October 30, 2009
Wait, politicians are corrupt? Tell me something I don’t know.

Posted at 1:35 pm, in: Corruption
Tags: Appropriations Commitee, Bill Young, Democrats, Department of Justice, House Ethics Committee, Jack Murtha, Jim Moran, Jo Bonner, Laura Richardson, Marcy Kaptur, Maxine Waters, Norm Dicks, Office of Congressional Ethics, Paul Magliocchetti, Peter Visclosky, Republicans, The Washington Post, Todd Tiahrt, Zoe Lofgren

If this is the most ethical Congress ever, we’re in a world of trouble:

A leaked document shows that House ethics investigators are probing the activities of nearly three dozen lawmakers — an ethical dust storm that will empower the Republicans and could imperil efforts to get health care reform through the House next week.

The House ethics committee said Thursday that it was opening two new investigations — one into the foreclosure scandal of Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.) and one involving financial questions about Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and her husband.

But shortly after the committee met, chairs Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) interrupted proceedings on the House floor to say that an internal document on secret committee proceedings had been leaked to The Washington Post — and that it would name the names of many other members who had drawn the attention of either the committee or the Office of Congressional Ethics.

According to the Post, the document identifies more than 30 House members.

Much of the investigative interest swirls around lawmakers’ relationship with the PMA Group, a now-defunct lobbying firm that pumped campaign contributions to members and obtained earmarks for its defense clients.

Reps. Jack Murtha (D-Pa.) and Peter Visclosky (D-Ind.) had been implicated in the PMA case previously, but the leaked document showed that investigators are also interested in Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.), Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), Bill Young (R-Fla.) and Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), according to the Post.

The Department of Justice is also looking into allegations that Paul Magliocchetti, a former Appropriations Committee staffer and founder of PMA, used “straw men” donors to improperly funnel campaign funds to Murtha and the other Appropriations Committee members.

What can even be said? We have a corrupt system filled with corrupt individuals. And, even if they arrive in DC uncorrupted, it’s only a matter of time before they get corrupted. Don’t kid yourself into thinking this is about one party or the other or about these select individuals.

We have a system that encourages and rewards corruption. We can blame the politicians as much as we want, but we are the people who put them into office. And, although we cannot be held accountable for their misdeeds, we must take partial responsibility if we continuously vote for a candidate we know is lacking, especially if we do that just because they attach the same letter behind their name that we attach behind ours.