Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians

[wtm442]

December 19, 2007

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2007

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today released its 2007 list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The list, in alphabetical order, includes:

1. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY): In addition to her long and sordid ethics record, Senator Hillary Clinton took a lot of heat in 2007 – and rightly so – for blocking the release her official White House records. Many suspect these records contain a treasure trove of information related to her role in a number of serious Clinton-era scandals. Moreover, in March 2007, Judicial Watch filed an ethics complaint against Senator Clinton for filing false financial disclosure forms with the U.S. Senate (again). And Hillary’s top campaign contributor, Norman Hsu, was exposed as a felon and a fugitive from justice in 2007. Hsu pleaded guilt to one count of grand theft for defrauding investors as part of a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme.

2. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI): Conyers reportedly repeatedly violated the law and House ethics rules, forcing his staff to serve as his personal servants, babysitters, valets and campaign workers while on the government payroll. While the House Ethics Committee investigated these allegations in 2006, and substantiated a number of the accusations against Conyers, the committee blamed the staff and required additional administrative record-keeping and employee training. Judicial Watch obtained documentation in 2007 from a former Conyers staffer that sheds new light on the activities and conduct on the part of the Michigan congressman, which appear to be at a minimum inappropriate and likely unlawful. Judicial Watch called on the Attorney General in 2007 to investigate the matter.

3. Senator Larry Craig (R-ID): In one of the most shocking scandals of 2007, Senator Craig was caught by police attempting to solicit sex in a Minneapolis International Airport men’s bathroom during the summer. Senator Craig reportedly “sent signals” to a police officer in an adjacent stall that he wanted to engage in sexual activity. When the police officer showed Craig his police identification under the bathroom stall divider and pointed toward the exit, the senator reportedly exclaimed 'No!'” When asked to produce identification, Craig presented police his U.S. Senate business card and said, “What do you think of that?” The power play didn’t work. Craig was arrested, charged and entered a guilty plea. Despite enormous pressure from his Republican colleagues to resign from the Senate, Craig refused.

4. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA): As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on military construction, Feinstein reviewed military construction government contracts, some of which were ultimately awarded to URS Corporation and Perini, companies then owned by Feinstein's husband, Richard Blum. While the Pentagon ultimately awards military contracts, there is a reason for the review process. The Senate's subcommittee on Military Construction's approval carries weight. Sen. Feinstein, therefore, likely had influence over the decision making process. Senator Feinstein also attempted to undermine ethics reform in 2007, arguing in favor of a perk that allows members of Congress to book multiple airline flights and then cancel them without financial penalty. Judicial Watch’s investigation into this matter is ongoing.

5. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY): Giuliani came under fire in late 2007 after it was discovered the former New York mayor’s office “billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons…” ABC News also reported that Giuliani provided Nathan with a police vehicle and a city driver at taxpayer expense. All of this news came on the heels of the federal indictment on corruption charges of Giuliani’s former Police Chief and business partner Bernard Kerik, who pleaded guilty in 2006 to accepting a $165,000 bribe in the form of renovations to his Bronx apartment from a construction company attempting to land city contracts.

6. Governor Mike Huckabee (R-AR): Governor Huckabee enjoyed a meteoric rise in the polls in December 2007, which prompted a more thorough review of his ethics record. According to The Associated Press: “[Huckabee’s] career has also been colored by 14 ethics complaints and a volley of questions about his integrity, ranging from his management of campaign cash to his use of a nonprofit organization to subsidize his income to his destruction of state computer files on his way out of the governor’s office.” And what was Governor Huckabee’s response to these ethics allegations? Rather than cooperating with investigators, Huckabee sued the state ethics commission twice and attempted to shut the ethics process down.

7. I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby: Libby, former Chief of Staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, was sentenced to 30 months in prison and fined $250,000 for lying and obstructing the Valerie Plame CIA leak investigation. Libby was found guilty of four felonies -- two counts of perjury, one count of making false statements to the FBI and one count of obstructing justice – all serious crimes. Unfortunately, Libby was largely let off the hook. In an appalling lack of judgment, President Bush issued “Executive Clemency” to Libby and commuted the sentence.

8. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL): A “Dishonorable Mention” last year, Senator Obama moves onto the “ten most wanted” list in 2007. In 2006, it was discovered that Obama was involved in a suspicious real estate deal with an indicted political fundraiser, Antoin “Tony” Rezko. In 2007, more reports surfaced of deeper and suspicious business and political connections It was reported that just two months after he joined the Senate, Obama purchased $50,000 worth of stock in speculative companies whose major investors were his biggest campaign contributors. One of the companies was a biotech concern that benefited from legislation Obama pushed just two weeks after the senator purchased $5,000 of the company’s shares. Obama was also nabbed conducting campaign business in his Senate office, a violation of federal law.

9. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who promised a new era of ethics enforcement in the House of Representatives, snuck a $25 million gift to her husband, Paul Pelosi, in a $15 billion Water Resources Development Act recently passed by Congress. The pet project involved renovating ports in Speaker Pelosi's home base of San Francisco. Pelosi just happens to own apartment buildings near the areas targeted for improvement, and will almost certainly experience a significant boost in property value as a result of Pelosi's earmark. Earlier in the year, Pelosi found herself in hot water for demanding access to a luxury Air Force jet to ferry the Speaker and her entourage back and forth from San Francisco non-stop, in unprecedented request which was wisely rejected by the Pentagon. And under Pelosi’s leadership, the House ethics process remains essentially shut down – which protects members in both parties from ac countability.

10. Senator Harry Reid (D-NV): Over the last few years, Reid has been embroiled in a series of scandals that cast serious doubt on his credibility as a self-professed champion of government ethics, and 2007 was no different. According to The Los Angeles Times, over the last four years, Reid has used his influence in Washington to help a developer, Havey Whittemore, clear obstacles for a profitable real estate deal. As the project advanced, the Times reported, “Reid received tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Whittemore.” Whittemore also hired one of Reid’s sons (Leif) as his personal lawyer and then promptly handed the junior Reid the responsibility of negotiating the real estate deal with federal officials. Leif Reid even called his father’s office to talk about how to obtain the proper EPA permits, a clear conflict of interest.

Judicial Watch is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Judicial Watch neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office. For more information, visit Judicial Watch.

[427 S/O]

I often wonder, what will it take for America to wake up and demand all law makers be accountable for their actions. If there was ever a body more self serving, I don't know who they would be?. life time health care at no cost, generous retirement for little time served and other perks that I'm not aware of?.

[Wes Tausend]

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About Us

Judicial Watch, Inc., a conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law.

Through its educational endeavors, Judicial Watch advocates high standards of ethics and morality in our nation’s public life and seeks to ensure that political and judicial officials do not abuse the powers entrusted to them by the American people.

Judicial Watch fulfills its educational mission through litigation, investigations and public outreach.




The tilted scales are a nice touch.

Somewhere must exist a counterpart liberal, non-partisan organization.

One would think the scales then tip the other way.


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[427sharpe]

Notice they included Huckabee, Libby and Guiliani.....scales seem pretty balanced to me. Rather than dismissing them as 'conservative' or right wing, why not research some of the allegations they bring. Unfortunately, there seems to be plenty of meat on the skeletons in the closet....or bathroom stall in Craig's case.

[Wes Tausend]

Originally Posted by 427sharpe

Notice they included Huckabee, Libby and Guiliani.....scales seem pretty balanced to me. Rather than dismissing them as 'conservative' or right wing, why not research some of the allegations they bring. Unfortunately, there seems to be plenty of meat on the skeletons in the closet....or bathroom stall in Craig's case.

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427sharpe,

You are right. I didn't make my point too well. Warren doesn't try to hide that he leans right and he seems to genuinely offer this list that seems to support his view that he is taking the high road.

I guess my main intended point is that whenever any political org makes a statement, it is carefully crafted so as to first appear balanced. The art of spin. But I didn't think Judicial Watch met, nor intended to meet, much precision in maintaining balance, in this list. There is plenty of "meat" everywhere.

Regarding political media, more information is often given by what is purposely left out than by that which is included. The exclusions are meant to influence the unwary masses at first glance. Many times this does not even fall along party lines so much as it falls between political factions, sometimes even within divisions within party lines. As an example in this list, some rather obvious shortcomings of certain individuals, some that have been actually convicted of legal indiscretions, are included. But also casually thrown into the list are more vague aspersions as though they qualify as equal demerits instead of merely warranting a closer look. You are right to suggest, "research some of the allegations", ...but why stop at the end of this list?

Lately, more obvious divisions within party lines, but of definately separate factions, include infighting between Obama and Clinton and, more briefly, between the current Bush administration "Neocon" faction and "old school conservative", McCain. Remember, McCain was once Swift-Boated right along with Kerry over military service. This by a conservative faction that would spin us to believe that G.W.'s questionable Air National Guard service was superior to two men that actually served under fire in a war zone.

The "military service" spin worked to a surprising degree. I believe people bought it partly because it is what some wanted to believe, and partly because of vague propoganda such as carefully generated by orgs similar to the "Judicial Watch" (not necessarily the Judicial Watch in particular).

Most important to my point, notice that the current executive administration is carefully left out in this J.W. list although they are probably at least as guilty of shenanigans as any political group active today. "Main-Man" McCain (my guy) is also carefully not included. Like all politicians, those above are not squeaky clean but I fail to see where any more real non-partisan cut-off exists for an accurate "Top Ten" done by an admittedly conservative org that self-proclaims to be non-partisan.

This spin occurs by every faction and party, so it is like Perry said above, "what will it take for America to wake up and demand all law makers be accountable for their actions". I don't think casual human perception by the masses is likely to change anytime soon, but it would be nice if we all discriminated propoganda more than we do.

I'm sorry to admit I am often as guilty and unwary as any in missing that which is shrewdly "written in between the lines".

But just because I'm occasionally paranoid ...doesn't mean they all aren't out to fool me.


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[Silverback51]

They are all crooks. It's just a matter of degree, and if they have been caught yet.

[trularin]

Not in our lifetime.