Lavish Congressional Fishing Vacations May Have Violated Ethics Rules
Lavish Congressional Fishing Vacations May Have Violated Ethics Rules
Since 1996, at least 10 current and former lawmakers have attended an annual “Waterfall Fishing Tournament” at the expensive Waterfall resort in Alaska. Marketplace, which reported on this story yesterday, noted that the event benefitted a charity run by former Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK). Some facts on the trip:
The trip was an opportunity for “the energy industry’s top brass” to influence lawmakers. In addition to the lawmakers, high-ranking executives from the nation’s top oil firms — including British Petroleum, American Petroleum Institute, and Amoco — attended the Waterfall excursions. Companies with business before Congress occasionally provided free trips to Waterfall for lawmakers and top executives on private company jets.
Lawmakers may have violated congressional ethics rules by not paying for the trips. A 1996 letter to Murkowski from the Senate Ethics Committee “expressly forbid senators from accepting free travel or lodging to attend the event.” A separate 1996 rule also banned House members. Nevertheless, nine out of the 10 lawmakers who attended the Waterfall trips accepted free travel or lodging. (Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) was the only lawmaker who personally paid for the total costs.)
Marketplace could find no PAC, personal, or campaign payments for the trip from Hastert, Lott, or Murkowski. While the House lifted its ethics restrictions in 2003, Hastert went on the Waterfall trips in 1999 and 2000 and was therefore bound by the rules.
View more images from the Waterfall trips here.
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Do nothing Congress and do less Senate must believe that since they have given all of their powers to the President, that it is party time on taxpayer expense.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:23 amNo kidding. The only Democrat in the bunch was the only ethical one? Big surprise.
Lookit that list too. What a rogues gallery of wingers and dinkweeds.
-GSD
June 28th, 2006 at 11:24 amMan, I got to get elected to congress. $100,000+ a year, plus continued benefits after I leave office. Free trips, and all sorts of other boodle. damn man I messed up.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:25 amevidently, only if you’re a Republican.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:33 amMay have violated rules? There are no rules, no personal responsibility, and no consequences. This Congress is to democracy what toilet tissue is to a high heel.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:37 amWhen do any of them ever do anything ethical?
They send your kids off to war, not theirs.
Recruiters lie to fresh recruits, tell them that they won’t go to Iraq. Where do they go? Iraq.
Congresscretins take free vacations, your kids get killed in Iraq.
You vote for them, you only have yourself to blame.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:40 amI just checked out the Waterfall Resort. They are running a special right now: 5 nights and 6 days of fishing for $4945.00! However, you have to pay your own way to Ketchikan, Alakasa but after that, you get a free bush flight out to the resort.
For me, that would work out to about $6,300.00, if I fly coach on Alaska Airlines. While that may sound kind of steep for most of us working stiffs, I would like to point out that the price includes daily maid service.
I wonder if the congressmen did that? Flew coach, I mean.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:40 amImagine a reporter asking Tony Snow about this. I’d bet anything Snow responds with something snarky like, “Let’s not go on a fishing expedition here.”
June 28th, 2006 at 11:40 amHastert has become a real swine as Speaker of the House > he must not only resign his position, but be indicted like his pal DeLay! Shame on the entire GOP!
June 28th, 2006 at 11:42 amSurprise, surprise. Unethical freebies for the powerful.
June 28th, 2006 at 11:53 amOnly the Democrat paid for his own expenses. Nine Repugnicans accepted.
Democrats are not above reproach, but the unethical behavior that dominates the Republican party cannot be overlooked.
Watch them as they begin their re-election campaign with slogans about being the party of values.
Watch them as they justify their annual pay increases while denying minimum wage for the poor.
Watch them as they brag about they wanted to sanctify the flag because they are true patriots, while those nasty Democrats who voted against it and claimed flag-burning is a Constitutional right are traitors.
Watch them as they deny legal rights, adoption rights, insurance rights etc., to gay couples while they claim the moral high ground in their bigoted actions.
Yes, the they are the party of morality and values — just ask them; they’ll tell you.
End the War for Oil
June 28th, 2006 at 11:54 amInextricably linked to an unprecedented reign of bribery, influence peddling and dirty deals in Congress, in the White House, in state houses and on K Street, the Republican Party has protected its wrongdoers by blocking investigations, denying access to records and even politicizing the definition of crime itself.
For the story, see:
June 28th, 2006 at 11:59 am“The Republican Rap Sheet.”
Caption…
June 28th, 2006 at 12:09 pmHere’s my friend Tom.
or
Whale on right
These guys deserved this trip – leave them alone! They’ve worked hard “fishing” for votes, using bait and switch tactics to divert attention from real issues, supporting ‘hallibuton”, trolling blogs, casting doubt on their political opponents’ patriotism, spinning the news, perching on the high moral seat, carping about those who catch them in ridiculous acts, and massaging their political bass.
June 28th, 2006 at 12:22 pmCaption:
Heh heh, heh heh, dare me to swallow it whole, heh heh? Think I can’t, heh heh? Hold my beer, heh heh, and watch this…
June 28th, 2006 at 12:26 pmCaption:
Fat man in yellow slicker and bib with a fish someone else caught.
June 28th, 2006 at 1:18 pm#16 – Good one! I now realize mine came across as GWB. The “heh’s” were meant to be wheezes. OK, do over!
*wheeze* *wheeze* Dare me to swallow it whole? *wheeze* Think I can’t? *wheeze* Hold my beer, *wheeze* and watch this…
Still not as good as yours…
June 28th, 2006 at 1:35 pmIn regard to the photo on your Home Page-Which one is Hastert?
June 28th, 2006 at 1:39 pmI used to work in the marine industry, and the Waterfall Resort was one of our biggest customers for marine engines and parts. One of the mechanics used to work at Waterfall, and my employer regularly sent their employees up there as bonuses. Never sent me, snarl.
Your tax dollars hard at work here, folks.
June 28th, 2006 at 1:46 pm# 17-Thanks Zooey.
Let’s let Bingo be our little secret for now;until someone figures it out.
June 28th, 2006 at 1:54 pmI can only guess who might.
Heard this on the radio last night. However, the radio piece did not mention the that it was all republicans accepting the free trips, which was surely one of the main findings.
June 28th, 2006 at 2:04 pmYou mean with all that oil drilling, there’s still fish to be caught?
June 28th, 2006 at 2:06 pmCaption;
Which one is slimier?
June 28th, 2006 at 3:08 pmthrow it back, the fish can stay
June 28th, 2006 at 3:32 pmcaption:
Which one is the biggest bottom feeder?
I know this one only really works with catfish but…
June 28th, 2006 at 3:49 pmAH, THAT’S NOT HASTERT.
IF IT WAS REALLY HASTERT, HE WOULD HAVE A DONUT AT THE END OF THE HOOK.
June 28th, 2006 at 6:39 pmCurious that it’s always the republicans who are caught with their pants down.
June 28th, 2006 at 7:22 pmAkaka is a good guy – as the only one to pay for his own travel like that.
Here’s a bit more about Akaka that you may have not known. He’s in a heated primary.
June 28th, 2006 at 10:37 pmIt’s a reverse Lieberman situation, where anti-war Akaka is being challenged by Bush sympathizing Case. Akaka is one of 13 Senators to vote for a firm timetable of withdrawl of U.S. troops from Iraq, while Case rubberstamped Bush’s war in a house vote the week before. I just wrote a big blog posting about it that I thought you might be interested in. Akaka needs as much support as we can give him.