Curt Weldon Under FBI Investigation for Bribery
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James Joyner | Saturday, October 14, 2006 |
Curt Weldon joins the growing ranks of Republican congressional leaders under investigation for influence peddling.
The Justice Department is investigating whether Republican Rep. Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania traded his political influence for lucrative lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter, according to sources with direct knowledge of the inquiry.
The FBI, which opened an investigation in recent months, has formally referred the matter to the department’s Public Integrity Section for additional scrutiny. At issue are Weldon’s efforts between 2002 and 2004 to aid two Russian companies and two Serbian brothers with ties to strongman Slobodan Milosevic, a federal law enforcement official said. The Russian companies and a Serbian foundation run by the brothers’ family each hired a firm co-owned by Weldon’s daughter, Karen, for fees totaling nearly $1 million a year, public records show.
Whether Weldon ultimately did anything illegal here, it certainly looks bad. It’s odd enough for him to be helping Russian companies drum up business, let alone for that business to “coincidentally” benefit his daughter’s firm.
Politicians have families and we can’t draw such a wide buffer zone around the former as to prevent the latter from making a living. Surely, though, such direct benefits can and should be excluded.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
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You don't think that after the "Duke" and Delay and Ney and Foley that ANOTHER REPUBLISCUM congressman WELDON could have done something against the "Family Values" they claim to be the owners of do you? I mean these are "VALUES" we are talking about here........
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Congress is a sewer. Both Houses! Completely void of values, ethics, morals, integrity and character. Could we do any better if the Democrats took control? Not likely. They're just as bad. However, like Robin Williams suggests in his new movie, changing members of Congress is like changing diapers and for exactly the same reason. Let's face it, term limits is the only answer!
I don't know how men and women of honor and integrity could possibly aspire to serve in an elected office especially in the U.S. House or the U.S. Senate. Members of both houses of the Congress of the United States of America are completely owned by special interests. The Oil lobby, the insurance lobby, the lawyers lobby, the doctors lobby, etc. Each of these lobbies in addition to many many more send money to Congressional members regularly and in return, Congressional members vote on their behalf and for their special interests. Your Senators and your Congressman or Congresswoman does not care about you, the individual. They have sold out to the highest bidder. Congress is a toilet! That's why it needs to be flushed regularly!
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