organization voted to block the interchange because it could threaten nearby wetlands, Rep. Young threatened to revoke the money entirely.

Earmarking Transportation Funds for Bridges

In the 109th Congress, Rep. Young earmarked over $400 million dollars to Alaska for two bridges serving tiny populations of constituents. Rep. Young’s daughter, Joni Young, and his son-in-law, Art Nelson, own land near the proposed bridges and stand to profit if the project is completed.

After negative press coverage and pressure from colleagues, Rep. Young agreed to release the obligation that the earmarked money be used for the specific bridges. The funds were still given to Alaska, however, as part of the state’s general federal highway allotment fund from which legislators can still fund the bridge projects.

Association with VECO Corporation

Rep. Young is the subject of a criminal inquiry into whether he accepted bribes, illegal gratuities or unreported gifs from VECO corporation. VECO President Peter Leathard has been quoted saying his company works to elect politicians that back mineral exploration. To that end, since 2002, VECO executives have donated $89,500 to the Rep. Young’s campaign committee and PAC.

Association with PBS&J

Rep. Young has received campaign contributions from employees of Florida based construction firm PBS&J. The firm’s chairman pleaded guilty to violating federal campaign laws in July of 2007 after a federal investigation revealed that he was reimbursing PBS&J employees for making donations to favored candidates. PBS&J had previously received a federal grant to conduct a study of the Rep. Young’s proposed bridges and in June 2006, prepared a cost estimate review study analyzing the construction planning.

Ties to Jack Abramoff

Rep. Young’s ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff are the subject of a grand jury investigation. In September 2002, Rep. Young and Ohio Rep. Steve LaTourette sent a letter to the General Service Administration (GSA) urging it to “give preferential treatment to organizations such as Indian tribes” during the development of the Old Post Office Pavilion in Washington, D.C. Mr. Abramoff was representing the tribes hoping to secure lease space in the building. Just weeks after sending the letter to the GSA, Rep. Young’s PAC received $7,000 from Mr. Abramoff’s tribal clients and another $5,000 before the end of 2002.

Members of Rep. Young’s staff have also been linked to Mr. Abramoff. When Duane Gibson left his position as Rep. Young’s chief of staff to join Mr. Abramoff, he recommended that Mark Zachares be given a job with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which Rep. Young chaired. In April of 2007, Mr. Zachares pleaded guilty to bribery charges. In his plea agreement, Mr. Zachares admitted that his intent was to use his position in the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee to steer clients toward Mr. Abramoff’s firm with the promise that eventually Mr. Abramoff would hire him.

After claiming that he had no relationship, personal or professional, with Mr. Abramoff it was discovered that in 2000, Rep. Young had used Mr. Abramoff’s MCI skybox tickets for two events, which he did not report to the FEC until after the Abramoff scandal broke.

Ties to Dennis Troha

In April of 2007, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin opened an investigation into an alleged deal between Rep. Young and convicted Wisconsin businessman Dennis Troha. In the 2005 transportation bill, Rep. Young inserted a controversial item that benefitted Mr. Troha’s trucking company. Months before the legislation became law, Rep. Young received $22,000 from Mr. Troha, his family members, JHT executives and their spouses.

Congress: "one of the most criminal places in America"

crew — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 08:25:11 -0500

Harper's Ken Sliverstein looks at crime rates in Anacostia, The South Bronx and Congress. Congress "wins":

And then there’s the United States Congress, which makes the South Bronx look like Brigadoon. We can estimate the incidence of lawlessness on Capitol Hill by consulting a report on the most corrupt members of Congress issued September 18 by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). The report identifies 24 current members of Congress who have been implicated in egregious wrongdoing, including eleven who are formally under investigation. Six current elected officials listed in CREW’s 2005 and 2006 reports on corrupt members of Congress were not included this year (because no new information was available on their cases). Ten congressional miscreants identified in those past reports retired or were defeated for reelection last fall, so they weren’t included in the new report either. That brings the total number of positively identified Congressional rogues up to 42 (37 Republicans, 5 Democrats).

The population of Congress is 535, so the percentage of criminal and general wrongdoers comes to nearly 8 percent. It falls to 7 percent if you increase the “population” to 596, which would include the 61 new senators and House members elected last fall. In my view that’s being overly generous because the newcomers have not yet had much time to engage in criminal conduct, and as the statistics show, it’s likely they will.

I know this is back-of-the-envelope stuff, and sure, to some extent we’re comparing apples and oranges—members of Congress did not commit any rapes or murders, at least not any that we know about. But the fact remains—Congress is one of the most criminal places in America. Maybe that’s why everyone has to go through metal detectors before they’re allowed to enter the building.

Beyond DeLay Spotlight: Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL)

crew — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:33:48 -0500

Rep. Jerry Weller has been in the news a lot lately. His ethical woes have been bubbling up -- and last week, Weller announced that he's retiring at the end of this session of Congress.

Last week, CREW also named Weller one of the 22 most corrupt members of Congress in our report, Beyond DeLay. Here's how he earned that designation:

Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL) is a seventh-term member of Congress, representing the 11th district of Illinois. He serves on the House Ways and Means Committee and until 2006, served on the House International Relations Committee. Rep. Weller’s ethics issues stem from his repeated failure to report assets he bought and sold in Nicaragua, the misuse of his position to sell foreign property, his acceptance of campaign contributions from Puerto Rican interests in apparent exchange for supporting legislation that benefitted Puerto Rico, and his acceptance of campaign contributions in return for assisting a telecommunications executive in a dispute with a foreign government. In addition, there is a question as to whether Rep. Weller qualifies for a waiver allowing him to exclude his wife’s assets and liabilities from his financial disclosure forms.

Nicaraguan Land Holdings

In 2002, Rep. Weller bought the first of numerous lots of ocean-view property in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. According to Rep. Weller’s 2002 financial disclosure form, the lot was worth between $50,000 and $100,000. Property records in Nicaragua, however, show that Rep. Weller paid only about $4,333 for the land. The Chicago Tribune has reported that buyers of property on Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast frequently reported artificially low purchase prices “to lessen the bite of local taxes.” Within a year of this purchase Rep. Weller was seated on the House International Relations Committee and Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, which focused on Latin America.

From 2002 through 2005, Rep. Weller purchased and sold at least eight different pieces of land in Nicaragua, although he disclosed only one purchase and one sale on his financial disclosure forms. Rep. Weller’s failure to disclose the purchase and sale of several pieces of property in Nicaragua during the past five years is a violation of the Ethics in Government Act and House rules. In addition, the discrepancies between the value Rep. Weller assigned to those Nicaraguan properties that he did report and the value of the properties listed in the bills of sale and other Nicaraguan property records suggest that Rep. Weller may not have truthfully reported the properties’ value on his financial disclosure forms in violation of federal law.

Support for Puerto Rican Interests

Despite the fact that Rep. Weller represents a rural district in Illinois, he has been a strong advocate for Puerto Rico and has used his position on the Ways and Means Committee to push for Puerto Rican interests. On May 4, 2005, Rep. Weller received $16,000 from 17 individuals with various interests in Puerto Rico. The following day, a bill backed by Puerto Rico’s business interests as well as Resident Commissioner Luis Fortuno and subsequently co-sponsored by Rep. Weller was sent to the House Ways and Means Committee.

If, Rep. Weller accepted campaign donations from individuals and entities with interests in Puerto Rico in direct exchange for providing legislative assistance to Puerto Rico, he may have violated the bribery statute.

Assistance for Telecommunications Executive

Rep. Weller used his congressional influence to assist telecommunications executive Jeffrey Prosser when the government of Belize seized Mr. Prosser’s business assets. In response, Rep. Weller hand-delivered a letter to government officials in Belize suggesting that the government’s decision to seize Mr. Prosser’s business assets might hurt future investments in that country. During that same year, Rep. Weller received campaign contributions totaling $4,200 from Mr. Prosser and his wife.

If a link is established between the campaign donations Rep. Weller received from Mr. and Mrs. Prosser and Rep. Weller’s intervention with the government of Belize, Rep. Weller may have accepted bribes or illegal gratuities. In addition, Rep. Weller’s apparent acceptance of campaign contributions in return for legislative favors does not reflect creditably on the House.

Beyond DeLay designees "disappearing" says The Hill

crew — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 12:39:52 -0500

The Hill takes note of a phenomenon for members of Congress named to CREW's list of the most corrupt members of Congress. Many don't last. Ten of the 25 named in the 2006 edition of Beyond DeLay are no longer in Congress (that list is below). The trend is starting again, The HIll seems to think:

After creating a list called “The 22 most corrupt members of Congress (and two to watch),” one must make haste in releasing it.

That’s because those pesky designees have a way of disappearing.

The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a nonprofit watchdog, released its third-annual list on Sept. 18.
It included Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.), who announced on Sept. 22 that he wanted to spend more time with his family and would retire next year.

Yes, the decision was 100 percent about his family, and had nothing at all to do with the list or a Chicago Tribune investigative series of stories that uncovered omissions in his financial disclosure filings.

Sen. Craig, who is one of the “two to watch,” is on his way out the door at month’s end — at least, his Republican leadership hopes he is.

At this pace, CREW can hope to get results like its list did last year. Of the 25 lawmakers who earned the distinction in 2006, 10 are no longer in Congress and eight more are under federal investigation.

The ten from 2006 who aren't in Congress anymore are:

Members of the Senate:

Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Bill Frist (R-TN)
Rick Santorum (R-PA)

Members of the House:

Richard Pombo (R-CA)
Katherine Harris (R-FL)
John Sweeney (R-NY)
Charles Taylor (R-NC)
Curt Weldon (R-PA)

From Members to Watch:

J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ)
Don Sherwood (R-PA)

Beyond DeLay Spotlight: Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA)

crew — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:50:32 -0500

Last week, CREW released our third edition of Beyond DeLay. In the report, we named the 22 most corrupt members of Congress -- and two to watch. We will be shining a spotlight on each of the members who were named to the list.

Because of Rep. John Doolittle's protestations about being designated one of the most corrupt members of Congress -- again -- we're starting with him. Here's an excerpt from the Auburn Journal noting Doolittle's complaint:

Doolittle, whose connections to lobbyist Jack Abramoff are the subject on a Justice Department investigation, said the listing was an underhanded attempt to attack him from a liberal Democrat organization funded by billionaire activist George Soros.

"I just really think it's unfair and wrong for an underhanded and vile organization like CREW, who disagrees with me because I'm a conservative Republican, to attack me on that," he said. "Because of the atmosphere right now, it's a very impactful thing."

Doolittle has said he has done nothing wrong and wants the Justice Department investigation to come to a conclusion to clear his name. With a new congressional election coming in November 2008, Doolittle is already facing a Democrat challenger who ran a surprisingly strong campaign against him in 2006.

Of course, Doolittle said he has done nothing wrong. Here's the background on Doolittle from Beyond DeLay. (The full report can be found via that link, too.) You'll see why we think his protests ring hollow:

Rep. John T. Doolittle (R-CA) is an ninth-term member of Congress representing California’s 4th congressional district. Rep. Doolittle’s ethics issues stem from his wife’s relationship to his campaign and political action committees, as well as campaign contributions and personal financial benefits he accepted from those who sought his legislative assistance. Rep. Doolittle is currently the subject of a Department of Justice investigation and was included in CREW’s 2006 report on congressional corruption.

Julie Doolittle

Rep. Doolittle’s wife Julie is the owner and president of Sierra Dominion Financial Solutions, a fundraising company retained by Rep. Doolittle’s campaign committee and his Superior California Leadership PAC. In her role as fundraiser, Ms. Doolittle receives 15% of every contribution raised. Ms. Doolittle has received at least $215,000 from Rep. Doolittle’s campaign committees since 2001, and took in nearly $224,000 during the 2006 campaign alone. Notably, the Association of Fundraising Professionals sent a letter to Rep. Doolittle stating that its long-standing ethics code, “explicitly prohibits percentage-based compensation” and urged the campaign to cease this practice with Sierra Dominion Financial Solutions.

Ms. Doolittle’s payments by her husband’s campaign appear to violate federal campaign finance laws and House rules, which prohibit converting campaign funds to personal use. By using his position as a member of Congress to financially benefit his wife, Rep. Doolittle may be depriving his constituents of his honest services, using his position for personal gain, and engaging in conduct that does not reflect creditably on the House.

After severe criticism, Rep. Doolittle announced that his wife would no longer serve as a paid fundraiser for his 2008 reelection campaign. Still maintaining that the percentage based fee his wife earned was fair, Rep. Doolittle has said his wife will continue to raise money for his Superior California Leadership PAC, but will be paid a flat salary rather than a commission. Rep. Doolittle still owes his wife’s company $76,471.20 for fundraising services rendered during the 2006 election cycle.

Ties to Jack Abramoff

In 1999, Rep. Doolittle also assisted Jack Abramoff in securing a lucrative lobbying contract with the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), helped Mr. Abramoff stave off legislation protecting workers in the CNMI and wrote letters on behalf of some of Mr. Abramoff’s tribal casinos. In return, Rep. Doolittle, an alleged gambling foe, received $130,000 from gambling tribes with ties to Mr. Abramoff. If Rep. Doolittle received contributions from Mr. Abramoff in return for legislative assistance, he may have violated prohibitions against bribery, honest services fraud and House rules.

In April 2007, FBI agents searched the Doolittles’ Virginia home. Investigators sought the business records of Sierra Dominion Financial Services as part of an ongoing investigation into ties between Jack Abramoff and the Doolittles. At least three former and two current Doolittle aides have been contacted by the Justice Department as part of the investigation.

Brent Wilkes

Federal investigators are probing whether contributions made to Rep. Doolittle by now indicted defense contractor Brent Wilkes and his associates are linked to any official actions Rep. Doolittle took to help Mr. Wilkes’ company obtain millions of dollars in earmarks.