Democratic Party of Wisconsin Shines ' Spotlight' on Green's Shady Ethics

[PhilipShore]

Democratic Party of Wisconsin (press release)
DPW Shines ‘Bright Spotlight’ on Green’s Shady Ethics
March 16, 2006

Green Should Answer Questions About Ties to Convicted GOP Lobbyist
Jack Abramoff and Indicted Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay

http://www.wisdems.org/ht/display/ReleaseDetails/i/769621

MADISON – In response to Congressman Mark Green’s posturing on lobby reform today, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Joe Wineke said Green still must answer serious questions that have been raised about his ethics and conduct in Congress, including his ties to convicted GOP lobbyist Jack Abramoff and indicted former House Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay.

“If Mark Green wants to get serious about disclosure and the taint coming out of Washington, then he ought to start by explaining why his congressional office received so many ticket freebies from Jack Abramoff and why he won’t return more than $30,000 in dirty money he took from Tom DeLay,” Wineke said. ”Mark Green has been knee deep in the Republican culture of corruption in Washington, and amazingly enough, he’s now trying to paint himself as a reformer. The people of Wisconsin don’t buy it.”

Some of the shady actions Wineke said Green must account for include:

Green's Campaign Manager and former Chief of Staff Mark Graul arranged and took numerous ticket freebies from convicted GOP Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Graul changed his story about receiving the tickets multiple times, and excused the behavior with the remarkable statement: "I believe it's illegal in Madison" to take freebies. "It's legal in Washington."

Green took $35,000 from the Abramoff-funded Political Action Committee of John Boehner. Green received seven separate $5,000 contributions from new House Majority Leader John Boehner's Freedom Project PAC, which received $32,400 from convicted influence peddler Jack Abramoff clients.

Green took more than $30,000 from indicted former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay – more than all other Wisconsin Congressional representatives combined. After being caught lying about his ability to clean his campaign of the dirty cash, Green sheepishly said he would get rid of it, yet the funds still remain in his campaign account.

Green, at taxpayer expense, brought scandal-plagued Ohio Congressman Bob Ney and his congressional committee to Wisconsin to help his campaign for Governor. Ney is closely tied to DeLay and Abramoff, and prosecutors have told Ney and his former chief of staff they are preparing a possible bribery case against them.

Green took $15,000 from big pharmaceutical PACs during the election cycle when he was the deciding vote to give $139 billion to drug companies as part of the disastrous Medicare prescription drug plan. This election-year bonanza was more than double all the money Green had gotten from big pharmaceuticals in his entire career.

“Mark Green can run all he wants, but he can’t hide from his Washington record,” Wineke said. “Wisconsin families see right through his ridiculous claims of being a reformer.”

The Democratic Party of Wisconsin
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Paid for by The Democratic Party of Wisconsin - Joe Wineke, Chair.
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[sybylla]

1. Thanks for posting this

I hadn't seen it yet. I hope they keep pointing out the taint until he has to drop out.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Jeez, not only has he taken money from both Abramoff connections

and Delay, he also used Robert Ney to assist him in a campaign. How many slimes can you collect as associates, anyway?

http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/Pictures/Persons/057968/057968-188920.jpg

Go home, Rep. Mark Green. Stop scamming your fellow citizens.

[badgervan]

3. Green=Bushbot

This guy is my congressman, sorry to say. I have written him many times, so far with 0 success. Green is a guaranteed vote for whatever bush is pushing, and I mean that literally. I do not believe that this totally bought and paid for professional pol has ever voted in opposition to the chimp. I despise him.