Miffed (and Fearful), Lobbyists Withhold Campaign Donations
Criminal probes, convictions, and halfhearted “reformist” posturing by members is having a chilling effect on the Washington status quo, Roll Call reports. Take, for example, the change of heart by former Rep. Mike Flanagan, now the head of his own lobby shop, Flanagan Consulting:
[Flanagan] said he’s less likely to attend fundraisers now.
“You can’t just call me bad names night and day and expect me to show up,” he explained. “I’m also afraid. I don’t need to be punished for my efforts to help good Members stay in office … because the Congress is beginning to view activities like that in a bad light. We don’t want to be viewed in a bad light.”
Flanagan added that his firm has backed off from hosting events. Typically, he said, Flanagan Consulting would host about one fundraiser a month. “Now,” he said, “we will only do a couple a year, and those are for personal friends of mine.”
(Roll Call)
Verizon Denies Turning Over Local Phone Data
But the statement by Verizon left open the possibility that MCI, the long-distance carrier it bought in January, did turn over such records – or that the unit, once absorbed into Verizon, had continued to do so. The company said Verizon had not provided customer records to the National Security Agency “from the time of the 9/11 attacks until just four months ago.” MCI, Sprint and AT&T carry the bulk of the country’s long-distance and international calls. (NYT)
Bush agrees to review of spy program
The White House, in an abrupt reversal, has agreed to let the full Senate and House of Representatives intelligence committees review President George W. Bush’s domestic spying program, lawmakers said on Tuesday. (AP)
GOP Official Faces Sentence in Phone-Jamming
Here’s the WaPo’s rundown on the New Hampshire phone jamming. (WaPo)
Judge weighs Libby’s media records request
A lawyer for I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby told a federal judge Tuesday that the former White House aide’s right to a fair trial outweighs any special protection claimed by media organizations touched by the CIA leak investigation. But U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton was skeptical of many of the defense’s requests, saying he respects “the important role the press plays in society.” He did not rule immediately. (AP)
Karl Rove, Jason Leopold and the hunt for the truth
This is Tim Grieve’s rundown on the back and forth between Jason Leopold and The Wall Street Journal. (Salon)
CREW Files FEC Complaint against Former Sen. Santorum Staffers
The complaint alleges a number of infractions by two of Sen. Santorum’s (R-PA) former staffers who run a lobby shop. (CREW)
Mollohan, Jefferson Cases Hamper Democrats’ Attacks Over Ethics
House Democrats’ efforts to capitalize on what they call a Republican-created “culture of corruption” in Washington are being complicated by ethical allegations against two of their own members: Reps. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) and William Jefferson (D-LA).
Mollohan plays behind-the-scenes role in PBS doc
Rep. Alan Mollohan’s (D-WV) network of earmark-driven West Virginia nonprofit organizations, now facing federal investigation, jeopardizing his reelection, helped fund “The Appalachians,” a three-part PBS documentary highlighting the cultural and historical legacy of the vast mountain region. (The Hill)
Producer Faces 10 Years in TV Scam
A Hollywood producer pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and income tax evasion in connection with a bogus television production about the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that he used to swindle millions of dollars from dozens of investors. (LA Times)
GOP Meets An Earmark It Doesn’t Like: Murtha’s
Pennsylvania GOP members of the House are quietly bitching that their senior Democratic colleague, the 30-year member John Murtha, gets too many earmarks — at their expense. (The Hill)
Congress Delays Lobby Reform — Again
Once slated to complete a lobby overhaul bill by Memorial Day, sources are now saying it will have to wait. (Roll Call)
DeLay Refugee Finds a Home
Another former DeLay aide has entered the lobbying biz – Brett Shogren, who served as policy director, has been named a senior vice president at the Washington Group. (Roll Call)
Wade Continues to Cooperate
As we reported last week, Mitchell Wade’s sentencing has been pushed back to make more time for the briber to spill his beans to prosecutors. (San Diego Union Tribune)
