In 2006 and 2008 the Democrats used corruption as an issue promising to drain the swamp and put into place the most ethical congress in the history of the institution. There were financial scandals, sex scandals, and abuse of power scandals they used to vilify the Republicans. So how are they doing?
Democrat Financial Scandal
Democrat Financial Scandal
When Obama went into office he tried to get a number of appointments through that had tax problems. These included two who are actually serving in the cabinent (Kathleen Sebelius HHS and Tim Geithner Treasury) and three who withdrew (Tom Dashle HHS, Ron Kirk US Trade Representative and Nancy Killefer Chief Performance Officer).
Former Democrat star Bill Richardson also had to withdraw his name as a nominee for Secretary of Commerce. The heart of the problem is a federal investigation into an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving Richardson’s political action committee, Moving America Forward.
Maxine Waters' came under scrutiny after former Treasury Department officials said she helped arrange a meeting between regulators and executives at OneUnited Bank last year, without mentioning her husband's financial ties to the institution. Her husband, Sidney Williams, served on the bank's board until early last year and owned at least $250,000 in its stock.
John Murtha before his death was among seven lawmakers under review for allegedly trading earmarks for campaign contributions.
Alan Mollohan is under investigation for allegedly using his office for personal profit
Former Democratic Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana on August 5, 2009, was found guilty of 11 of the 16 corruption counts. Jefferson's lawyers have promised to appeal. Jefferson was sentenced to 13 years on November 13, 2009, the longest sentence ever handed down to a congressman for bribery.
Charles Rangel (D-NY) failed to report $75,000 income from the rental of his villa in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and was forced to pay $11,000 in back taxes.(September 2008)
Chris Dodd was implicated in get a “sweetheart deal” from Countrywide Mortgage even while he chaired a committee that oversaw the financial sector.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D., N.D.) also had a sweetheart deal.
In the meantime Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac used $174 million, to pay for lobbyists to insulate them from the tightened regulation and oversight that might have avoided the financial crisis. It may surprise you to learn that Obama received over $126,000 in campaign contributions since first running for the Senate in 2004. Obama ranked #2 on the list of people getting contributions which includes mostly Democrats. Other top Democrats on Fannie Mae’s money list include Senator Chris Dodd, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.
And outside of Washington
Colorado Democrat Governor Bill Ritter's awarded Hogan & Hartson a no-bid contract made available by Obama stimulus money to his former law partners. Ritter has announced he will not run for reelection.
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been indicted for looking to sell Barack Obama’s senate seat.
Democrat Sex Scandals.
Democratic Rep. Eric Massa, from western New York, acknowledged Friday he acted inappropriately with a male staffer and said he's leaving with "a profound sense of failure."
Roosevelt Dobbins (2005): Congressman from Arkansas, pleaded guilty to fondling a 16-year-old.
Outside of Washington
John Edwards (2008): Had an affair resulting in a child with a campaign employee while running for President.
Earlier, Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York resigned after revelations that he was involved in a prostitution ring. Mean while, his successor David Patterson has admitted to both he and his wife having numerous affairs.
Democrat Abuse of Power
In September 2009, the House ethics committee said it would put off for now an expanded investigation into whether Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. or his representatives tried to buy President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.
Others under investigation include Jane Harman who allegedly tried to trade favors to get a leadership position in the House and Laura Richardson who may have filed improper financial disclosures.
Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, remains under investigation by a House ethics panel.
The panel is looking at Rangel's occupation of several rent-controlled apartments in Manhattan, failure to pay taxes on an offshore rental property and other ethics questions. The panel officials said the investigation was expanding to include accusations that Rangel supported a tax break for an oil-drilling company in exchange for a donation to a school that would bear his name.
President Barack Obama (D) suspended Investigator General Gerald Walpin following his investigation of the misuse of funds by St. Hope Academy formerly run by NBA star and current mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson (D). Mr. Walpin's boss Lawrence Brown (a Bush appointee) had filed a complaint against Walpin for numerous reasons. St. Hope has agreed to repay $350K. This scandal is known as the Americorp Fraud Scandal
Former Democrat Senator Robert Torricelli withdrew from the 2002 Senate race with less than 30 days before the election because of controversy over personal gifts he took from a major campaign donor and questions about campaign donations from 1996. An abuse of power was prominently displayed when as this scandal eroded Torricelli’s electability, Shortly thereafter, the Democrat controlled New Jersey Supreme Court tossed out the longstanding State election law and unanimously ruled that the Democratic Party could legally replace Torricelli's name on the ballot with that of former U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg.
Outside of Washington
Gov. David Paterson personally directed two state employees to contact the woman who told police she was assaulted by her then-boyfriend, a top aide to Paterson, but later failed to press charges, The New York Times reported late Monday.
A Paterson administration official speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the two employees were directed by Paterson to contact the woman, but denied that the state employees sought to persuade the woman to drop her charge or change her story.
National Security Advisor Sandy Berger during the Clinton Administration was fined $50,000 for illegally removing highly classified documents and handwritten notes from the National Archives during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings.
Maxine Waters' came under scrutiny after former Treasury Department officials said she helped arrange a meeting between regulators and executives at OneUnited Bank last year, without mentioning her husband's financial ties to the institution. Her husband, Sidney Williams, served on the bank's board until early last year and owned at least $250,000 in its stock.
John Murtha before his death was among seven lawmakers under review for allegedly trading earmarks for campaign contributions.
Alan Mollohan is under investigation for allegedly using his office for personal profit
Former Democratic Rep. William Jefferson of Louisiana on August 5, 2009, was found guilty of 11 of the 16 corruption counts. Jefferson's lawyers have promised to appeal. Jefferson was sentenced to 13 years on November 13, 2009, the longest sentence ever handed down to a congressman for bribery.
Charles Rangel (D-NY) failed to report $75,000 income from the rental of his villa in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and was forced to pay $11,000 in back taxes.(September 2008)
Chris Dodd was implicated in get a “sweetheart deal” from Countrywide Mortgage even while he chaired a committee that oversaw the financial sector.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D., N.D.) also had a sweetheart deal.
In the meantime Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac used $174 million, to pay for lobbyists to insulate them from the tightened regulation and oversight that might have avoided the financial crisis. It may surprise you to learn that Obama received over $126,000 in campaign contributions since first running for the Senate in 2004. Obama ranked #2 on the list of people getting contributions which includes mostly Democrats. Other top Democrats on Fannie Mae’s money list include Senator Chris Dodd, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.
And outside of Washington
Colorado Democrat Governor Bill Ritter's awarded Hogan & Hartson a no-bid contract made available by Obama stimulus money to his former law partners. Ritter has announced he will not run for reelection.
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has been indicted for looking to sell Barack Obama’s senate seat.
Democrat Sex Scandals.
Democratic Rep. Eric Massa, from western New York, acknowledged Friday he acted inappropriately with a male staffer and said he's leaving with "a profound sense of failure."
Roosevelt Dobbins (2005): Congressman from Arkansas, pleaded guilty to fondling a 16-year-old.
Outside of Washington
John Edwards (2008): Had an affair resulting in a child with a campaign employee while running for President.
Earlier, Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York resigned after revelations that he was involved in a prostitution ring. Mean while, his successor David Patterson has admitted to both he and his wife having numerous affairs.
Democrat Abuse of Power
In September 2009, the House ethics committee said it would put off for now an expanded investigation into whether Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. or his representatives tried to buy President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.
Others under investigation include Jane Harman who allegedly tried to trade favors to get a leadership position in the House and Laura Richardson who may have filed improper financial disclosures.
Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, remains under investigation by a House ethics panel.
The panel is looking at Rangel's occupation of several rent-controlled apartments in Manhattan, failure to pay taxes on an offshore rental property and other ethics questions. The panel officials said the investigation was expanding to include accusations that Rangel supported a tax break for an oil-drilling company in exchange for a donation to a school that would bear his name.
President Barack Obama (D) suspended Investigator General Gerald Walpin following his investigation of the misuse of funds by St. Hope Academy formerly run by NBA star and current mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson (D). Mr. Walpin's boss Lawrence Brown (a Bush appointee) had filed a complaint against Walpin for numerous reasons. St. Hope has agreed to repay $350K. This scandal is known as the Americorp Fraud Scandal
Former Democrat Senator Robert Torricelli withdrew from the 2002 Senate race with less than 30 days before the election because of controversy over personal gifts he took from a major campaign donor and questions about campaign donations from 1996. An abuse of power was prominently displayed when as this scandal eroded Torricelli’s electability, Shortly thereafter, the Democrat controlled New Jersey Supreme Court tossed out the longstanding State election law and unanimously ruled that the Democratic Party could legally replace Torricelli's name on the ballot with that of former U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg.
Outside of Washington
Gov. David Paterson personally directed two state employees to contact the woman who told police she was assaulted by her then-boyfriend, a top aide to Paterson, but later failed to press charges, The New York Times reported late Monday.
A Paterson administration official speaking on the condition of anonymity confirmed that the two employees were directed by Paterson to contact the woman, but denied that the state employees sought to persuade the woman to drop her charge or change her story.
National Security Advisor Sandy Berger during the Clinton Administration was fined $50,000 for illegally removing highly classified documents and handwritten notes from the National Archives during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings.
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