The Most Corrupt Members of Congress

[Munchmasterman]

The Most Corrupt Members of Congress

NEW YORK (MainStreet) -- While voters generally tend to like their own senators and representatives, Congress as a whole fares much more poorly in opinion polls. And that only intensified this summer as partisan bickering over the debt ceiling threatened a government shutdown. As of now, the approval rating for Congress is hovering around 13%, according to an analysis of numerous polls. Government shutdown threats are back in the headlines, too.

Still, some members of Congress go beyond simply being seen as partisan and ineffective and cross over into outright corruption. Nineteen have landed on the seventh annual "Most Corrupt" list from watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, released last week.
The list encompasses 14 legislators who "violated the law or otherwise engaged in serious misconduct," as well as five who otherwise acted unethically or with disregard for the rules. Of the 19 legislators listed in the rankings, a dozen are Republicans, and 14 are new to list this year.

Among the "corrupt" is Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., a long-serving representative who used her position to help OneUnited Bank -- a bank in which she held stock -- get federal funds. It was her fourth appearance on the list. Then there's Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., who claimed he couldn't pay child support but still managed to loan his campaign $35,000. Major league scum-bag.

The sole senator on the list is David Vitter, R-La., whom CREW says reportedly tried to bribe Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar by promising to block a pay raise for the secretary until he agreed to issue permits to oil companies for deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Vitter is perhaps best known for the shenanigans that landed him on 2007's edition of the list: His phonenumber appeared in the client book of the "D.C. Madam," and he subsequently admitted to unspecified wrongdoing in connection with the use of prostitutes.

Perhaps most shocking is that all of the members of Congress listed remain in office. It's no wonder, then, that a poll conducted in July by Rasmussen found that 43% of voters think most members of Congress are corrupt.

2011's Most Corrupt
· Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.)
· Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fl.)
· Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.)
· Rep. Michael Grimm (R-N.Y.)
· Rep. Frank Guinta (R-N.H.)
· Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.)
· Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.V.)
· Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.)
· Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.)
· Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Oh.)
· Sen. David Vitter (R-La.)
· Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.)
· Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.


Dishonorable Mention

• Rep. Joe Barton (R.-Texas)
• Rep. Shelley Berkley (D.-Nev.)
• Rep. Sanford Bishop (D.-Ga.)
• Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.)
• Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas)

http://www.thestreet.com/story/11258894/1/the-most-corrupt-members-of-congress.html?puc=outbrain&cm_ ven=outbrain&obref=obnetwork

[CuteOldGuy]

I think the list is way too short.

[pyramider]

Sheila Jackson Lee should be mentioned somewhere.

[Budman]

Where's Charlie Rangel?

[skyyblue]

great list !

[pyramider]

Originally Posted by Budman

Where's Charlie Rangel?

Yeah, he even got caught.

[Jdriller]

Who or what is the source of the list. I question it's validity. Especially since it is missing several obvious congress persons (like Rangel)

[Munchmasterman]

Originally Posted by Jdriller

Who or what is the source of the list. I question it's validity. Especially since it is missing several obvious congress persons (like Rangel)

Rangel is 2010. This list is for 2011.

http://www.citizensforethics.org/pag...10.pdf?nocdn=1

Follow the link for CREW on the page my link goes to. The criteria and all kinds of tables and such are found for the last few years. Everybody who is anybody is listed.

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by pyramider

Sheila Jackson Lee should be mentioned somewhere.

She's not smart enough to be corrupt.

[chicagoboy]

Originally Posted by Jdriller

Who or what is the source of the list. I question it's validity.

Originally Posted by Munchmasterman

ttp://www.citizensforethics.org/page/-/PDFs/Reports/Most%20Corrupt%20Reports/Most%20Corrupt%20Report%202010 .pdf?nocdn=1

Follow the link for CREW on the page my link goes to..

"Melanie Sloan serves as CREW's founding and current executive director. Prior to founding CREW in 2003, she served as one of more than 300 Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the District of Columbia from 1998 to 2003 after having worked for Congressional Democrats John Conyers, Charles Schumer, and Joseph Biden."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_for_Responsibility_an d_Ethics_in_Washington#Directo r

[TheDaliLama]

Originally Posted by LexusLover

She's not smart enough to be corrupt.

There is no way to get rid of her.

[gnadfly]

More from the Wiki article:
In 2010 Politico's Ben Smith described CREW's founding in 2003 as "one of a wave of new groups backed by liberal donors" and called CREW "a vehicle for assaults on largely – but not entirely – Republican targets".[13] In 2006 Congressional Quarterly reported, "Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has taken aim almost exclusively at GOP members of Congress. Since its founding in 2003, it [helped] investigate 21 lawmakers, only one of them a Democrat" (Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, in a complaint that also targeted Republican Sen. Bill Frist, then Senate Majority Leader)[14].[15] A report by McClatchy News Service described CREW as "a Democratic-leaning watchdog group".[16]

[acp5762]

Ha Ha, what a screwy thread. "Who's The most Corrupt members Of Congress" Shorten the list to "who's Not Corrupt" .

[LexusLover]

Originally Posted by TheDaliLama

There is no way to get rid of her.

So embarrassing.