These are the Members of Congress who keep family members on some sort of dole, whether a friendly PAC or something else.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington earlier this week (CREW) released an analysis of the misuse of power by the chairmen and ranking members of all House of Representative committees and subcommittees, as well as top leadership positions, to financially benefit their family members. The new report, Family Affair, names 96 members from 33 states: 41 Democrats and 55 Republicans.
Highlights of the report include:
* 64 paid family members through their campaign committees or PACs (26 Democrats and 38 Republicans);
* 24 have relatives who lobby Congress (10 Democrats and 14 Republicans);
* 19 used their campaign committees or PACs to pay a family business or a business that employs a family member (9 Democrats and 10 Republicans);
* 17 used their campaign funds to make campaign contributions to relatives (11 Democrats and 6 Republicans);
* 15 used their positions to benefit a family member or a family member’s client (3 Democrats and 12 Republicans);
* At least 7 paid offspring who ranged from school-age to college-age (all Republicans)
Among the more laughable on the list? “Libertarian” Ron Paul; I guess it just shows that past or present third-party officials aren’t immune from hypocrisy, either.
None of his relatives worked for the government, ’tis true; just for his campaign committee. It's still a form of benefiting your own family through running for office.
Paul has his daughter on his campaign committee, to the tune of about $49,000 in the 2002 election cycle, and $56,000 in both 2004 and 2006 cycles. A second daughter, and her mother-in-law and father-in-law, got smaller payouts.
The CREW page about the story, including a state-by-state look-up of the “dirty 96,” is here. (PDFs of info on each of the violators.)
Cross-posted at Socratic Gadfly.
