Just did an extensive search into the sordid career of the 'Honorable' Edward F. Feighan, President of the
Americans for Jobs, Healthcare and Progressive Values. This is the group that ran the
attack ad on Howard Dean featuring Osama bin Laden's picture.
Highlights:
Mr. Feighan was Congressman from Ohio (his Chief of Staff was George Stephanopoulos) for ten years before he decided not to run for reelection due to his being named as one of the 22 worst offenders in the House Check Kiting Scandal (397 bad checks).
Mr. Feighan was also implicated in the House Post Office Scandal (which sent Dan Rostenkowski to jail).
Mr. Feighan also sabotaged a probe of Neil Bush during the S&L scandal in the late eighties by withdrawing his name at the last minute from a list of Democrats demanding an investigation.
This and other assorted facts are detailed in the snippets from articles below.
Articles:
House Bank Check Kiting Scandal:
HEADLINE: Who wrote them and how many
Here is a list of current House members and the number of overdrafts for each at the House bank. The list includes the names of the "abusers" identified by the House ethics committee on April 1, and the others with overdrafts whose names were released on Thursday. Abusers are in all caps. After the name is the party and the number of checks.
OHIO: Edward F. FEIGHAN, D, 397;
Chicago Tribune, April 17, 1992
HEADLINE: WYLIE, MCEWEN IN TOP 20 OF HOUSE BAD-CHECK WRITERS
Two Cleveland Democrats - Reps. Mary Rose Oakar and Edward F. Feighan - were previously listed as two of the 22 worst abusers of the House bank. To be classified an abuser of the bank, a member had to have written checks exceeding his or her next month's pay in at least eight of the 39 months in the audit.
Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) April 17, 1992,
HEADLINE: CLAY STAYS ON OFFICIAL CHECK LIST ... CONGRESSMAN DEFIANT: 'THIS IS A; TRAVESTY'
Being named on the list of 22 ''abusers'' already has been politically difficult for some House members: Rep. Edward F. Feighan, D-Ohio, announced Wednesday that he was not running for re-election.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri) April 2, 1992
HEADLINE: Hutton's Top Managers Knew About Check-Kiting, Lawmaker Charges
''Hutton defrauded banks of hundreds of millions of dollars and falsified thousands of payment checks,'' said Rep. Edward F. Feighan, D-Ohio, a member of the subcommittee. ''If a private person were to engage in this type of activity, he or she would be jailed.''
The American Banker, June 20, 1985
House Post Office Scandal:
HEADLINE: House Transcripts Describe Favors for Rostenkowski
The interviews, conducted by a congressional task force in its investigation of the House Post Office, describe a patronage haven where member-sponsored workers got away with loafing and ignoring orders from supervisors but jumped to do favors for lawmakers.
Rostenkowski also benefited from a questionable service that post office couriers provided to a handful of members -- picking up campaign checks from post office boxes at Union Station or Brentwood Station in Northeast D.C. and delivering that campaign mail to lawmakers' offices. A federal law prohibits receiving campaign contributions "in any room or building occupied in the discharge of official duties."
Post office employees identified the campaign mail boxes as belonging to Rostenkowski, Rep. Benjamin A. Gilman (R-N.Y.) and five Democrats who are no longer House members: Reps. Jim Moody (Wis.), Nicholas Mavroules (Mass.), Dennis M. Hertel (Mich.), Edward F. Feighan(Ohio) and Mary Rose Oakar (Ohio).
The Washington Post, June 15, 1994
HEADLINE: Post office report set for House; Ethics committee, Justice to get files
Mr. Rota reportedly also collected campaign contributions from lobbyists for a handful of congressmen, as well as set up special post office boxes that were used by 25 or more lawmakers to collect campaign funds.
It is against House rules and federal election regulations for government workers to be involved in the solicitation of campaign contributions or the handling of such funds while on government property or while on duty.
Other Democratic lawmakers - besides Messrs. Rostenkowski, Gonzalez and Smith - who will be referred to the ethics panel for allegedly availing themselves of Mr. Rota's special services include:
* Edward F. Feighan of Ohio.
The Washington Times, July 22, 1992
Feighan Protects Neil Bush:
HEADLINE: Democrats Retreating On Inquiry
Twelve Democrats signed a letter sent to Attorney General Dick Thornburgh today to force the Justice Department to determine formally whether to name an independent prosecutor. But after Democratic and Republican leaders met, the effort was thrown into confusion when Edward F. Feighan, Democrat of Ohio, asked that his signature be withdrawn.
Neil Bush has been charged by Federal regulators with violating conflict of interest rules when he was director of the now-defunct Silverado Banking, Savings and Loan Association. He and other directors and officials of Silverado may also face a $200 million negligence suit by the Government over the failure of the institution, which is expected to cost taxpayers $1 billion.
After Democratic leaders began urging members who had signed to reconsider, Mr. Feighan wrote to Mr. Thornburgh saying that his signature should be withdrawn. He said, however, that his decision was not urged by anyone else in Congress or by the White House. Mr. Feighan's action was important because without his signature, the Democrats appeared one short of a majority on the committee.
The New York Times, July 14, 1990
HEADLINE: It's a Family Affair; As Democrats and Republicans scramble to escape blame for the S&L fiasco, the scandal acquires a human face: the President's son
On Friday Democratic members of the House Judiciary Committee asked the Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor to handle the Silverado case; but at least one of the members, Edward F. Feighan of Ohio, abruptly withdrew from the effort after G.O.P. leaders threatened to seek the appointment of another special prosecutor to investigate the actions of former Democratic leaders.
Time Magazine, July 23, 1990
Feighan accused of Insider Trading
HEADLINE: INVESTOR SUES CENTURY BUSINESS; SAYS FIRM INFLATED STOCK VALUE, REQUESTS CLASS ACTION STATUS
An investor sued Century Business Services Inc. yesterday, contending that officers of the Valley View company benefited from insider trading by inflating the value of the company's stock and used overvalued shares as currency to buy other companies.
In addition to Century Business Services, named as defendants were Michael G. DeGroote, chairman and chief executive officer; Keith W. Reeves, a senior vice president; Charles D. Hamm Jr., chief financial officer and treasurer; Craig L. Stout, a senior vice president; Gregory J. Skoda, executive vice president; Edward F. Feighan, a former senior vice president; and Douglas R. Gowland, a senior vice president.
"The company misrepresented true financial conditions of the company and artificially inflated their prices of the stock and used that to their advantage," said Jack Landskroner.
Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) September 17, 1999
Campaign Fund Abuse:
HEADLINE: ROLL CALL / HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: STAFF PAYROLLS GROW AT 3 TIMES THE INFLATION RATE
While the job market was stagnant in much of the country, members of the House of Representatives expanded their overall payroll for personal staff by nearly 9% last year, a new study has found.
Nationwide, the largest individual increases were registered mostly by lawmakers who left Congress at the end of 1992: Democrats Charles A. Hayes of Illinois (36.5%), Joe Kolter of Pennsylvania (32.7%) and Edward F. Feighan of Ohio (23.7%), and Republicans Larry J. Hopkins of Kentucky (32.3%), Dick Nichols of Kansas (31.4%) and Clarence E. Miller of Ohio (24.1%).
Los Angeles Times, October 7, 1993
HEADLINE: CANDIDATES TAKE MONEY AND DON'T RUN
Let's say Congressman Blowhard waits until the deadline for filing petitions of candidacy and then abruptly decides not to run for re-election. What happens to leftover campaign contributions, given in good faith by supporters of his public service?
Former Lakewood Rep. Edward F. Feighan, for instance, used more than $32,000 of his old political fund for politically connected events, legal fees, and office furniture purchased from the government, the center said. He also gave $76,550 to candidates for public office and still has $55,000 on hand.
Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio) July 2, 1994 Saturday
Feighan and the Insurance Industry
HEADLINE: ProCentury Corporation Names Former Congressman and Business Innovatoras New Chairman and CEO
ProCentury Corporation, the parent company of Century Insurance Group, has announced that Edward F. Feighan has been named the company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Feighan is an investor, entrepreneur and former Cuyahoga County Commissioner, Ohio House Representative, and United States Congressman.
PR Newswire November 19, 2003
HEADLINE: M&N RISK TO BID NEST ADIEU
Edward F. Feighan, senior vice president of public affairs for Century Business, said M&N Risk will continue to grow because of national trends to control workers' compensation costs through managed care and other forms of medical claims management and prevention.
Crain's Cleveland Business March 23, 1998
HEADLINE: McCarran foes push for vote; Action by entire House still in doubt
The House Judiciary Committee's approval last week of legislation that would amend the McCarran-Ferguson Act could set the stage for the first congressional floor vote on overhauling the 45-year-old law. Consumer groups say they will mount a massive lobbying campaign to win House passage of the legislation, which would strip insurers of their key exemptions from federal antitrust law.
Roger Levy, vp of federal government affairs in the Washington, D.C., office of Travelers Corp., says the three Democrats that voted against the proposal -- Rep. Dan Glickman of Kansas, Rep. Edward F. Feighan of Ohio, and Rep. Bruce A. Morrison of Connecticut -- recognize that "there is something troubling" about the bill.
"They are not persuaded that the case has been made" for eliminating the insurance industry's limited exemption from federal antitrust laws, Mr. Levy said.
Business Insurance June 25, 1990
DLC Ties:
HEADLINE: STEPHANOPOULOS IS A QUIET VOICE THAT PACKS A PRESIDENTIAL WALLOP MESSAGE CONTROL AND STEADY HAND IS NAME OF GAME
Stephanoplolous is also so guarded a person, so intent on privacy that as chief of staff to former Ohio Rep. Edward F. Feighan in the late 1980s, he had his desk facing into a wall so his phone conversations could be more discreet.
Buffalo News (New York) February 4, 1993
HEADLINE: Leeway Found in New Anti-Lobby Restrictions; Ethics Law Puts Congress Off-Limits to Ex-Lawmakers, but Executive Agencies Are Fair Game
Members of influential congressional committees have been in demand, and since the election any Democrat with ties to the incoming administration has grown more attractive.
Take for example, Edward F. Feighan (D-Ohio). A news release announcing that a Cleveland law firm had hired the ex-representative noted that Feighan's onetime aide, George Stephanopoulos, had been named White House communications director for the Clinton administration.
Public interest groups decried the specter of ex-lawmakers trading their contacts, legislative experience and political skills for high-priced jobs, particularly when President Clinton has moved to clamp down on the post-employment lobbying of top government executives.
"This is the ultimate payoff," said Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, a public interest group.
The Washington Post, January 24, 1993
Photo from THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - Rep. Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., acknowledges cheers after a speech at the Democratic Leadership Council convention in 1991 in Cleveland. At left is Rep. Edward F. Feighan, D-Ohio. Bill Clinton, the Arkansas governor and chairman of the group, claps at right.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri) October 21, 1999,