Lawmaker (Rep. Christopher Cannon - R) helped brother's lobby clients

[deadparrot]

WASHINGTON - Rep. Christopher Cannon says he would not allow his wife or any of his eight children to lobby him on behalf of paying clients. But he has no such qualms when it comes to his older brother.

Neither Cannon's wife, Claudia, nor his children are lobbyists. But sibling Joseph Cannon leads a team of 10 professional lobbyists in Washington, and he has personally sought help from his brother the lawmaker on behalf of his own clients and got it. Some experts believe the practice is fraught with ethical risks.

Christopher Cannon, a Utah Republican who has been elected five times, has a financial stake in his brother's success. The lobbyist owes the congressman more than $250,000 to cover debts from his own unsuccessful campaign for the Senate 14 years ago, according to Joseph Cannon and Christopher Cannon's financial disclosure reports to Congress.

The lawmaker acknowledged to The Associated Press he intervened at his brother's request in a business dispute weeks ago over a technology company's Internet contract. The deal by some estimates is worth as much as $1.3 billion. Joseph Cannon is employed as a lobbyist for a competing company.

"He had a client. I had an interest," Christopher Cannon said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/congress_brotherly_lobbying

[elehhhhna]

1. DeLay has a brother who's a lobbyist.

Doesn't everyone?

[FSogol]

2. Isn't it redundant to show the R after his name? Isn't it obvious? n/t

[EST]

3. I hope this is one of those on FBI radar-

republiclown crooks at it again. These fuggers have no subtlety at all.

[cali]

4. kick

this has the potential to be a big story.