Here's the Renzi story -
The Patty Roe Story: the interesting ethics of Congressman Rick Renzi
Posted on Thursday, September 14, 2006. By Ken Silverstein.
SourcesCongressional rules are designed to prevent “senior” staffers from simultaneously having two careers, in order to prevent conflicts of interest. Federal law and ethics rules also bar any staffers from working on political campaigns unless they do it on their free time. And no campaign work can be done from a government office, such as a congressional office building. But the office of ethically-challenged Republican Congressman Rick Renzi of Arizona has figured out a way to trample on the spirit of both rules. Here's how he does it:
A woman named Patty Roe works in Renzi's office as his administrative assistant, and during the first half of this year, Roe was paid at a rate that works out to about $95,000 per year. “Prior to joining the Congressman's office, Patty owned her own consulting business in Washington, D.C.,” Renzi's office said in a statement issued when Roe was hired last December. “Patty has represented clients ranging from local, state, and federal candidates, to national associations and coalitions specializing in . . . fundraising efforts for the past five years.”
After joining Renzi's staff, Roe continued to work as a fundraising consultant. Records show that since January Renzi has paid Roe $5,000 a month to troll for donor money, so it looks like she'll make an additional $60,000 on top of her office salary. Not bad—especially when you consider that Roe has also received about $30,000 in fundraising fees this year from four other House members: Tom Feeney of Florida, whose chief of staff, Jason Roe, is Patty's husband; Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Mario Diaz-Balart, both of Florida; and Patrick McHenry of North Carolina. Renzi's office says those payments were for services rendered in 2005.
That first rule I mentioned above—the one meant to prevent senior congressional staffers from having two careers—limits outside earned income to $24,780 per year. Roe gets around that rule because a senior position is defined as one that pays $109,808 or more in 2006.
More at link -
http://www.harpers.org/sb-the-patty-roe-story-1158246131.htmlCREW (Melanie Sloan) has compared this scandal with that of Jerry Lewis (who we know that Lam was investigating).
House for Sale: more on Letitia White and Trident Systems
Posted on Friday, June 9, 2006. By Ken Silverstein.
SourcesIt looks like there might be more problems in store for Letitia White, a lobbyist and former staffer to GOP Representative Jerry Lewis of California. And there may be even more problems for Lewis, the head of the House Appropriations Committee who is under federal investigation for his ties to lobbyists and for possibly steering money to well-connected companies.
Shortly after leaving the Hill in early 2003, White became a lobbyist for Copeland Lowery Jacquez Denton & White and retained Trident Systems, Inc. as a client. Copeland Lowery's “name” partners include Bill Lowery, a former congressman who is extremely close to Lewis. Trident has since paid Copeland Lowery hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees, and both Trident and Copeland Lowery are major political contributors to Congressman Lewis.
Then, as I reported two days ago, in late 2003 White bought a $1 million house on Capitol Hill with Nicholas E. Karangelen of Trident Systems. As first reported by TPMMuckraker, which has broken news about a number of aspects of this unfolding story, this house was put to use as the official headquarters of the Small Biz Tech PAC, operated by Congressman Lewis's stepdaughter, Julie Willis-Leon. Several contributors to that PAC have received earmarks from Lewis' committee, and a number are clients of White's firm; Willis-Leon herself received more that $40,000 for her services administrating the PAC.
Karangelen is the PAC's chairman. In a statement on the Small Biz Tech website that discusses the benefit of membership in the PAC, he wrote, “We will keep you informed of key legislative activity and be your inside source on Capitol Hill for small business technology issues. We will help you understand your representatives’ role and how they can help you promote your company-specific goals . . . You will be invited to participate in meetings on Capitol Hill and attend events with key members of Congress.”
much more at this link too -
http://www.harpers.org/sb-house-for-sale-1149881901.htmlWas Renzi the reason that this "resignation" was asked for?
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