It wasn't that long ago that Howard Dean told us all "You can't trust Republicans with your money." Well, in the case of Jim Gerlach, there is another Republican who can't be trusted with his own money.
This week, following the resignation of Duke Cunningham (R-CA) after pleading guilty to charges of bribery, Republicans Jim Nussle (R-IA) and Rob Simmons (R-CT) both gave back contributions that they had received from Cunningham. Jim Gerlach, however, has done nothing with the money that he received from Duke Cunningham, which totals $6,000, more than any other Pennsylvania member of Congress (www.tray.com).
Earlier this year, Jim Gerlach refused to give back $30,000 in contributions from indicted Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay. When questioned about holding a fundraiser with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, still involved in the CIA leak probe by Patrick Fitzgerald, a Gerlach campaign spokesman said, "you dance with the one that brung ya."
Jim Gerlach has a pattern of accepting questionable contributions and thinking nothing of the consequences. He really stands out among Pennsylvania members of Congress, having received more money from Tom DeLay and Duke Cunningham than any other. He is also the only Pennsylvania Congressman who contributed to Tom DeLay's legal defense fund! I am calling on him to return the money raised from Tom DeLay and Duke Cunningham, as well as the money he raised with Karl Rove's help. He shouldn't give it back because of political pressure, he should do it because it is the right and responsible thing to do.
Jim Gerlach has a problem accounting for his contributions. I filed a detailed FEC complaint on Tuesday citing numerous and repeated errors. Among these, and most notable, is an error of $2.2 million. The error would be bad enough if it appeared once, but, in fact, it has appeared repeatedly since the 2004 end of year report and in practically every subsequent report and amendment that Jim Gerlach's campaign has filed since that time. If Jim Gerlach can't handle his own finances, how can he be trusted with our tax dollars? The answer is simple: he can't.
From Wednesday's Philadelphia Inquirer:
"A million here, a million there, and soon you have a real political war chest. Or maybe not. A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R., PA) conceded yesterday that Gerlach has overstated his campaign receipts for this year by $2.2 million." The rest of the article is here: http://www.philly.com/...
But the $2.2 million error is just the tip of the iceberg. In addition, Jim Gerlach failed to disclose the names of contributors who made donations through a joint fundraising committee, failed to accurately report his campaign's cash on hand, accepted contributions in excess of the federal $2,100 limit, and, discloses limited payments for administrative expenses such as employment taxes that may result in violations of Federal and state tax law. To read the full text of the complaint, go here: http://www.loismurphy.org/... .
Perhaps even worse, Gerlach feigns acceptance of responsibility, but then denies it. He tries to shrug off these repeated violations as mere "clerical errors" and his spokesperson falsely claims that the other errors cited in our complaint with respect to his 2005 filings were already considered by the FEC in its recent audit. That is going to be news to the FEC, as its audit covered only the 2004 election cycle and never mentioned any of Gerlach's 2005 reports. The people of my district, and throughout America, deserve representatives who hold themselves accountable to the highest standards of ethics. I have and always will be up front with you. Please visit my newly redesigned website at www.loismurphy.org and see how you can help me bring some honesty and integrity back to Washington.
Thank you,
Lois