Washington, D.C. – Money is gushing into the personal account of Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) thanks to a fortuitous business deal he made with one of his longtime campaign donors. Yet Rep. Barton, who is usually an open and willing shill for Big Oil, has gone to great lengths to conceal the true origins of this investment, violating federal law and House rules in the process. It is no wonder he has earned a dishonorable mention in Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’s (CREW) annual Most Corrupt Members of Congress report. Click here to read the full report on Rep. Barton.
“Given the lengths Rep. Barton has gone to hide this shady investment, it’s pretty clear he knows there’s a problem,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan. “Rep. Barton infamously apologized to former BP CEO Tony Hayward, but when will he apologize to the people of Texas for his actions?”
According to his personal financial disclosure forms, in April of 2008, Rep. Barton, then the ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, bought an interest in natural gas wells from EOG Resources. A 2010 investigation by the Dallas Morning News found this to be misleading, and revealed the true seller was Texas businessman Walter Mize, who, along with his wife, donated tens of thousands of dollars to Rep. Barton’s campaigns over the years. Mr. Mize passed away in 2008. In 2008, Rep. Barton acknowledged the late businessman had been the one who originally suggested a $500 million federally funded grant program for oil and gas research, legislation pushed by Rep. Barton while he served as chairman of the energy committee.
“Members of Congress shouldn’t be using public service for their personal financial benefit,” said Ms. Sloan. “Yet this is exactly what Rep. Barton has done, at the same time concealing his investment from the public. It is time for the House Ethics Committee to fully investigate the matter, and hold Rep. Barton accountable.”
This is the 7th edition of the CREW’S Most Corrupt Report, an annual look at a bipartisan collection of Washington’s worst. This year’s list includes seven Democrats, and 12 Republicans. Five are repeat offenders. Since 2005, CREW has named 70 members of Congress to the list, 32 of whom are no longer in office.
