CREW names Fossella as top 24 most corrupt

No surprise here, but an annoying reminder that Fossella is still in office representing this district;

CREW’s Most Corrupt Members of Congress provides a detailed analysis of the unethical and sometimes illegal activities of 24 congressmen and women who have most egregiously betrayed the public’s trust.

snip

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today, “With soaring gas prices, a housing market in crisis, rising unemployment, and a nation at war, elected officials should be prioritizing their constituents’ needs over their own self-interests. Unfortunately, the members of Congress listed in CREW’s Most Corrupt report have decided that their personal needs are paramount to those they represent. This report holds them accountable for those choices.”

Vito Fossella opposes House Ethics Panel

The House passed a bill creating an independent ethics panel after years of inaction by their own ethics committee. Democrats had promised this change as part of their 2006 campaign and after capturing the majority. The final vote was 229 to 182 with Rep. Fossella actually voting in favor of the reform bill. A little insight into his reasoning via Down With Tyranny;

Many vulnerable Republicans in tight re-election campaigns-- from Randy Kuhl (R-NY), Sam Graves (R-MO), Chris Shays (R-CT), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Joe Knollenberg (R-MI) and the Diaz-Balart Brothers (R-FL) to Vito Fossella (R-NY), Phil English (R-PA). Tom Reynolds (R-NY) and Robin Hayes (R-NC)-- were too scared to vote no, well aware it would wind up as an election issue back home.

Don't be confused by his actions though, Fossella has very little concern for ethics reform. Immediately preceeding the vote on this bill Fossella voted in favor of a procedural vote that in effect would kill the bill by recommitting it. That vote passed by just one vote 207-206. So Fossella tried to kill off the Ethics Panel seconds before turning around and voting for the bill out of self preservation. Fossella doesn't support ethics reform he supports keeping his job.

We have seen this many times before. Fossella voted against SCHIP, the children's health insurance bill before turning around and voting in favor of a stripped down bill that saved money. Fossella voted against or refused to support bills to increase the minimum wage six times while he was in the majority only to vote in favor of it after the House flipped and his vote and the bill was clearly passing with a wide margin.

So don't think Fossella cares about ethics at all. It wasn't that long ago that Rep. Fossella voted for H.R. 5, roll call #6, 01/04/2005 allowing Tom DeLay (R-TX) to remain in the position of Majority Leader even if he were to be indicted. DeLay later was indicted and forced to resign from Congress. Fossella had quite the mutual relationship with DeLay taking over $10,000 from his PAC and still refuses to return any of it as if there is nothing unethical about it.

Oh and he is on the DCCC's hit list of the six most ethically corrupt Republicans in Congress.

see also: VetoFossella.com on Vito Fossella's corruption

Vito Fossella's treasurer fired by NRCC, under FBI investigation

Rep. Vito Fossella's current Treasurer, Christopher Ward has been fired by the National Republican Congressional Committee and the NRCC has asked the FBI to investigate potential misdeeds on his part.

Via Elizabeth Benjamin at the Daily Politics comes the break in the original Real Politics story.

The NRCC would not comment on the investigation, though the source, who is outside the committee, characterized the fraud as severe. Details of exactly what is being investigated is unclear.

Elizabeth picked up the unreported connection that not only has Mr. Ward worked for several other Congressional and Senate campaigns in addition to the NRCC, but he is severing as Rep. Vito Fossella's re-election campaign treasurer. In fact he has served in this position at least through last Monday, January 28, 2008 when he files Fossella's 4Q FEC report. There are no public indications yet that Rep. Fossella has removed him from his paid campaign staff.

This now raises many unpleasant questions for Rep. Vito Fossella. Are his fund raising reports now under scrutiny? Has Mr. Ward commited any similar fraudulent activites on Rep. Fossella's campaign that the NRCC discovered? Is Mr. Ward still employed by Rep. Fossella?

In the end I can't say that corruption tied to Rep. Fossella should surprise anyone.

Vito Fossella bought by those who profit from subprime lending victims

Recent news in the Wall Street Journal on Wall Streets involvement in the subprme mortgage crisis raises some concerns over where Rep. Fossella's loyalties lie;

The group's big bet that securities backed by risky home loans would fall in value generated nearly $4 billion of profits during the year ended Nov. 30, according to people familiar with the firm's finances. Those gains erased $1.5 billion to $2 billion of mortgage-related losses elsewhere in the firm. On Tuesday, despite a terrible November and some of the worst market conditions in decades, analysts expect Goldman to report record net annual income of more than $11 billion.

Rep. Fossella has taken $17,500 from Goldman Sachs, with $5000 of that coming in last year's election cycle alone. Rightfully so a few eyebrows are being raised then by what Goldman knew and who exactly they were serving, their clients or those at the top reaping these massive gains;

Goldman's success at wringing profits out of the subprime fiasco, however, raises questions about how the firm balances its responsibilities to its shareholders and to its clients. Goldman's mortgage department underwrote collateralized debt obligations, or CDOs, complex securities created from pools of subprime mortgages and other debt. When those securities plunged in value this year, Goldman's customers suffered major losses, as did units within Goldman itself, thanks to their CDO holdings. The question now being raised: Why did Goldman continue to peddle CDOs to customers early this year while its own traders were betting that CDO values would fall? A spokesman for Goldman Sachs declined to comment on the issue.

Goldman bet money and profited against this subprime lending craze all the while underwriting those debts. Can you have responsible government when your representative is taking money from the likes of Goldman Sachs, and not just a small contribution. Goldman's $5,000 is more than any individual is legally allowed to give ($4,800) raising the question of who Rep. Fossella represents and listens to when it comes time for him to draft and vote on legislation.

Rep. Jerry Lewis and Vito Fossella

Another Republican member of congress is under intense scrutiny and
investigation, and no surprise here, he is also a major donor to Rep.
Fossella.

via Politico;

A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has issued a subpoena for a House
Appropriations Committee staffer as part of the ongoing probe of Rep.
Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), the ranking member of the powerful panel.

Greg Lankler, a staffer on the House Appropriations Committee's
Defense subcommittee, was recently subpoenaed by a federal grand jury
looking into Lewis, according to House insiders.

Rep. Fossella has taken $5,000 from Rep. Jerry Lewis and his
Future Leaders PAC during the last election. Let's add this $5,000 that
Fossella has taken from Rep. Lewis to his list of horribly corrupt
donors who were or are also Congressmen;

• $10,000 from former Rep. Tom DeLay and his PAC
• $2,000 Rep. Doolittle, FBI raided his house and office
• $1,000 former Rep. Mark Foley, resigned after an underage page scandal
• $500 former Rep. Bob Ney

UPDATE:
Rep. Jerry Lewis has been added to the right hand column of this site to better keep track of his donations to Fossella.

Republican Law & Order

by the DCCC;



Wish Vito was higher, but nonetheless still sad that he made the who's who list of corrupted officials as "the skier"! For old times sake;

Rep. Vito Fossella and Rep. Doolittle connected in corruption

On Thursday, Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA-04) resigned his seat on the House Appropriations Committee after the FBI raided his home. The FBI it appears is continuing its investigation into the corruption case of Jack Abramoff. Via the Modesto Bee;

Sierra Dominion Financial Solutions, Julie Doolittle's company, was hired by Abramoff to do fund-raising work for a questionable charity from 2002 to 2004. But her one-person company, in the couple's home, continued to be paid long after the one event it was hired to coordinate was canceled. Senate Indian Affairs Committee records made public as part of its Abramoff investigation showed that the company was paid $67,000.

About the time that work was ending, Sierra Dominion started working for Doolittle's political action committee and then his re-election campaign. It was paid a commission of 15 cents for every dollar it brought in. There have been questions about whether those commissions were a way to steer money from contributors into the congressman's pocket

A former aide to Doolittle resigned from his job on Thursday and Abramoff has been offered a newly reduced sentence, both potential signs that prosectutors are looking to go after Rep. Doolittle.

Rep. Vito Fossella of course has taken money from Doolittle, just as he has from many other corrupt Republicans. You can see a sampling of those other donors to Rep. Vito Fossella on the right side of this site.