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Sen. Mary Landrieu Accused of Swapping Influence for Campaign Cash
Fox News ^ | Jan 8, 2008 | Not Stated

Posted on 01/08/2008 7:04:14 PM PST by Islander7

WASHINGTON — A Washington watchdog has filed a complaint against Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu, suggesting she may have traded her influence on a specific earmark for $30,000 in campaign contributions.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington on Tuesday demanded the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. district courts in Louisiana and Texas investigate whether Landrieu, who is in her second term, broke federal law back in 2001 by including a $2 million earmark in the District of Columbia appropriations bill for a company whose lobbyists had thrown her a fundraiser just days earlier.

That event, held four days before the earmarks was added, raised $30,000 in contributions for Landrieu from individuals associated with the company, according to the CREW complaint.

Landrieu has flatly denied the charges, saying in a statement Tuesday they are “frivolous” and “wholly without merit.”

The Washington Post reported in December that as ranking Democrat and chairwoman of the subcommittee in charge of Washington, D.C.'s appropriations, Landrieu ensured that Voyager Expanded Learning would receive $2 million in funding to promote its reading program in D.C. schools.

Over five years, according to the Post report, Voyager Expanded Learning -- which has ties to the Bush administration in Texas -- received more than $5 million in federal tax dollars and most of that was spent in D.C., where city officials were told they could use only the Voyager product.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: 110th; best; conyers; crew; crime; democrats; landrieu; liberals; louisianapurchase; lousiana; melaniesloan; randybest; vel; voyager; voyagerlearning
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CREW, which filed requests for investigations with the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District for Louisiana, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas and Senate ethics officials, said the company’s lobbyists sought the senator’s assistance as a “sponsor,” after which her office asked the lobbyists to hold a fundraiser for her.
1 posted on 01/08/2008 7:04:19 PM PST by Islander7
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To: Islander7

I’ll bet that’s not all she’s ever swapped for cash.


2 posted on 01/08/2008 7:05:54 PM PST by Huck (Ok, I'll sneak in a few posts here and there and try to stay out of trouble.)
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To: Islander7

Not in Louisiana, can’t be!


3 posted on 01/08/2008 7:08:53 PM PST by SouthTexas
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To: Islander7

CREW going after a Rat? Thats something new. She must have stepped on someones toes.


4 posted on 01/08/2008 7:09:24 PM PST by OCC
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To: Islander7

Landrieu is in a Senate race she’s probably going to lose, and the Republicans will pick up the seat.

If CREW is backing this lawsuit, my guess is that CREW wants her out of the race so the Dems can replace her with someone else so that they have a chance of holding the seat in November.

CREW is a left-wing group headed by John Conyer’s former adviser, Melanie Sloan. They don’t go after Democrats unless there’s a way for the attack to help the DNC.


5 posted on 01/08/2008 7:10:36 PM PST by bw17
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To: SouthTexas

You beat me!


6 posted on 01/08/2008 7:10:46 PM PST by golfisnr1 (Democrats are like roaches - hard to get rid of.)
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To: Islander7

7 posted on 01/08/2008 7:11:09 PM PST by unspun (God save us from egos -- especially our own.)
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To: Islander7

Louisiana? SAY IT AIN’T SO!


8 posted on 01/08/2008 7:11:47 PM PST by Cali Redneck
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To: SouthTexas

I know. I’m shocked, SHOCKED, I say, that a New Orleans politician might be accused of corruption.


9 posted on 01/08/2008 7:12:16 PM PST by RichInOC (Louisiana has survived just about every disaster thrown at it, except possibly bad government.)
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To: Islander7
This just cannot be. Alll dirty money has been legally cleansed from political campaigns. The MSM now has power to advertise which politician is given favor.
10 posted on 01/08/2008 7:14:18 PM PST by Just mythoughts
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To: Huck

$30,000 ? She went cheap.


11 posted on 01/08/2008 7:16:03 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks (ENERGY CRISIS made in Washington D. C.)
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To: bw17
Let me guess: School Bus Nagin wants to rise to the level of his real incompetence?

Or has William Jefferson decided he could do better in the Senate, and Nagin will settle for a House?

12 posted on 01/08/2008 7:16:30 PM PST by Calvin Locke
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To: RichInOC; golfisnr1

I know it’s really not funny, but I couldn’t resist. :)


13 posted on 01/08/2008 7:18:05 PM PST by SouthTexas
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To: Islander7

Well this is some good news in a night of not so good news.


14 posted on 01/08/2008 7:18:16 PM PST by Mitt Romney (Romney 2008)
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To: bw17; Islander7
Randy Best, who founded Voyager and is known as a top fundraiser for President Bush, has said the fundraiser was not tied to getting the earmark and chalked the event up to political networking in order to promote the company’s product.

Landrieu committed two sins;

One she was making nice with a Bush supporter.

Two she was supporting a private corporation in the scared cow of public education. Taking jobs that might be done by Teacher’s Union employees.

15 posted on 01/08/2008 7:18:21 PM PST by Pontiac (Your message here.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Landrieu has flatly denied the charges, saying in a statement Tuesday they are “frivolous” and “wholly without merit.”

How's your hackneyed boilerplate denials?

16 posted on 01/08/2008 7:19:03 PM PST by Huck (Ok, I'll sneak in a few posts here and there and try to stay out of trouble.)
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To: bw17

There isn’t a rodent in LA that would have a chance of holding the seat as well as her, aside from perhaps her own brother.


17 posted on 01/08/2008 7:20:46 PM PST by fieldmarshaldj (~~~Jihad Fever -- Catch It !~~~ (Backup tag: "Live Fred or Die"))
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To: Islander7

If she does it again, somebody slap her.


18 posted on 01/08/2008 7:23:05 PM PST by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast (Happy birthday Elvis!)
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To: Islander7

isn’t this standard procedure in congress? I’m amazed when people express alarm at these reports.

As long as people are in congress, and put there by big money, they will always be beholden.

Just like cheating in recruiting and boosters in NCAA football. everybody does it, it depends if you get caught.


19 posted on 01/08/2008 7:23:12 PM PST by Tulsa Ramjet ("If not now, when?" "Because it's judgment that defeats us.")
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To: Islander7

Pre-Katrina, post-Katrina. Louisiana remains a swamp...


20 posted on 01/08/2008 7:23:22 PM PST by Libloather (Hillary donors find their way to the cover of Time. And the very next day they're doing it...)
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