Gutknecht Leads Minnesota Representatives In Free Travel Between 2000-2005

Walz calls for end to privately funded, ethically-questionable travel; Gutknecht calls himself "advocate of more congressional travel"

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported last week that U.S. Rep. Gil Gutknecht beat out all other Minnesota Representatives' offices in accepting free trips.[1] Gutknecht and his aides took 57 trips at a cost of $111,230 between January 2000 and June 2005, according to a study by the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity. These "educational" trips are often paid for by lobbyists who hope to influence members.

This is not the first time free trips have placed Gutknecht and his staff under the microscope. In April 1996, a Gutknecht personally approved[2] a request for his aide to travel to the North Pacific Island of Saipan. Gutknecht's aide was accompanied by aides from Representatives Dick Armey, R-Texas, Tom DeLay, R-Texas, and John Boehner, R-Ohio. The trip was arranged by a Washington law firm, Preston Gates Ellis & Rouvelas Meeds.[3] Convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff worked for the law firm at that time.

ABC News reported in April that Abramoff was paid $1.36 million by Saipan officials "to stop legislation aimed at cracking down on sweatshops and sex shops in the American territory." ABC also obtained a memo in which Abramoff wrote that trips were "one of the most effective ways to build permanent friends on the Hill."[4] On January 24, 2006 the Mankato Free Press reported that Rep. Gutknecht said of the Abramoff scandal, "I think it will become clear that this was largely a staff-driven thing." Gutknecht went on to say, "I'm actually an advocate of more congressional travel."[5]

DFL Congressional Candidate Tim Walz noted, "These privately-funded trips are not just unnecessary, they're a big part of the culture of corruption that permeates Washington today. When elected I will vote to end this practice."
For a listing of trips Gutknecht personally participated in, visit
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/congtravel/member_report.php?member=7102

[1] http://www.startribune.com/587/story/475107.html
[2] http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/sweatshops/saipan/startrib062199.html.pf
[3] April 18, 1996 Rochester Post-Bulletin, "Top Gutknecht aide defends expense-paid
trip to Saipan"
[4] http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/Investigation/story?id=647725&page=1
[5]http://www.mankatofreepress.com/siteSearch/apstorysection/local_story_024073320.h
tml

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