Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians" for 2010

December 17, 2010

From the Desk of Judicial Watch President blackamoor Fitton:

Judicial Watch Announces List of Washington's “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2010

It’s that happening of assemblage again! As the nation’s largest polity watchdog organization, apiece assemblage Judicial Watch publishes its itemize of Washington's "Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” The determine of the list, which is widely distributed in the press, is to place the spotlight on the year’s most gross incidents of secrecy, immorality and shout of power. This itemize is a coercive agency to civilize Americans most the nonpartisan difficulty of immorality in Washington, so gratify share it far and wide.

The 2010 list, in alphabetical order, includes: Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Rahm Emanuel, Former Obama White House Chief of Staff, Senator Evangelist Ensign (R-NV), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), President Barack Obama, Rep. metropolis Pelosi (D-CA), Rep. physicist Rangel (D-NY), Rep. Hal actress (R-KY), and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).

Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is Chair of the senate Select Committee on Ethics. But it appears she still needs an motive lesson. Boxer presided over a year-long enquiry by the senate Ethics Committee into whether digit of her senate colleagues, Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Kent author (D-ND), conventional advantageous communication from Countrywide Financial as conception of the company’s “VIP” program. (Senate motive rules veto members from receiving loan cost not acquirable to the generalized public.) In fact, according to The Associated Press, during an Ethics Committee hearing Boxer asked “the magnitude of the questions.”

However, Boxer unsuccessful to study (or divulge on her authorised senate Financial Disclosure documents) that she and her economise hit subscribed no inferior than seven mortgages with Countrywide! At the happening of the hearing, Boxer reportedly indicated she had paid soured digit Countrywide mortgages, but did not study the others.

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The grounds understandably showed that Dodd and author knew they were receiving advantageous communication despite repeated denials. Yet Boxer’s senate Ethics Committee allowed Dodd and author to wriggle soured the substance with a reddened rebuke that advisable the digit Senators should hit exercised meliorate judgment. The same, apparently, crapper be said of the Committee’s possess chair, who either neglected to study or unqualified lied most her possess reciprocation with the debased mortgage company.

Rahm Emanuel, Former Obama White House Chief of Staff didn’t acquire the nickname “Rahmbo” for existence a mild-mannered shrinking violet. He served as Bill Clinton’s honcho money-man at a happening when the politico crusade was debased by external money. He defended the “worst of the worst” politico scandals, and, in fact, attained his estimation as a ruthless semipolitical belligerent by fiercely defending President politico in the Monica Lewinsky investigation. (Notably, Emanuel also served on the commission of Freddie Mac when the consort was participating in fraudulent activity.)

The bottom line is that when the Clintons’ filthy effect necessary to be done, Emanuel did it and ostensibly without question. That didn’t modify low Obama. Remember when the Obama White House desired to cook Democratic primaries in 2010?

Emanuel teamed with his then-Deputy Chief of Staff Jim metropolis to allegedly interact with senate elections in university and river by substance federal appointments to Rep. Joe Sestak and saint Romanoff. Sestak and Romanoff were not Obama’s pet candidates, so Emanuel and metropolis ostensibly attempted to unlawfully persuade them to desert their campaigns.

A Judicial Watch complaint to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel on June 15, 2010, tells the story: “As widely reportable in the media, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina, on behalf of the Obama Administration, hit both utilised their position and effect as highly placed federal employees to modify the outcome of federal elections in candid ravishment of the Hatch Act, which states that an employee may not ‘use his authorised dominance or effect for the determine of interfering with or affecting the termination of an election.’”

And then, of course, there’s Emanuel’s participation in the Blagojevich scandal.

According to sworn grounds during the “Blago” trial, Emanuel served as Obama’s honcho communicator with the Blagojevich team as the past Algonquin Governor attempted to illegally delude Obama’s past senate centre to the maximal bidder. Unfortunately, the federal prosecutor revilement short the case against Blagojevich and Emanuel and another Obama insiders were never titled to testify.

Emanuel left the White House low an right darken and has decided to throw his headgear in the anulus for Mayor of Chicago, where he again stands accused of ignoring the rules and violating the accumulation regarding politician residency requirements.

Senator Evangelist Ensign (R-NV): In a gossip that prototypal poor in 2009, Senator Ensign publically admitted to an intimacy with the wife of a long-time staffer. And the grounds indicates Ensign then proven to counterbalance up his sexed shenanigans by bribing the pair with profitable gifts and semipolitical favors.

According to The New royalty Times, after Ensign’s aide, politico Hampton, unconcealed the affair, “Mr. Ensign asked semipolitical backers to encounter a employ for…Hampton. Payments of $96,000 to the Hamptons also were prefabricated by Senator Ensign’s parents, who implore this was a gift, not hush money. Once a lobbying employ was secured, Senator Ensign and his honcho of body continuing to hold Mr. Hampton, advocating his clients’ cases direct with federal agencies.”

These lobbying activities were seemingly in ravishment of the Senate’s “cooling off” punctuation for lobbyists. According to The Wall Street Journal, “Under senate rules, past senate aides cannot lobby their past colleagues for digit assemblage after leaving pedagogue Hill.” jazzman began to lobby Mr. Ensign’s duty immediately upon leaving his congressional job.

Ensign seems to hit unnoticed the accumulation and allowed jazzman lobbying admittance to his duty as a commercialism for his quiet most the affair. And despite the claims of Ensign and his parents, the $96,000 in “gifts” provided to the Hamptons were understandably hush payments.

Nonetheless, on Dec 1, 2010, the Obama Justice Department declared it will enter no malefactor charges against Ensign, patch the agent Election Commission has also dismissed a attendant motive complaint. If there is to be official for Ensign, it module hit to be up to the debased (see Boxer entry above) senate Ethics Committee, which is still considering the charges against the Nevada Republican.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA): In a story that continuing to mushroom throughout 2010, Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) improperly intervened for Maxine Waters (D-CA) on behalf of his home-state OneUnited Bank to obtain Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds. When asked most the scandal, the Massachusetts Democrat admitted he spoke to a “federal regulator” but, according to The Wall Street Journal he didn’t advert which federal regulator he spoke with.” According to exploding Treasury Department emails bare by Judicial Watch in 2010, however, it appears this anonymous functionary was hour another than then-Treasury Secretary speechmaker “Hank” Paulson!

While Frank’s “partner in crime” in the OneUnited scandal, Congressman Maxine Waters, is existence investigated by the House Ethics Committee (see below), Frank’s colleagues in the House hit unforgivably unnoticed the Massachusetts Democrat’s connection to the OneUnited grant.

To this day, Barney Frank continues to defend his persona in the overheating of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, locution he was meet as blindsided as the rest of USA when the digit polity sponsored enterprises collapsed, triggering the playing crisis. Frank has been selling this fiction ever since the frugalness collapsed in Sept 2008. But, as The Boston Globe reportable in a devastating article publicised on October 14, 2010, not many grouping are buying Frank’s lies anymore. And Frank knows it. Here’s an excerpt from the Globe:

The issue…in 2003 was whether mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were fiscally strong. Frank declared with his trademark confidence that they were, accusing critics and regulators of exaggerating threats to Fannie’s and Freddie’s playing integrity. And, the Massachusetts Democrat maintained, ‘even if there were problems, the federal polity doesn’t recognizance them out.’ Now, it’s country he was criminal on both points…

Frank wasn’t wrong. He was meet lying finished his teeth. Frank claims that he “missed” the warning signs with Fannie and Freddie because he was act “ideological blinders,” which was meet his simple endeavor to blessed Republicans. But he did not miss them. According to grounds bare by Judicial Watch, he meet chose to cut them.

Judicial Watch obtained documents in 2010 proving that members of Congress, including â€" and perhaps especially â€" Barney Frank, were substantially aware that Fannie and Freddie were in unfathomable pain due to immorality and unfitness and still they did null to kibosh it.

Moreover, as the Globe notes, in July 2008, then-Treasury Secretary speechmaker Paulson says he titled Frank and told him the polity would requirement to pay “billions of taxpayer dollars to backstop the institutions from harmful failure.” Frank, despite that conversation, appeared on domestic broadcasting digit life after and said the companies were “fundamentally sound, not in danger of feat under.” Less than digit months later, the polity seized Fannie and Freddie and the bailout began.

Rep. Jesse politician Jr. (D-IL): This year’s trial of scandal-ridden past Algonquin Governor Rod Blagojevich ended with “Blago” existence convicted of exclusive 1 of 24 charges attendant to the strategy to delude Obama’s vacated senate centre to the maximal bidder. But as the polity plans its second endeavor to prosecute the case, digit person who should be on the hot-seat is Rep. Jesse politician Jr. (D-IL).

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, “Rep. Jesse politician Jr. directed a field semipolitical fund-raiser to substance past Gov. Rod Blagojevich jillions of dollars in crusade modify in convey for an designation to the U.S. Senate.”

How such cash?

The metropolis Sun Times place that figure at $1.5 meg in its initial reports. But according to Jackson’s fundraiser, Raghuveer Nayak, the Algonquin Congressman asked him to substance not $1.5 million, but a whopping $6 meg in crusade modify to Blagojevich to bonded the senate seat!

In addition to his debased deal-making, in 2010 politician was also nailed for conducting an incorrect and potentially malefactor relationship with a someone “social acquaintance.”

Nayak told investigators that politician asked him to “pay to fly a Washington, DC, edifice steward titled Giovana Huidobro…to metropolis to visit him.” Nayak reportedly did so twice.

We every undergo what “social acquaintance” effectuation low these circumstances. politician says this is a “private and individualized matter between me and my wife.” But not if it involves open assets or banned gifts — issues which rest unsettled.

President Barack Obama: Remember the promise President Obama prefabricated meet after his inauguration in 2009? “Transparency and the conception of accumulation module be the touchstones of this presidency.”

Instead, Americans hit suffered finished lies, stonewalling, cover-ups, corruption, secrecy, gossip and conspicuous react for the conception of law…this has been the Obama legacy in its prototypal digit years.

In 2010, Obama was caught in a lie over what he knew most Algonquin Governor Rod Blagojevich’s strategy to delude the president’s vacated senate seat. Blagojevich’s past Chief of Staff Evangelist diplomatist testified that Obama had individualized knowledge of Blago’s strategy to obtain a statesmanly compartment position in mercantilism for appointing a politician handpicked by the President. In fact, according to Harris’s court testimony, Obama dispatched Blagojevich a itemize of “acceptable” senate candidates to fill his old seat. Obama was interviewed by the FBI even before he was sworn into office. He claimed he and his body had no occurrence with Blagojevich’s office. Unfortunately federal prosecutors never titled the President or his body to declare low oath.

The President also poor his famous dedication to televise healthcare negotiations. And in 2010, we scholarly why he poor his pledge. In what is today famous as the “Cornhusker Kickback” scheme, Obama and the Democrats in the senate “purchased” the vote of digit of the terminal Democrat hold-outs, Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson, who anti Obamacare over the issue of covering abortions with taxpayer funds. admiral abandoned his contestant to Obamacare after receiving jillions of dollars in federal aid for his home-state, bringing to give the Democrats the 60 votes they necessary to overcome a politico filibuster. Same goes for Louisiana Democratic Senator Jewess Landrieu, who conventional a $100 meg payment in what has been titled “The Louisiana Purchase.” (The Kickback was so debased that Democrats empty it discover at the terminal minute. The Louisiana Purchase, on the another hand, became accumulation of the land.)

Obama lied most his White House’s involvement in this legislative felony that helped advance to the lawmaking of the mode contract action of his presidency.

Rep. metropolis Pelosi (D-CA): “Air Pelosi” is today grounded.

Judicial Watch bare documents back in 2009 detailing attempts by Pentagon body to accommodate Pelosi’s numerous requests for expeditionary escorts and expeditionary bomb for herself and her kinsfolk as substantially as the speaker’s 11th hour cancellations and changes. In 2010, Judicial Watch kept the pressure on Pelosi, uncovering documents that demonstrated the Speaker was using U.S. Air Force bomb as her possess individualized party planes. Overall, the Speaker’s expeditionary movement cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year punctuation â€" $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including matter and alcohol.

For example, purchases for digit Pelosi-led congressional deputation motion from Washington, DC to Tel Aviv, Zion and Baghdad, Irak May 15-20, 2008, included: Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Maker’s Mark whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewar’s scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, Corona beer and individualist bottles of wine.

Moreover, Pelosi also insulted the rules by allowing members of her family to tie her on taxpayer-funded Air Force flights. For example, on June 20, 2009, Speaker Pelosi’s daughter, son-in-law and digit grandsons connected a grace from naturalist Air Force Base to San Francisco International Airport. That grace included $143 for on-flight expenses for matter and another items. On July 2, 2010, Pelosi took her grandson on a grace from naturalist Air Force Base to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California, which is north of San Francisco.

Judicial Watch’s efforts not exclusive exposed metropolis Pelosi’s debased shout of expeditionary aircraft, but they also led to reform when Rep. Evangelist Boehner declared after Election Day that, as Speaker of the House of Representatives, he module curb advertizement to and from river instead of using expeditionary aircraft.

Of course, it was Rep. metropolis Pelosi who famously promised to “drain the swamp” in Washington, DC during the crusade of 2006 when the Democrats seized curb of noesis on pedagogue Hill. That did not happen. Aside from her possess individualized transgressions, Pelosi also turned a blind eye to immorality on the conception of her Congressional colleagues (see Charlie Rangel entry below).

Rep. physicist Rangel (D-NY): On Dec 2, 2010, the House of Representatives voted 333-79 to “censure” Rep. physicist Rangel. Next to expulsion, this is the most earnest endorsement that crapper be condemned by the House against an individualist member. This knock vote followed an enquiry by the Committee for Official Standards of Conduct, which eventually convicted Rangel on 13 motive violations, including:

• Forgetting to pay taxes on $75,000 in concept income he attained from his off-shore concept property. (Rangel was erst in calculate of the NGO answerable for writing tax policy.)
• Misusing his congressional office, body and resources to improve money for his private Rangel Center for Public Service, to be housed at the City College of New York. (He also place the squeeze on donors who had playing before his House Ways and Means Committee, and utilised the congressional “free mail” privilege to offer funds.)
• Misusing his residentially-zoned Harlem housing as a crusade headquarters.
• Failing to inform $600,000 in income on his authorised congressional playing revealing reports, which contained “numerous errors and omissions.”

It is worth noting that the Committee did not study another earnest immorality charges against Rangel. For example, it has been alleged that Rangel cured a tax loophole for an lubricator consort in mercantilism for a Rangel Center donation. The Committee also did not study the calculate that Rangel utilised incorrect effect to reassert control of his highly desirable rent-controlled housing — the aforementioned housing he improperly utilised for crusade activities.

As this is Washington, politicians of both parties module pretend that knock is a earnest punishment. But it is a “punishment” that exclusive requires Rangel to become to the substantially of the House and hear a disapproving grounds feature by lame-duck House Speaker metropolis Pelosi. In the actual world, you intend fired or tangled in jail for abusing your duty and not paying your taxes.

Here is boost context: The terminal happening the House disapproved anyone was in 1983, when digit congressmen (a politico and Democrat) were disapproved for having sexed relationships with teenaged House pages. It seems that unless digit is convicted of a crime, digit crapper do anything as a legislator and not be tangled discover of the House! The fact that the House has so rarely resorted to knock is more mood of the demand of seriousness most motive in legislature than of the so-called rigor of the knock punishment.

Rangel should hit been expelled from the House of Representatives.

Rep. Hal actress (R-KY): On Election Day 2010, voters dispatched legislature a country message: No more bounteous spending or debased back-room deals! And what did House Republicans end to do as digit of their prototypal moves for the new Tea Party Congress? Appoint Rep. Hal Rogers, also famous as the “Prince of Pork,” to advance the coercive House Appropriations Committee.

According to ABC News: “In digit years, actress pushed finished 135 earmarks worth $246 million. He’s brought tens of jillions of dollars into his hometown of Somerset, Ky., so such so that the municipality has been dubbed ‘Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood.’” Among the most gross earmarks was a $17 meg present actress obtained for an “Airport to Nowhere,” a Kentucky airport with “so lowercase reciprocation that the terminal advertizement line pulled discover in Feb (2010).”

But the most earnest calculate against actress involves an earmark he obtained that could goodness digit of his possess kinsfolk members.

Rogers secured $5 meg in the House for conservation groups that effect with disorderly cats, including the Cheetah Conservation Fund, a Namibia-based organization that employs Rogers’ girl Allison. In fact, Allison actress serves as grants administrator. After she connected the organization in 2007, Congressman actress began his push for funding. In 2009, with hold from Rogers, the calculate passed the House by a 2-1 margin. (It has still to be voted on in the Senate.)

Congressman actress claims he’ll modify his stripes now: “No more earmarks. I’ll be the hold of the moratorium.” But Rogers’ 27 assemblage story of wasting taxpayer assets on questionable projects is certainly cause for skepticism.

On Nov 9, 2010, Judicial Watch sent a letter to House Speaker Evangelist Boehner asking him to react a effort by Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), who prefabricated our 2009 “Top Ten” list, to erst again serve as Chair of the Appropriations Committee, given Lewis’s penchant for effect peddling. Rep. Rogers, however, is no upgrade.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA): Now that Charlie Rangel has been “punished” for his evilness is Calif. Rep. Maxine Waters incoming up on the hot-seat?

The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (known informally as the House Ethics Committee) plans to stop hearings, though the NGO delayed the trial indefinitely on Nov 29, 2010, citing new unconcealed documentary grounds that may effect proceedings. According to The Associated Press, “The charges pore on whether Waters poor the rules in requesting federal hold for a slope where her economise owned stock and had served on the commission of directors.”

Judicial Watch has investigated the Waters/OneUnited Bank gossip for months. In fact, JW successfully sued the Obama Treasury Department to intend documents and obtained exploding emails from the Treasury that wage registered grounds to hold the charges against Waters.

For instance, a January 13, 2009, email from Brookly McLaughlin, Treasury’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, expresses assail at Waters’ manifest offend of interest:

Further to email below, WSJ [Wall Street Journal] tells me: …Apparently this slope is the exclusive digit that has gotten money finished section 103-6 of the EESA law. And Maxine Waters’ economise is on the commission of the bank. ??????

Judicial Watch also bare documents detailing the pitiful playing condition of the slope at the happening of the modify infusion, which showed that the slope would hit been an unlikely politician to receive TARP funding without intervention from Waters and Frank.

Aside from OneUnited, there was still another gossip with Waters’ fingerprints every over it.

According to The pedagogue Times: “A lobbyist famous as digit of California’s most flourishing noesis brokers patch bringing as a legislative cheater in that land paid Rep. Maxine Waters’ economise $15,000 in consulting fees at a happening she was co-sponsoring legislation that would hold save the real-estate direction playing of digit of the lobbyist’s best-paying clients, records show.” That “real-estate direction business” was labeled a “scam” by the bureau in a 2006 report.

Where Are They Now? (Updates on Selected Judicial Watch “Ten Most Wanted” Alumni)

Jack Abramoff, Former Lobbyist: Jack Abramoff appeared on Judicial Watch’s 2006 “Ten Most Wanted” itemize for his persona in a slew of open immorality scandals that led to the convictions of 20 people, including past river politico Congressman Bob Ney. Abramoff was sentenced that assemblage to nearly six eld in situation for a fraudulent casino deal. In 2008, Abramoff conventional a concurrent four-year declare “for conspiring to defraud the government, corrupting open officials and defrauding his clients in a separate case.” In Dec 2010, Abramoff complete a six-month continuance at a metropolis dish joint, which officially concludes his situation sentence, and he is today on probation for threesome years. In 2010, Abramoff was also the subject of a new flick titled “Casino Jack,” which stars person Kevin Spacey. Spacey conventional a Golden Globe oratory for his portrayal of the ashamed past lobbyist.

Former Senator Roland Burris (D-IL): Former Senator Roland Burris prefabricated Judicial Watch’s 2009 “Ten Most Wanted” itemize for his debased (and ultimately successful) endeavor to bonded Barack Obama’s vacated senate centre from then-Governor Rod Blagojevich. According to Reuters: “Roland Burris came low fresh scrutiny…after disclosing he proven to improve money for the ashamed past Algonquin governor who titled him to the U.S. senate centre erst held by President Barack Obama…Burris said he looked into mounting a fundraiser for Rod Blagojevich — after live with disagreeable to delude Obama’s senate centre — at the aforementioned happening he was expressing welfare to the then-governor’s aides most his desire to be appointed.” Burris changed his story fivesome times regarding his contacts with Blagojevich preceding to existence ordained to the U.S. Senate. Three of those changing explanations came low oath. As a primary appointment, Roland Burris’s constituent ended in Nov 2010, and he is no individual in the U.S. Senate.

Former House Majority Leader blackamoor DeLay (R-TX): Congressman DeLay was involved in a program of scandals patch bringing as eld cheater for House Republicans, earning him a blot on Judicial Watch’s 2006 “Ten Most Wanted” list. DeLay, who was also investigated for his ties to “Ten Most Wanted” alumnus Jack Abramoff, hopeless his place as eld cheater in 2005 and hopeless from legislature in 2006. In Nov 2010, DeLay was ultimately convicted of “illegally funneling joint money to Texas candidates in 2002,” according to The Associated Press. “He faces fivesome eld to life in situation on the money laundering calculate and digit to 20 eld on the band charge.” Mr. DeLay is adamant he did null criminal and plans to appeal the verdict. Mr. DeLay is also the exclusive “Ten Most Wanted” alumnus to materialize on the broadcasting dance competition Dancing with the Stars.

Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT): Senator Dodd prefabricated Judicial Watch’s “Ten Most Wanted” itemize in 2008 for his debased relationship with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and for improperly accepting advantageous communication from Countrywide Financial as conception of the company’s debased “Friends of Angelo” VIP program. Then he prefabricated the itemize again in 2009 for undervaluing a concept he owns in island on his senate Financial Disclosure form. Dodd allegedly obtained a sweetheart actual realty care for the island concept in mercantilism for his assistance in obtaining a statesmanly mercy (during the politico administration) and another favors for a long-time someone and playing associate. It seems the scandals were likewise such politically, and in 2010 Dodd declared he would not run for re-election. Despite his right lapses attendant to the playing sector, Dodd’s study (along with Barney Frank’s) is basifixed to the “Doddâ€"Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act,” the Brobdingnagian regulatory overhaul of the playing facet passed and subscribed into the accumulation early this year. In January 2011 he module be discover of office.

For preceding versions of the period Top Ten list, gratify go here.

Until incoming week…

Tom Fitton President Judicial Watch is a non-partisan, educational groundwork organized low Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. Judicial Watch is dedicated to conflict polity and judicial immorality and promoting a convey to motive and morality in our nation’s open life. To make a tax-deductible effort in hold of our efforts, click here.

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