U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt’s Political Action Committee recently donated more than $8,000 in contributions it had received from Jack Abramoff. Jack Abramoff is a Republican lobbyist who has recently pleaded guilty on three felony counts involving fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy to bribe public officials. Was Roy Blunt one of those officials?
Blunt wrote letters that assisted Abramoff clients and at the same time accepted money from them.
Blunt and indicted Congressman Tom DeLay have swapped money between their political committees and have also frequently met with Abramoff’s lobbying team. They also co-authored a letter in support of an Indian tribe that is the primary focus of the Abramoff criminal investigation. Clearly there is ample evidence to raise suspicion of Blunt’s activities. I would, if not for Blunt’s history, be inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Blunt is well known for attempting to insert a provision that would have greatly financially assisted a benefactor of his (a corporation his wife and son were lobbyists for) and attempted to do so secretly.
A look at the Federal Elections Commission records on contributions from Abramoff makes it clear that as conservative commentator Rich Lowery had enough integrity to note, this is “a Republican scandal” and that “any attempt to portray it otherwise is misdirection.” To minimize the seriousness of the Abramoff scandal by using playground ethics like the “but Johnny did it, too” excuse is part of the problem.
It is time for the party of “personal responsibility” to focus that principle inward instead of on the typical targets like impoverished, clinically depressed single mothers on welfare.
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