We were working the story of Rep. Don Young’s Coconut Road earmark pretty hard earlier this year at TPMmuckraker. For those who weren’t following along, in 2005 the Alaska Republican managed to get an earmark inserted for a highway interchange in Florida after the bill had passed both houses but before it went to the President for signature. It was, basically, an extra-constitutional bit of pork barrel legislation for a developer who gave generously to Young’s re-election campaign.
But even with those startling facts, the story pretty much died there. Until perhaps today.
Anti-earmark crusader Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) is now calling for the creation of a select committee of both representatives and senators to investigate the circumstances surrounding the virgin birth of the Coconut Road earmark. And until Coburn gets the investigation he wants, he will object to unanimous consent on the bill working its way through Congress now that would essentially fix the 2005 bill.
Paul Kiel has more, including a copy of Coburn’s letter to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Late Update: If you’re late to the Coconut Road story, this August TPMtv episode will catch you up:
