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CREW’S MOST
 
THE 15 MOSTCORRUPT MEMBERSOF CONGRESS
 A Project of 
FEATURING
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS______________________________________________________________________________
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................1Methodology....................................................................................................................................2The ViolatorsA. Members of the House.............................................................................................3 I. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) ...............................................................................4II. Ken Calvert (R-CA).....................................................................................9III. Nathan Deal (R-GA)..................................................................................18IV. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)............................................................................24V. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)...................................................................................27VI. Alan Mollohan (D-WV).............................................................................44VII. John Murtha (D-PA)..................................................................................64VIII. Charles Rangel (D-NY).............................................................................94IX. Laura Richardson (D-CA).......................................................................110X. Pete Visclosky (D-IN).............................................................................115XI. Maxine Waters (D-CA)............................................................................123XII. Don Young (R-AK).................................................................................128B. Members of the Senate.....................................................................................................146I. Roland Burris (D-IL)...............................................................................147II. John Ensign (R-NV)................................................................................152III. Mitch McConnell (R-KY).......................................................................158Exhibits........................................................................................................................................170
 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
CREW’s fifth annual report on congressional corruption includes 15 members of Congress,significantly fewer than last year’s report. While corruption has remained a significant politicalissue, many elected officials seem to be taking greater care to avoid unethical conduct. The list shrank primarily because out of the 24 members included in last year’s report, eight are nolonger in Congress and seven others were omitted either because no action was taken by any lawenforcement agency, or the House or Senate ethics committees, or CREW discovered no additionalinformation to add. New to this year’s list are Senators Roland Burris and John Ensign, and Representatives Nathan Deal, Jesse Jackson, Jr. and Pete Visclosky. After having been off the listfor two years, Rep. Maxine Waters has reappeared for unethical activities entirely unrelated to theconduct that landed her on the list in the past.Of this year’s list of 15, at least 12 are under some sort of investigation: Vern Buchanan, Roland Burris, Ken Calvert, John Ensign, Jesse Jackson Jr., Jerry Lewis, Alan Mollohan, John Murtha,Charlie Rangel, Laura Richardson, Pete Visclosky and Don Young. This year as every year, members have used their positions to financially benefit themselves, their friends and their families. Earmarks for large campaign contributors are commonplace and manymembers have traded legislative assistance for personal favors. Although ethics reforms measures were passed last Congress and the House created the new Officeof Congressional Ethics, there still appears to be little enforcement of ethics rules. In the Senate, Sens. Kent Conrad and Chris Dodd were not disciplined in any way for their participation inCountrywide Financial’s VIP loan program. The Senate Select Committee on Ethics sank to an alltime low, holding itself -- rather than the senators themselves -- responsible for the senators’accepting the loans. The Senate Ethics Manual is readily available and it clearly states that loanscan be improper gifts. If CREW can read and understand the manual, presumably, senators cantoo. As always things are worse in the House, which consistently refuses to condemn any lawmaker’sconduct no matter how outrageous. The investigation of Rep. Rangel, which was only initiated atthe lawmaker’s request in the first place, has dragged on for a year with no end in sight. If thecommittee ever sees fit to release any sort of report regarding Rep. Rangel’s many misdeeds,expect the ethics panel to use the occasion as a “teaching moment,” reminding members of their responsibilities under the ethics rules. Any meaningful censure of Rep. Rangel is unlikely.Similarly, thanks to Rep. Jeff Flake’s efforts, the House Ethics Committee was forced to reveal it is investigating the PMA scandal, which involves Reps. Murtha and Visclosky and likely other members as well. If history is any guide, however, nothing will come of the committee’s inquiry. If the committee opened the door to permit questions regarding the relationship between earmarksand campaign contributions, few members would be safe from scrutiny.
September 15, 2009

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