Daily News confronts Don Young again.

[Blue_In_AK]

http://www.adn.com/opinion/view/story/8827711p-8728507c.html

Code of silence
Don Young disrespects Alaskans by dodging scandal questions

Published: April 26, 2007
Last Modified: April 26, 2007 at 03:07 AM

Alaska Congressman Don Young had a corrupt aide working on his House transportation committee. The aide, Mark Zachares, traded favors with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Tuesday, Zachares admitted his crime in federal court.

What does Don Young have to say about it?

Nothing.

No statement of regret. No promise to get to the bottom of what happened. No comment on whether he knew what was going on under his nose. No answers to the obvious questions about whether he was personally involved in hiring the aide or in any of the corrupt arrangements.

The congressman is silent, and with his silence, he is flouting his obligation to be accountable to the people who elect him.

Congressman Young can't just brush this scandal off as the excesses of a rogue employee. Zachares is a rogue, but it is well established that Congressman Young accepted campaign money steered his way by Zachares' patron, Jack Abramoff. Congressman Young took positions favored by Abramoff and his clients. A coincidence?

Young isn't saying.

Zachares was accused of scheming to "secure official action on maritime issues for Abramoff clients." Did Congressman Young take any such official action, either knowingly or unknowingly?

He isn't saying.

Prosecutors charged Zachares with trying to "advance federal support for a multimillion-dollar highway development project benefiting a businessman." Who was the businessman, and did Congressman Young fund that project, knowingly or unknowingly?

He isn't saying.

According to a report in Florida last year, Don Young mysteriously steered $10 million to a local highway project needed by a local developer, who helped organize a $41,000 fundraiser for Congressman Young. Is this the arrangement mentioned in the charges against Zachares?

He isn't saying.

These are obvious questions arising from the scandal at Congressman Young's transportation committee.

As long as Congressman Young keeps silent, he will leave Alaskans and the nation wondering. They'll be wondering whether he cares about the scandal that oozed out of his own committee. They'll ask themselves: Does the congressman have something to hide?

He isn't saying.

BOTTOM LINE: It's past time for Congressman Don Young to answer questions about the scandal in his congressional committee.