GOP’s Bilbray in CA Runoff, But Ethics Questions Swirl

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Brian Bilbray’s a funny guy. I don’t mean funny ha-ha — I’ve never met the man. But he’s got a spotty history with lobbyists and lobbying that make him an odd fellow for the GOP to run for Congress — in California’s 50th, anyway.

Bilbray was the top GOP vote-getter in last night’s special election in the district, once represented by Randy “Duke” Cunningham. Bilbray will face off against Democrat Francine Busby in a special election this June. So we’ll be seeing more of him.

During his recent years as a lobbyist, and his earlier Congressional career representing California’s 49th District in the late 1990s, Bilbray made some questionable choices.

As a congressman, Bilbray traveled to the Marianas Islands on a junket arranged by disgraced GOP superlobbyist Jack Abramoff. The island government, controlled by a handful of wealthy manufacturers, was pressing to keep the U.S. from imposing wage and labor laws on their factories.

Bilbray took up the Marianas’ cause with aplomb, although he has denied knowing Abramoff. “I assume I’ve run into him during the process,” he said. “But when I see him on TV, it’s not someone I recognize.”

Bilbray lost re-election to Congress in 2000; he immediately declared himself a lobbyist. Congress prohibits former members from lobbying their former colleagues for one year, so Bilbray lobbied the State Department and the White House until he was allowed back in the Capitol. (More on that soon.)

Once there, folks have said he had trouble keeping to the rules. “Several sources, including one GOP lawmaker, said [Bilbray] uses his floor privilege to lobby in the House chamber,” which is not permitted, the Hill newspaper reported last June. Bilbray denied the charge: “I’ve never done that. That’s not right.”

Also as a lobbyist, he once testified before Congress about a water treatment project, but failed to reveal he was paid to lobby for the group whose project was being discussed.

Needless to say, it’s not the spotless record a party would hope for to fill a seat held most recently by possibly its most corrupt congressman in recent history.

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