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Mar
2
National Public Radio is reporting that the Office of Congressional Ethics questioned the timing of fundraisers and subsequent earmarks inserted into legislation by Northwest Indiana’s Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind).
Visclosky was cleared by the House Ethics Committee, “ (b)ut it looks a lot like condoning practices that the committee rejected just a few years ago,” according to the NPR news report.
OVERBY: But another congressional organization also investigated Visclosky: the Office of Congressional Ethics, or OCE. It even asked the Ethics Committee to dig deeper. OCE found evidence that in early 2008, Visclosky’s office was inviting contractors to apply for new earmarks, while his campaign was inviting them to a fundraising dinner. OCE spokesman Jon Steinman sums up the report’s findings.
Mr. JON STEINMAN (Spokesman, Office of Congressional Ethics): The timing of the fundraiser he held was one week before he took official action on behalf of the donors. The attendees at the fundraiser were limited to defense contractors with pending earmark requests before the representatives. And Visclosky’s chief of staff and appropriations director attended the fundraiser.
Jun
8
Gimme Some Money
Filed Under earmarks, Pete Visclosky | 4 Comments
Local congressman Democrat Pete Visclosky brings home the bacon — $69.9 million worth — in earmarks for Northwest Indiana and other projects supported by his top donors, reports the Post-Tribune.
Visclosky’s extraordinary earmarking abilities have put him within reach of the top three earmarkers in the House of Representatives.
Millions of the earmarks have gone to U.S. Army Corps of Engineer projects in the area. Other earmarks have been allocated to businesses doing research into energy projects, military items, and funding for local government projects.
Share your opinion by leaving a comment: Is it good or bad that our own congressman is so skilled in throwing earmarks into all sorts of legislation?
