Scott "McLobbyist" McInnis threw his hat in for the Rethuglican nomination for '08 for CO Senate

[Hawkeye-X]

seat vacated by Mallard.





Ex-Congressman Scott McInnis and his boss Tom DeLay.
Dear Network Member,

Following Senator Allard's announced retirement, ex-Congressman Scott McInnis, now a lawyer-lobbyist, plans to run for that seat. It will likely be the most targeted Senate seat in the country, and right-wing extremists like Tom Tancredo already have thrown their support behind McInnis without even considering his history of ethics problems.

The last time McInnis was in the papers this much was in November, 2004 when he was still in Congress and under investigation by the Federal Election Commission. The FEC was investigating McInnis for using his campaign committee to pay his wife a salary of more than $40,000, plus an additional $1,150 per month, plus additional funds for a car and cell phone. (Denver Post, 11/12/2004).

The big problem with that arrangement was that McInnis didn't actually have a campaign at that point. He already had announced in the summer of 2003 that he would not seek another term, but still kept his wife on the "campaign" payroll for over a year after his decision not to run. (Washington Post, 11/10/2004)

It gets worse.

On June 2, 2004, McInnis stated that much of the $1.3 million leftover in his campaign war chest--what he wasn't giving to his wife--would be used to "seed a new foundation" on breast cancer research, education and conservation. (Rocky Mountain News, 6/2/2004)

But on September 29, 2004, just before McInnis left office, his first reported "charity" was a $5,000 contribution to the DeLay Legal Expense Trust, the legal defense fund for ex-Majority Leader Tom DeLay. (Center for Responsive Politics) Two months after that donation, and following DeLay's indictment, McInnis voted to weaken the ethics rules and allow his boss DeLay to remain majority leader. (RMN, 11/21/20004)

Paying for DeLay's legal expenses out of his camapign war chest is a far cry from McInnis' pledge to use the money for breast cancer research, education and conservation.

Click on the following link to join our call for McInnis to stick to his pledge to use the money left-over from his previous campaigns for "breast cancer research, education and conservation" instead of bankrolling his wife or Tom DeLay's legal expenses:

http://www.ProgressNowAction.org/KeepYourCharityPledge

From what we have learned over the past few weeks, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to McInnis' ethics difficulties. If you'd like to send a confidential tip about McInnis or would like to receive our insider information on Scott "McLobbyist" McInnis record of selling out the people of Colorado click here:

http://www.ProgressNowAction.org/McLobbyistInfo

Thank you, in advance, for your help in holding McInnis accountable.