Government Integrity Project

Doubts Cast on Rep. Meeks’ New Account of Missing Katrina Funds

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Mon, 03/15/2010 - 09:50

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) has offered a second account of what happened to money he helped raise for Hurricane Katrina victims who apparently did not receive the aid. But this latest explanation — that it benefitted Katrina victims who came to New York City — is proving as flimsy as his original.

On New York’s Channel 1, Meeks was actually being interviewed about Rep. Charles Rangel’s downfall when the interviewer shifted gears to questions about the Katrina charity. Meeks has ducked interviews on the topic since NLPC first raised questions on January 31 about a nonprofit called New Direction Local Development Corporation, which sponsored an effort known as New Yorkers Organized to Assist Hurricane Families (NOAH-F). The “charity” is now being investigated by federal prosecutors.

Northrop Drops Tanker Bid; NLPC Exposed Boeing Scandal

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Wed, 03/10/2010 - 16:45

tanker On Monday, Northrop Grumman Corporation announced that it would drop out of the competition with Boeing to build midair refueling tankers for the Air Force. Boeing had the original contract until NLPC exposed a scandal that sent two Boeing executives to prison.

The tankers are flying gas stations that refuel fighters and bombers on long-range missions. By exposing the scandal, NLPC saved taxpayers billions of dollars. The original plan was for the Air Force to lease, rather than buy, a hundred 767s to be used as tankers from Boeing. The new contract will be for the outright purchase of the planes.

Lawyers, 'Black Farmers' Shake Down Taxpayers

Submitted by Carl Horowitz on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 15:34

Shakedown Blacks account for about 1.5 percent of all farm operators in this country - and apparently a lot higher share of the civil rights lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). On February 18, lawyers for the USDA and thousands of black farmers reached a $1.25 billion class-action agreement resolving, for now, claims that the department had engaged in willful racial discrimination in managing its loan and other aid programs. Think you've seen this headline before? You have. Back in 1999, black farmers, armed with similar claims of racial bias, snagged a federal guarantee of $50,000 per plaintiff plus loan forgiveness and tax liability offsets.

Flaherty: Rangel Denials 'Implausible'

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Fri, 03/05/2010 - 00:00

CNN's Anderson Cooper looks at resignation of Rep. Chairman Charles Rangel as House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, with Joe Johns reporting. NLPC President Peter Flaherty calls Rangel's claim "implausible" that he did not know of corporate sponsorship of Caribbean junket. Click here to download a 2-page pdf transcript.

Flaherty: Obama Health Care Process is 'Unethical'

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Wed, 03/03/2010 - 20:45

NLPC President Peter Flaherty and Democratic strategist Richard Socarides, along with CNBC hosts Larry Kudlow and Melissa Francis, debate Obama's "final push" on health care, including the use of reconciliation in the Senate. Click here to download 5-page pdf transcript.

Photo Casts More Doubt on Rangel Claims

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Mon, 03/01/2010 - 22:43

The admonishment last week of House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) was based in part on photos, audio recordings and other materials that I provided the Ethics Committee from the 2008 St. Maarten junket. Rangel still claims, however, that he did not know of the corporate involvement. I went back today and found this photo. I did not provide it to the Ethics Committee because I never imagined that Rangel would make such a claim. This photo is more proof that Rangel’s protestation of ignorance is simply not plausible.

Here’s another photo that shows the gentleman above in the blue jacket is Rangel. In both photos, to his right is former New York mayor David Dinkins. To his left is Carl McCall, the former Comptroller New York state.

Fox News: NLPC Exposed Rangel Junket

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Sun, 02/28/2010 - 17:37

Fox News Channel reports on the House Ethics Committee's admonition of Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) for accepting trips to Caribbean paid for by Citigroup and other corporations. NLPC President Peter Flaherty attended 2008 St. Maarten event and made photographs and recordings showing corporate involvement

Rangel Scandal Timeline

Flaherty: Rangel Dirty Even After Coming Clean (CNN/Anderson Cooper video)

Flaherty: Rangel Had to Know of Junket's Corporate Sponsorship

Submitted by NLPC Staff on Sun, 02/28/2010 - 16:56

Fox News Channel reports on the House Ethics Committee's admonition of Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel for accepting travel from Citigroup and other corporations. NLPC President Peter Flaherty, who exposed the violation, says Rangel had to be aware of corporate sponsorship. Click here to download one-page pdf transcript.

Ethics Committee Covers Up Massive PMA “Pay to Play” Scheme

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Fri, 02/26/2010 - 17:21

Pelosi Murtha Just when you think that the House Ethics Committee might actually be doing its job in the form of the Rangel admonition, it reverts to form on the investigation of the now-defunct lobbying firm PMA that was headed by Paul Magliocchetti.

Indeed, PMA may be the biggest cover-up in the history of the Ethics Committee, which today issued a report clearing the late Rep. John Murtha and Reps. Jim Moran (D-VA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Norm Dicks (D-WA) and Bill Young (R-FL).

This action was certainly calculated by Nancy Pelosi to protect the late Murtha. It is the strongest evidence to date that earmarking and corruption are still bipartisan enterprises. Republicans cannot attack Pelosi’s toleration of corruption as long as Republican members of the Ethics Committee sign off on a report like this. The Republican members of the Ethics Committee are:

Ethics Committee Nails Charles Rangel on NLPC-Exposed Caribbean Junket

Submitted by Peter Flaherty on Thu, 02/25/2010 - 23:15

Carib junket photo The House Ethics Committee has ruled that Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel violated the House gift rule by accepting travel to events in the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008.

NLPC was the source of the information on which the Committee acted. I attended the 2008 event in St. Maarten where I took photographs and made audio recordings of the event, demonstrating that it was paid for by Citigroup and other large corporations. These items were provided to the Ethics Committee in May 2009. Click here to download a 4-page pdf of our Complaint.

The Committee characterized its action as a “public admonishment” of Rangel, and is requiring that Rangel repay the cost of the trips. Click here to download a 3-page pdf of the Committee’s statement dated tomorrow.