Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., center, walking down the steps of the House side of the U.S. Capitol after the last scheduled vote of the day Thursday, March 30, 2006 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
Posted on 04/05/2006 4:46:35 PM PDT by Libloather
McKinney event called illegal
By BOB KEMPER, SCOTT MacFARLANE
Cox News Service
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Ga., center, walking down the steps of the House side of the U.S. Capitol after the last scheduled vote of the day Thursday, March 30, 2006 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Lauren Victoria Burke)
WASHINGTON — When Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.) spent money from her congressional office budget to fly singer Isaac Hayes to DeKalb County last year, it wasn't just to have the superstar attend the opening of her new district office or talk about music education for children of the 4th Congressional District.
Hayes also was the headliner at a political fundraiser for McKinney at the Stone Mountain home of state Sen. Gloria Butler, a violation of House ethics and campaign rules.
McKinney's office on Monday said it made a mistake when it paid for Hayes' trip — $500 for airfare and $400 for accommodations — from her $1 million congressional office budget, which is funded by federal tax dollars. Her aides vowed to pay back the money.
But McKinney's problems grew more serious Tuesday because using House funds to pay for purely political activity is specifically prohibited by House rules. Further, McKinney's failure to list Hayes' expenses on her campaign disclosure forms violated Federal Election Commission rules.
"It's actually breaking the law," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
"It's breaking House rules, which prevent a member from using travel funds for anything but their own travel," Sloan said. "And it breaks Federal Election Commission law, which requires that campaign funds be used for campaign expenses."
McKinney's spokesman, Coz Carson, said the misreporting had been an administrative mistake.
"This was not some sinister act to dupe the people out of a small amount of money," Carson said.
Butler, a Democrat from Stone Mountain, said the fundraiser with Hayes in March 2005 was the only event she hosted for McKinney. Butler said she couldn't recall how many people attended the event or how much money was raised, details she said were handled by McKinney's campaign.
Public records show McKinney did make a distinction between the event at her district office and the fundraiser held that evening when it came to catering.
She paid the caterer who did both events about $1,000 from her congressional office funds for one event and $800 from her campaign fund for the fundraiser.
McKinney featured Hayes in a full-color brochure she sent later to constituents. The singer also taped a radio campaign ad for McKinney.
I found that very offensive myself. Multiply that by 535 and now I know why the 'crats don't want to make the tax cuts permanent.
Remind me how people like this win elections??
show me the MONEY
Isn't the Race Card so overdrawn that it has lost all of its value?
No, I think Aunt Jemima would be more realistic. It's been known for a long time that she's an anti-Semite and David Horowitz has has documented that there are links on her website that are Islamofascist. She's such a loose canon that even the Dems are afraid! I think we should enjoy the whole circus! An ignorant and bigoted racist who is so ignorant (or mentally unstable?) that she is the perfect buffoon. It's an albatross for the Dem's neck. Let the comedy and farce continue! P.S. I take back the suggestion of mental instability. Research has shown that an intelligent monkey has an IQ of about 70. I think rather than mental instability she falls into that category -- sometimes the two are hard to differentiate.
"McKinney's office on Monday said it made a mistake when it paid for Hayes' trip — $500 for airfare and $400 for accommodations — from her $1 million congressional office budget, which is funded by federal tax dollars. Her aides vowed to pay back the money."
Whats the problem? ... She said she'll pay back the money. Isn't that the way the Dems always get out of trouble ... through money at the problem and it will go away.
he is another one - a Scientologist
Yeah, but from whose wallet? Wanna bet that it won't be out of the taxpayers' account again?
That office supply account can also pay for renting "equipment".
Chef should have asked for a lot more...
Remind me how people like this win elections??
Decent people have trouble stomaching politics. It helps if you lack a conscience.
If this charge is true, it's more than just an oversight, in my opinion. It is pretty obvious that taxpayer funds shouldn't be used to transport celebrities to your fundraisers. Her staff had to have known this.
The rats leadership in the Senate isn't much better.
Rush interviewed Tom DeLay today and he specifically said that if nobody else files an ethics complaint against her - he will!
Bump!
I hear Don King is going to sue her for "gimmick infringement."
So true.
CHEF HAS LOST IT THIS TIME!
You're so right. IMHO, McKinney wins elections because the conservatives in Dunwoody (or Dumpwoody, as Boortz calls it) are too chicken, too afraid of being called racist, to vote their consciences. So they stay home or don't vote in her race.
McKinney's district will never go to a republican.
I meant conservatives staying home in a race swing districts will make the congressional black caucus a power house.
Rangel and Conyers will subpena the white house to death and impeach Bush.
McKinney's seat has nothing to do with conservatives staying home though. The majority of her district are the projects in atlanta. She has the crack addict vote.
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