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PA Dems: Santorum’s Lights May Be on, But There’s Nobody Home
The chairwoman of the local Democratic Party and her husband charged yesterday that Sen. Rick Santorum’s (R-PA) Penn Hills, Penn. home — his legally declared primary residence — is empty. “The house he’s registered to vote out of is vacant — no curtains, furniture, nothing in there. It’s been abandoned for over a month,” Ed Vecchio told a local TV news station. Santorum reacted with outrage, saying the allegation was false and put the safety of his six children at risk. (The Hill)

On Hill, FBI Raid Raises Ire Of GOP and Dems Alike
Two days after the FBI raided the Hill office of Rep. William “Cold Cash” Jefferson (D-LA), members of both parties set down their differences and defended their collective right to do whatever the hell they please in their taxpayer-funded congressional offices, free from scrutiny of federal law enforcement. (Roll Call, WashPost, The Hill)

Probes likely won’t end before Nov. 7
The House ethics probes of Reps. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) and William Jefferson (D-La.) are unlikely to conclude before Election Day, diminishing their political impact. (The Hill)

Searches highlight FBI corruption probes
Over nine days in May, FBI agents in the Washington area searched the offices of a lawmaker and the No. 3 CIA official in a flurry of activity that highlights a newly aggressive pursuit of public corruption cases by federal prosecutors and investigators. The bureau’s stepped-up effort has come partly as a result of the inactivity of congressional ethics committees, even in the face of serious bribery allegations. The FBI also has been relatively shielded from political considerations that have slowed pursuit of corruption in past administrations, said ethics watchdogs across the political spectrum. (AP)

Jefferson Supported by CBC Allies; No Clear Challengers Yet
House Democratic leaders have handled the matter somewhat gingerly, aware that Jefferson has many allies in the powerful Congressional Black Caucus. As Jefferson maintains that he plans to run for re-election this fall, potential candidates interested in running for the New Orleans-based 2nd district seat seem to be keeping their powder dry. The 2nd district, which contains most all of New Orleans, is heavily Democratic and although it remains unclear to what extent the area’s demographics were changed by Hurricane Katrina, the party is still expected to hold the seat if it becomes open. (Roll Call)

Dems Struggle with Jefferson Case
On Monday, Democratic leaders were considering steps to isolate Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), including the possibility of removing him from his seat on the Ways and Means Committee. Ms. Pelosi had already endorsed the idea of an ethics inquiry against Mr. Jefferson, and one was initiated last week. (NY Times)

Cheney pitches in to Doolittle campaign
Those who attended the $250-per-person fund-raiser said the vice president delivered an upbeat speech touting Bush accomplishments that he said were at odds with negative news about the administration. “He was very postitive, very upbeat,” said state Sen. Sam Aanestad, R-Grass Valley. (Sac Bee)

Public Citizen Prepares Massive Report on Lobbyist Giving; Santorum is No. 1
Looking at those four election cycles from 1998 through 2004, Public Citizen found that the Pa. Republican had raked in $1,163,560 from registered lobbyists — $838,133 from individuals, and $325,427 from their political action committees. (Attytood, Public Citizen)


Abramoff Taint Drags Down Numbers For Montana’s Burns

A poll shows Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) 10 to 15 points below where he should be as an incumbent running against an unknown, underfunded primary challenger. (The Hill)

Vast Data Cache About Veterans Has Been Stolen
As measured by the number of people potentially affected, the data loss is exceeded only by a breach last June at CardSystems Solutions, a payment processor, in which the accounts of 40 million credit card holders were compromised in a hacking incident. (NY Times)

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