Just FYI Folks...
Yes... lots has been published about this, but the GOP is circulating a list of DEMS who took donations as well. There have also been some posters here at Kos who have posted that Dems took zero dollars, which isn't true either.
Now at this point it should be said that to take donations is not illegal, but what would be illegal is if there was quid pro quo on legislation.
In the interviews on CNN they are talking about Abramoff turning over e-mails and documents that do show money for vote relationships.
Personally, no matter what the party, anyone caught doing this kind of activity should be impeached and removed from office.
Washington is a cesspool of financial corruption. Let's throw all the bums out. I'm sick of the jokes about having the finest government that money can buy.
Oh yeah... if the Justice department wants to have a law passed that they can spy on lobbyist rather than Quaker and Catholic pacifist groups, I wouldn't have a problem with that. Lobbyist are the real threats that America faces.
Abramoff's Top 20 Recipients
- Conrad Burns (R-MT), Chairman Senate Interior Appropriations Committee, $146,590.00;
- Patrick J. Kennedy (D-RI), House Appropriations Committee, $131,000.00;
- J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), House Resources Committee, $86,750.00;
- J. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Speaker of the House, $81,750.00;
- John T. Doolittle (R-CA), House Leadership and Appropriations Committee, $79,750.00;
- Tom DeLay (R-TX), former House majority leader, $71,000.00;
- Thad Cochran (R-MS), Senate Appropriations Committee, $68,500.00;
- Robert W. Ney (R-OH), Chairman, House Administration Committee, $62,485.00;
- Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Appropriations Committee, $49,480.00;
- Harry M. Reid (D-NV), Senate minority leader, $47,000.00;
- Jim McCreary (R-LA), House Ways & Means Committee, $45,500.00;
- Sam Brownback (R-KS), Senate Appropriations Committee, $44,500.00;
- Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND), Ranking Democrat, Senate Interior appropriations committee, $44,050.00;
- Thomas A. Daschle (D-SD), former Senate minority leader; $41,750.00;
- Richard A. Gephardt (D-MO), former House minority leader; $39,500.00;
- Don Nickles (R-OK), former Seante assistant majority leader, $37,500.00;
- Richard W. Pombo (R-CA), Chairman, House Resources Committee, $36,000.00;
- George W. Bush (R-TX), President of the United States, $34,250.00;
- Harold Rogers (R-KY), House Appropriations Committee, $33,000.00;
- Charles E. Grassley (R-IA), Chairman, Senate Finance Committee, $31,500.00
For those of you keeping score:
14 Republicans 6 Democrats
Yearly Totals:
Republicans: $3.41 million
Democrats: $1.88 million
National Party Committee Recipients:
Republican: $1.04 million
Democrat: $ 758, 980
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Closing note:
Dorgan has returned the donation from Abramoff, but Hayworth says he's keeping his!
http://www.citizensforethics.org/...
Here is another list of his recipients from The Center For Responsive Politics:
http://www.opensecrets.org/...
Please note that on this list there are no Democrats.