Rangel & Pelosi: the Culture of Corruption
Continues
The more corrupt the
state, the more numerous the laws.
- Tacitus
RE: In 2006,
then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi criticized the
Republicans for instituting a "culture of corruption."
However, while serving as Speaker of the House, Pelosi has
overseen a deterioration of principled governance that is
spiraling out of control. The most recent revelation that
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel has
withheld over $600,000 in assets is indicative that the culture
of corruption is alive and well under Democratic leadership.
ACTION: We urge you to
contact your elected representatives in Congress and remind them
that Charles Rangel is ill-suited to remain in his position as
Chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and if he
does not step down voluntarily Speaker Pelosi has a
responsibility to remove him.
ISSUE IN BRIEF:
Since Speaker Pelosi was sworn in 2007, the culture of corruption
has continued under her leadership.
·
Federal law requires members of Congress to reveal their incomes
and holdings. According to the New York Daily News, "Rangel
failed to include on his forms money that he has in an IRA and in
four mutual fund accounts, as well as the value of holdings in
various corporations as well the value of three parcels of
land." He also omitted the value of a vacation property in
the Dominican Republic.
·
When faced with ethics investigations, Rangel submitted new
assets that doubled his reported net worth to $2.5 million.
·
Rangel has made campaign contributions to three of the five
Democrats investigating him on the Ethics Committee. Despite the
year-long investigation, it has not come back with a ruling.
·
Thus far, Pelosi has refused to take any action on her own, but
has instead deferred to the dormant Ethics Committee.
·
While it is egregious that the man in charge of writing America's
tax laws is under investigation for not reporting income, this
example is representative of a pattern of corruption in Pelosi's
Congress. This past summer, former Congressman William Jefferson
was convicted on four charges in a bribery trial. During the
investigation, $90,000 in cash was found in his freezer.
·
The Justice Department is currently investigating a defense
lobbying group that has supported Congressman John Murtha (D-PA).
The group may have negotiated with the congressman's staff
members in exchange for multimillion dollar earmark projects.
·
Congressman Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-IN), a senior Democrat on the
House Appropriations Committee, has been subpoenaed in the
investigation of the same lobbying firm that has supported
Congressman Murtha. Visclosky has received $1.4 million from
clients of Defense contractors while he has helped to disperse
millions in federal earmarks to those firms.
·
Congressman Alan Mollohan (D-WV) is currently under investigation
by the Justice Department after becoming a multi-millionaire
through business deals with individuals who benefited from his
earmarks and/or other official actions. Mollohan chairs the
Appropriations Subcommittee which funds the Justice Department
and has not been removed by Speaker Pelosi, despite the obvious
conflict of interest.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CORRUPT BEHAVIOR BY MEMBERS
OF CONGRESS, PLEASE VISIT THESE WEBSITES:
http://wcbstv.com/local/charles.rangel.ethics.2.1160326.html
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/57029-pelosi-will-let-rangel-hold-post-despite-new-allegations
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/09/charlie-rangels-forgets-to-disclose-600000-in-income-should-he-give-up-the-ways-means-gavel.html
William Jefferson Convicted
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/16/AR2009031601393.html?hpid=topnews
http://www.nlpc.org/stories/2009/07/16/pelosi-awol-mollohan-still-controls-budget-those-investigating-him
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124362015474866997.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Minority Leader Boehner's letter to Charlie Rangel on why he
needs to step down
Representative
Issa wants to subpoena records of the "Friends of Angelo" loan
program
Colin A. Hanna: Wilson, Rangel expose Pelosi's partisanship
| Washington Examiner
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/24/murtha-fundraiser-missed-donor-pal/
CONSERVATIVE ACTION PROJECT
Ken Boehm, Chairman, National Legal & Policy
Center
Colin A. Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring
Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Center
William Wilson, President, Americans for Limited
Government
Duane Parde, President, National Taxpayers Union
Mathew D. Staver, Founder & Chairman, Liberty
Counsel
Kenneth Blackwell, former Treasurer, State of
Ohio
Craig Shirley, Chairman, Citizens for the
Republic
Peter Flaherty, President, National Legal & Policy
Center
Herman Cain, President, THE New Voice, Inc.
Wendy Wright, President, Concerned Women for
America
James C. Miller III, former Reagan Budget
Director
Phil Burress, President, Citizens for Community
Values
Alfred Regnery, Publisher, American Spectator
Jim Martin, President, 60 Plus Association
Richard Viguerie, Chairman, ConservativeHQ.com
Elaine Donnelly, President, Center for Military
Readiness
Brent Bozell, President, Media Research Center
