Congressman facing ethics flap (Rep Tim Murphy (R-PA)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06301/733740-177.stm

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, who is seeking his third term in Congress, has mixed campaign activities and official government work in a manner that present and former staffers consider unethical or in violation of House rules, according to interviews with a half-dozen of them.

Some of those interviewed described the practices as routine, others as sporadic, but all said they were disturbed by the conduct. The allegations primarily concern the use of taxpayer-funded congressional staff and resources to do work they viewed as part of Mr. Murphy's political campaign.

That can be a difficult charge to prove because workers are permitted to perform campaign tasks when on voluntary personal time, and there is no clock they punch to switch time. But it's clear that multiple staff members believed that what they were instructed to do crossed an ethical line.

"I see someone in a very high office taking advantage of people and situations, and it's wrong," said Jayne O'Shaughnessy, the scheduler in his Mt. Lebanon district office since April 2005. "He's someone who should know better."

When presented with the accusations yesterday, Mr. Murphy, 54, a Republican from Upper St. Clair, neither denied nor confirmed them. Instead, he vowed to seek a congressional investigation of his own conduct.

[AlCzervik]

1. i can't keep up these aholes but these 2 items really piss me off

there are others but this is all on our dime

In sending congressional staff such as unpaid interns to perform door-knocking and drop off official literature throughout the district this summer, they were instructed to stop only at the homes of registered voters.

Multiple staff members from the district office were instructed last December to devote their time to labeling, stuffing and mailing greeting cards to individuals who were campaign contributors of Mr. Murphy's. The postage and materials were paid by his campaign fund, but several staffers said they performed the functions in the middle of the government workday, rather than on their own time.

[tanyev]

2. "He vowed to seek a congressional investigation of his own conduct."

:rofl:

Hoo-boy. That's almost as good as all the Republicans who vowed to serve a limited number of terms.

Term-limit pledges get left behind
WASHINGTON — Jeff Flake pledged during his first campaign for Congress in 2000 that if elected, he would serve three two-year terms. But the Arizona Republican is running again to keep his seat in the House of Representatives.

"It was a mistake to limit my own terms," says Flake, a conservative who has challenged Republican leaders on federal spending. He says the once-fashionable movement to limit terms in Congress has "just petered out."

Flake is one of at least seven House Republicans who had vowed to leave Congress next year but will be on the ballot in November. They ran as citizen legislators — antidotes for "career politicians." But after six or 12 years on Capitol Hill, they say they're just getting the hang of the job. None faces serious opposition because redistricting has protected incumbents.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2224505

[Toots]

3. The entire point of the "Contract for America" was to show Republicans keep their word

We know now as we knew at the time it is all BS.