Amidst all the attention drawn by the Jack Abramoff-Tom DeLay scandals, I think many people are forgetting the biggest beneficiary of Tom DeLay's cash: New Jersey's Mike Ferguson.
This is my first diary entry for dKos, after joining the site roughly a week ago. This site opened my eyes to the possibilities of real, grassroots, local politics, and when I opened my eyes, I was appalled at what I found out about my congressman, Republican Mike Ferguson of NJ-07.
After reading through many of the diaries on the site, I realize that there is a genuine movement to remove from office many of those who benefitted from the infamous tactics of Tom DeLay and his cronies. Ohio Congresman Bob Ney is one recent example, as is the man himself, Tom DeLay. I would like to let New Jersey voters who happen to read this blog know that perhaps the worst offender in all of this is Mike Ferguson, although you would not realize it from the lack of press he is getting.
For his part, Bob Ney contributed $2500 of his American Liberty PAC money to the Mike Ferguson campaign on 24 June 2003 and a second donation of $5000 on 31 March 2003. The buck, sadly, does not stop at Bob Ney.
It leads all the way back to the man himself, Tom DeLay. Through DeLay's Americans for a Republican Majority PAC, Mike Ferguson TOPPED the list of recipients at a whopping $57,000! That is over TWICE as much a Bob Ney received, as you can see on the chart. Acceptance of these funds has occurred for many, many years. The corruption was so bad, a fellow Republican and Senate candidate, Tom Kean, Jr., filed suit against Ferguson in 2000! Yet despite the shady dealings surround DeLay and Ney, Ferguson refuses to return the money given to him by DeLay's ARMPAC. He also refuses to dump money sent to him from Jack Abramoff, while other Republican New Jersey congressman already have. Additionally, Mike Ferguson than took much of his money, to the tune of [ from Ney, DeLay, and other PACs to reroute cash to Republicans running in Texas and other districts through MIKEPAC, Ferguson's own PAC. Only after calling out Ferguson on receiving $1000 from convicted "Duke" Cunningham did Ferguson sheepishly donate the money to charity.
Just to add insult to injury, Mike Ferguson was slapped with a huge fine from the FEC to the tune of over $210,000 for illegally transferring over $500,000 of mommy and daddy's trust fund money into his campaign.
The sad thing is, nobody in New Jersey 07, I think, realizes how close to home this hits. I work the phones and volunteer for Linda Stender, the Democratic candidate, and I am shocked to realize most people don't even know who Mike Ferguson is. People see the headlines and such on TV, but don't realize this dirty money is landing right in their own backyard.
I urge any fellow New Jerseyans, who I am sure, just like me, am sick of corrupt politicians, to get vocal and get active in fighting for Linda Stender and letting people know what kind of guy Mike Ferguson really is.
Thanks, Kos and everyone else here, for providing this kind of sounding board. Sometimes here in NJ-07 I feel like a little blue buoy in a sea of red. This is my first diary, so any comments and suggestions are welcome!!