Another two Republican moral exemplars

By Lee Russ

Thursday, October 19, 2006 at 08:24 PM

Does it ever stop now?  Say hello to yet another two Republican members of the House who appear to have managed to use their official offices for personal gain of on kind or another.

The first up is Heather Wilson (R-NM) who, according to Raw Story:

In 1995, just three days into her tenure as Secretary of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, Wilson removed a routine working file alleging that her husband had engaged in inappropriate contact with a minor. The file was then transferred to the department's attorney in her own Albuquerque office, where it soon went missing.

At the time, a local investigative news team learned about the swap, but could not confirm certain details of the file. They were not able to recover the document itself.

More than ten years later, RAW STORY has uncovered and confirmed the authenticity of the police incident report believed to be contained in the missing dossier. Filed as a case of child abuse in 1993, it contends that Wilson's husband Jay Hone, an Albuquerque attorney, touched a then-16 year old boy "in a manner that was not welcome."

Next up is John Sweeney (R-NY), who Forbes reports has:

asked the House Ethics Committee for guidance Wednesday after a published report said he did not properly report a 2001 trip with a lobbyist now cooperating in a federal investigation of congressional corruption.

Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, insisted he did not knowingly violate any rules, and said he wants to know if he should submit new paperwork about his reimbursed travel five years ago.

"I don't believe that I'm not in compliance," said Sweeney.

The Times Union of Albany reported Wednesday that the Northern Marianas government denied paying for the congressman's travel. Instead, the executive director of the Saipan Chamber of Commerce said her group financed the trip, the newspaper reported.

Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff was lobbying at the time on behalf of the Northern Marianas government, which opposed labor reforms proposed for the U.S. commonwealth.

His colleague, Tony Rudy, who had just left the staff of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to work for Abramoff, accompanied Sweeney. Rudy is now cooperating in a federal investigation into congressional corruption involving Abramoff.

Sweeney, who has not been linked to the Abramoff corruption case, said Wednesday, "I don't know Jack Abramoff and I've never even met Jack Abramoff."

Love the last quote.  Remember when the White House was saying virtually the same thing?  Before all the photos, e-mails, and visitor logs showed that to be the usual crock of shit?

Add these two to Curt Weldon, Bob Ney, Duke Cunningham, Tom DeLay, Denny Hastert, Mark Foley, Jim Kolbe, Katherine Harris, George Allen, and God knows how many we don't yet know about.  And they all served in the same Congress.  As members of the party of morals and values.