Corruption 2007

Recently, Judicial Watch, a conservative nonpartisan public interest group, recently released what it calls its “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians” for 2007. The organization also files legal complaints against violations that it uncovers.

In addition to the Larry Craigs and Scooter Libbys (both of whom made the list, to no one's surprise), it's interesting to read about the things that we don't hear about in the MSM, on both sides of the aisle. For example,

Rep. John Conyers (D-MI): Conyers reportedly repeatedly violated the law and House ethics rules, forcing his staff to serve as his personal servants, babysitters, valets and campaign workers while on the government payroll. While the House Ethics Committee investigated these allegations in 2006, and substantiated a number of the accusations against Conyers, the committee blamed the staff and required additional administrative record-keeping and employee training. Judicial Watch obtained documentation in 2007 from a former Conyers staffer that sheds new light on the activities and conduct on the part of the Michigan congressman, which appear to be at a minimum inappropriate and likely unlawful. Judicial Watch called on the Attorney General in 2007 to investigate the matter.

Or this one which I found highly interesting and timely:

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL): A “Dishonorable Mention” last year, Senator Obama moves onto the “ten most wanted” list in 2007. In 2006, it was discovered that Obama was involved in a suspicious real estate deal with an indicted political fundraiser, Antoin “Tony” Rezko. In 2007, more reports surfaced of deeper and suspicious business and political connections It was reported that just two months after he joined the Senate, Obama purchased $50,000 worth of stock in speculative companies whose major investors were his biggest campaign contributors. One of the companies was a biotech concern that benefited from legislation Obama pushed just two weeks after the senator purchased $5,000 of the company’s shares. Obama was also nabbed conducting campaign business in his Senate office, a violation of federal law.


Considering that the group is a self-professed conservative one, I wasn't surprised to see more D' than R's, but the list does have both. It serves to remind me that neither party has ALL of the moral high ground when it comes to ethical behavior.
And here is the rest of it.