McNerney Calls For Congressional Investigation Of Richard Pombo

October 20 2005

McNerney Calls For Congressional Investigation Of Richard Pombo

"Every day, new revelations uncover more corruption within the Republican Party" Pleasanton CA Congressional Candidate Jerry McNerney (www.JerryMcNerney.org) commented about the latest story about how House Resource Committee Chairman Congressman Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, may have violated tax laws in connection with two trips to New Zealand and Japan that cost more the $23,000. "It is time for a congressional investigation of House Resource Committee Chairman Pombo's activities. They cannot be swept under the carpet and overlooked by his cronies on the Ethics Committee anymore."

McNerney continued, "When taken as a whole, the record is a picture of persistent corruption. The latest story is that he took two expensive trips paid for by anti-environmental groups with legislation before his committee." McNerney connects the dots: "The Congressman uses his chairmanship to help other Congressmen garner donations from those who want influence with the Resources Committee. That is why Tom DeLay appointed him chairman over more senior Republicans; DeLay knew Pombo was not only corrupt but that he would help DeLay corrupt others.

Pombo continues to receive funds and direct the distribution of funds from Indian gaming interests with legislation before the Resources Committee. Lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Pombo's biggest contributor, directed the Indian gaming funds to Republican candidates in exchange for influence in Congress. Mr. Abramoff is now busy but the tribes continue to make contribution anyway."

"The Saginaw Chippewa tribe of Michigan plans to spend more than $300,000 on political donations in the 2006 fiscal year, according to the Sept. 27 memo, a sum somewhat less than in the tribe's years with Abramoff — in which it made several large donations to questionable nonprofits — but still sufficient to wield substantial political influence. Those receiving the largest donations on the list are House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-Calif.) and Reps. J.D. Hayworth (R-Ariz.), Dave Camp (R-Mich.), Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) and Dale Kildee (D-Mich.), with $7,000 contributions." noted Josephine Hearn, a writer for The Hill http://www.thehill.com, a Congressional newspaper.

Mr. Pombo has taken campaign contributions from Indian casino interests with legislation before his committee. He used his official position to influence legislation directly benefiting campaign donors. In a fund raising event Abramoff offered $5,000 seats at last year's all-star baseball game to tribes that want power plants on their lands without any environmental oversight. Later the same week Pombo demanded that the House Senate Conference on the 2005 Energy Bill allow power plants without any environmental oversight on tribal lands.

Looking at the big picture, McNerney commented "This high-impact corruption has to do with energy interests who stand to gain the most by drilling for oil offshore and in ANWR. These are the same interests whose record profits are obscene. These are the interests that the President lied for in order to invade Iraq. Much of the financing for terrorist groups comes from the price we pay at the pumps for imported oil."

Nick Juliano wrote in the Tracy Press "In the month before he continued to push to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, campaign finance records show that Rep. Richard Pombo took about $13,000 from donors in Alaska for his political action committee. Donors include executives at an engineering and construction company that likely would be at the forefront of ANWR development and an official from a Native Alaskan corporation that stood to profit from oil drilling if a 1.5 million-acre section of the reserve is opened."

McNerney accused "Representative Pombo acted as the spokesperson in Congress for Chevron in its bid against China for Unocal. Pombo accepted $13,000 from Chevron over 3 years and then allowed Chevron lobbyists to draft his letter to the Treasury Secretary favoring Chevron in the Unocal sale. That's bribery!

The congressman's corruption extends to misuse of government funds and employees. Richard Pombo misused his staff of government employees for campaign purposes. He gave his staff a month off with pay plus expenses just before the 2004 election so they could work on his campaign.

Richard Pombo misused congressional franking privileges by sending political mailers at a cost to taxpayers of $68,000. He used federal tax dollars for partisan political campaign purposes by sending out 175,000 glossy two-page leaflets to voters around the country just weeks before the 2004 general election promoting George W. Bush, in clear violation of franking rules. The Republican-dominated Ethics Committee failed to investigate."

McNerney concluded, "As long as Republicans control Congress, they will continue this outrage. We must take back Congress in 2006 so that they won't be able to prevent an honest investigation."

http://www.jerrymcnerney.org/press.asp