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Conyers Aides Say He Used Them as Servants
Townhall.com ^ | 3/2/06

Posted on 03/03/2006 9:21:14 PM PST by LdSentinal

Three former aides to U.S. Rep. John Conyers say the lawmaker used them as baby sitters and personal servants while they were supposed to be working in his Michigan offices.

The aides said that Conyers had them tutor and care for his two sons; help his wife, now-City Councilwoman Monica Conyers, with law studies; and drive him to political and private events.

The accusations come from Deanna Maher, former chief of Conyers' office in Southgate; Sydney Rooks, Conyers' lawyer from 1997 to 2000; and Dean Christian Thornton, a legislative aide fired in January, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Maker said that in 1998, Conyers ordered her to live in his Detroit house while his wife attended law classes in Oklahoma. Maher said she lived there for six weeks, caring for the couple's two young sons.

Maher and Thornton have written to the House Ethics Committee. Rooks said she talked to committee staffers on the subject in 1999 and 2004 and plans to make a formal complaint soon.

"I'm not going to get into responding to these things," said Stanley Brand, an attorney for Conyers.

Brand said Conyers responded to ethics committee questions when it considered some of the same allegations two years ago.

Conyers, 76, has served in the House since 1965. The Democrat is the senior minority member of the House Judiciary Committee.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Michigan
KEYWORDS: 109th; abuse; aides; conyers; corruption; ethics; fraud; johnconyers; michigan; servants; shock
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To: LdSentinal
Unless I miss read; his party was not mentioned till the last paragraph.

It would have appeared sooner and many times within in the article if he had been a Republican.

41 posted on 03/03/2006 11:52:40 PM PST by highpockets
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To: LdSentinal

Years later they are complaining? I'm sorry, but babysitting and chauffering are not the worst things to do in the world. What is wrong with people, what do these folks want now? Somehow I know it's $$$$$$$


42 posted on 03/04/2006 2:46:25 AM PST by jocon307 (The Silent Majority - silent no longer)
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Comment #43 Removed by Moderator

To: ncountylee

I swear you are responsible for more coffee being passed through my nostrils than nearly any other poster, except for maybe Lazmataz or Tijeras Slim...


44 posted on 03/04/2006 4:12:01 AM PST by rlmorel ("Innocence seldom utters outraged shrieks. Guilt does." Whittaker Chambers)
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To: LdSentinal

That's why they're called limosine libs.


45 posted on 03/04/2006 4:14:18 AM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: mewzilla

And after looking at his financial disclosure forms, I'd like to know how he lives so high on the hog, too. This is part of it apparently.


46 posted on 03/04/2006 4:15:14 AM PST by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
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To: antceecee
"Even in private industry this happens."

Private industry is owner or investor money. Federal government money is my money, and yours.

47 posted on 03/04/2006 4:44:31 AM PST by LZ_Bayonet
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To: LdSentinal
I've known my boss 15 years and think he's great. I'd help him out with his family any time, and I know he'd do the same for me, no questions asked. It's a relationship based on trust and respect.

Yet we know none of that has anything to do with the Conyers abuses.

48 posted on 03/04/2006 4:56:51 AM PST by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: LdSentinal

Hilly knew what she was talking about when she referred to Congress as plantation living.


49 posted on 03/04/2006 4:58:40 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: LdSentinal

What date has he picked for his resignation from congress?


50 posted on 03/04/2006 5:00:46 AM PST by leadpenny
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To: goodnesswins

Well, who wants to take bets on whether or not the MSM decides to run with this story. Conyers is both Black and a Democrat - there is a snowball's chance in he** that we see any "Tom Delay style" reporting on this one. This will be treated like old news before the weekend is even half-way over and will never make the weeknight news.


51 posted on 03/04/2006 5:10:31 AM PST by onevoter
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To: LdSentinal
What is implied,but not explicitly stated in this article is that this is FRAUD. These "aides" charged hours and were paid to assist Conyers with congressional business. To force them or even allow them to take money from the people while actually performing personal work is AGAINST THE LAW. This should be turned over to the FBI and investigated as fraud against the US government. This should not be treated as business as usual. If Tom Delay was caught doing this CONYERS would be holding unofficial hearings in the basement of the Capitol to expose such wrongdoing and fraud to the people (i.e., the MSM that actually covers such farcical theater).
52 posted on 03/04/2006 5:12:13 AM PST by RedEyeJack
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To: JeanS

I love the line in the story that goes, "Rooks said when the son received low grades, Conyers told her, “‘Well, Rooks, you can add tutoring to your list of stuff to do.’”

Gee - he's a crook and, apparently, his children aren't overly bright. Nice to know our tax dollars are hard at work where this family is concerned.


53 posted on 03/04/2006 5:17:32 AM PST by onevoter
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To: LdSentinal

Sounds like Conyers thinks he's living on a plantation...and you know what I'm talkin' about.


54 posted on 03/04/2006 6:06:50 AM PST by mass55th (Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway~~John Wayne)
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To: Williams

And Conyers' response is typical. "I don't have to answer to this." Democrats live on their own planet, where rules only apply to other people.


55 posted on 03/04/2006 8:08:38 AM PST by popdonnelly
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To: CindyDawg

Uh that's not the issue if they were paid with taxpayer money.


56 posted on 03/04/2006 8:21:47 AM PST by Williams
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To: antceecee

Please do not compare private companies to government.There is a world of difference. Government takes, business gives. Government is a parasite and lives because of private business. To mention the two in the same breath is to demean private companies.


57 posted on 03/04/2006 8:31:23 AM PST by mulligan
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To: mulligan

Some private companies deserve to be demeaned. Using people like your personal servants is wrong whether in the public or private sector.
SO I will compare them as I feel fit. If you don't agree that's too bad. Don't read my posts.


58 posted on 03/04/2006 8:55:05 PM PST by antceecee (Reagan Democrat and now a Bush Republican...)
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To: LZ_Bayonet

It's wrong to use people like this, I don't care if it's public or private money. In a corporate situation mid-level management taking advantage of underlings for personal benefit is abusing the corporate structure and it's just as bad for the person it's being done to, not to mention the loss to stockholders and ownership.
It is also wrong to hire a highly skilled person to fill a professional position and then expect them to walk your dog, babysit your kids etc... If you want to hire someone for that then do it, don't use the threat of losing their jobs as a means to take advantage of your employees. It's unethical whether in the private or public sector.


59 posted on 03/04/2006 9:02:18 PM PST by antceecee (Reagan Democrat and now a Bush Republican...)
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To: advance_copy; LdSentinal

"Jim Traficant went to jail for doing this."



You beat me to it. In truth, Traficant went to jail for a lot less than this; his Hill employees only once or twice helped him paint his boat.


60 posted on 03/04/2006 10:33:10 PM PST by AuH2ORepublican (http://auh2orepublican.blogspot.com/)
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