Comments on: The Appropriate Culture of Corruption http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2009/03/30/the-appropriate-culture-of-corruption/ Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants... Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:39:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Abigail Alger http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/2009/03/30/the-appropriate-culture-of-corruption/comment-page-1/#comment-73596 Abigail Alger Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:15:45 +0000 http://blog.sunlightfoundation.com/?p=7525#comment-73596 What is most frustrating about the PMA story is the lack of reckoning for those who are voting down Jeff Flake's consistent motions to begin an ethics investigation. It should be a no-brainer, regardless of party affiliation. I'm a North Carolina citizen who recently--very recently!--began tracking the North Carolina delegation. (In fact, Flake's last motion re PMA was what kicked it all of.) With just a bit of digging I found that Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC3) received $133,710 from PMA and its clients since 1998--including $2000 from Paul and wife. Meanwhile, my representative (and chair of Homeland Security Approps), Rep. David Price (D-NC4) has taken $101,750 from PMA and its clients since 1998, and also put through an $800,000 earmark for a PMA client in the FY 2008 defense appropriations bill. Needless to say, both voted to table the motion. And, notably, Jones was one of just four Republicans to vote that way. Until there is a concerted and coordinated public effort to ask representatives why they oppose an investigation re PMA--and, more importantly, to follow the money!--this will remain another story confined to the marginalia of the Congressional record. Not good for transparency. Not good for the country. What is most frustrating about the PMA story is the lack of reckoning for those who are voting down Jeff Flake’s consistent motions to begin an ethics investigation. It should be a no-brainer, regardless of party affiliation.

I’m a North Carolina citizen who recently–very recently!–began tracking the North Carolina delegation. (In fact, Flake’s last motion re PMA was what kicked it all of.) With just a bit of digging I found that Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-NC3) received $133,710 from PMA and its clients since 1998–including $2000 from Paul and wife. Meanwhile, my representative (and chair of Homeland Security Approps), Rep. David Price (D-NC4) has taken $101,750 from PMA and its clients since 1998, and also put through an $800,000 earmark for a PMA client in the FY 2008 defense appropriations bill.

Needless to say, both voted to table the motion. And, notably, Jones was one of just four Republicans to vote that way.

Until there is a concerted and coordinated public effort to ask representatives why they oppose an investigation re PMA–and, more importantly, to follow the money!–this will remain another story confined to the marginalia of the Congressional record.

Not good for transparency. Not good for the country.

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