CREW Files Justice and Senate Ethics Committee Complaints against Sen. Mary Landrieu

CREW Files Justice and Senate Ethics Committee Complaints against Sen. Mary Landrieu
Tue Jan 8, 2008 9:00am EST
 
 
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Asks for Investigation into Possible Bribe from Bush Pioneer Randy
                                 Best
WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) today
sent a complaint to the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney for
the Eastern District for Louisiana and the U.S. Attorney for the
Northern District of Texas, asking for an investigation into whether
Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) violated federal bribery law by including a
$2 million earmark for Voyager Expanded Learning in a bill a mere four
days after receiving $30,000 in campaign contributions from company
executives and their relatives. CREW also asked the Senate Ethics
Committee to investigate the matter.

   Randy Best, a top Republican donor and Bush pioneer, founded
Voyager, an educational products company and rather than selling the
company's reading program to school districts, hired lobbyists to
obtain earmarks for it. Although the House had appropriated $1 million
for his program for the D.C. public schools, Best still needed a
Senate sponsor. A lobbyist arranged a meeting with Sen. Landrieu, the
chair of the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the District
of Columbia, to press for an earmark. Shortly after Sen. Landrieu met
with Best, a member of Sen. Landrieu's staff asked him to hold a
fundraiser for her and he agreed. After the fundraiser, she received
$30,000 in campaign contributions from individuals associated with the
company -- donors who had never before contributed to her. Four days
after she received the money, she inserted an earmark into a D.C.
appropriations bill, giving D.C. schools $2 million to buy Best's
reading program, which was unproven and had not been requested by the
school system.

   Federal law prohibits public officials from directly or indirectly
demanding, seeking, receiving, accepting, or agreeing to receive or
accept anything of value in return for being influenced in the
performance of an official act. Accepting a contribution to a
political campaign can constitute a bribe if a quid pro quo can be
demonstrated.

   Given that Sen. Landrieu asked Best to hold a fundraiser for her,
which he did, and then inserted the Voyager earmark only four days
after receiving contributions from individuals connected with the
company, it certainly appears she traded the earmark for the
contributions in violation of federal criminal law. Sen. Landrieu also
may have violated the Senate rule prohibiting "improper conduct which
reflects upon the Senate."

   Melanie Sloan, CREW's executive director, said today, "Senator
Landrieu appears to have traded a $2 million earmark for $30,000 in
campaign contributions. It was a win-win situation for Best and
Senator Landrieu, but a lose-lose for the taxpayers and D.C. school
children." Sloan continued, "the Department of Justice and the Senate
Ethics Committee should look into this matter immediately. Members of
Congress need to understand that trading earmarks for campaign funds
is illegal -- no exceptions."

   Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a
non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials
accountable for their actions. For more information, please visit
www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman Steiner at
202.408.5565/nseligman@citizensforethics.org.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
(CREW)
Naomi Seligman Steiner, 202-408-5565