Congresspedia’s “Congress in the News” updates, Oct. 18-Nov. 8, 2006

Congresspedia’s “Congress in the News” updates, Oct. 18-Nov. 8, 2006 [1]

Submitted by Conor Kenny [2] on December 19, 2006 - 10:07am

Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert [3] (R-Ill.) announced that he will resign from the Republican leadership at the end of the 109th Congress. (Time [4] story)

Rep. Bob Ney [5] (R-Ohio) resigned from Congress after being convicted of accepting money, gifts and favors in return for official actions on behalf of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff [6]. (Washington Post [7] story)

Rep. Jim Gibbons [8] (R-Nev.) reportedly received cash, gambling chips, campaign contributions, and a cruise vacation from a businessman to whom he earmarked [9] millions of dollars. (TPMmuckraker [10] story)

Newly released documents show that in December 2005, Rep. John Sweeney [11]'s (R-N.Y.) wife called 911 claiming domestic violence. She dropped her complaint soon after and no charges were filed. (Times Union [12] story)

Rep. Chris Shays [13] (R-Conn.) failed to properly disclose a 2003 trip to Qatar paid for by the Grover Norquist [14]-backed Islamic Institute. (New Republic [15] story)

Rep. Curt Weldon [16] (R-Pa.) has been the principal congressional backer of an Italian arms maker that has employed his daughter and contributed large amounts to his campaign fund. (New York Times [17] story)

Rep. Bob Beauprez [18] (R-Colo.) is being investigated by federal authorities [19] for illegally accessing a restricted federal database in order to obtain information for use in his gubernatorial campaign. (AP [20] story)

The House Ethics Committee [21] is unlikely to issue its report on the Mark Foley page scandal [22] until after the November 7 elections. (Washington Post [23] story)

Two former House Appropriations Committee [24] investigators have accused Speaker Dennis Hastert [25]'s (R-Ill.) office of hindering their probe into waste and fraud involving House security upgrades. (Congressional Quarterly [26] story)

A staffer for Rep. Mark Kirk [27] (R-Ill.) sent a threatening e-mail to the president of Tel Aviv University demanding he pressure an associate to cease his backing of Kirk's electoral opponent. (Chicago Sun-Times [28] story)

A Nevada woman who previously alleged that Rep. Jim Gibbons [29] (R-Nev.) assaulted her now claims that Gibbons attempted to bribe her to change her account of the incident. (Associated Press [30] story)

Reports indicate that Rep. Jerry Weller [31] (R-Ill.) may have failed to report his ownership of several Guatemalan properties. (Chicago Reader [32] story)

Contrary to his previous statements, public land records show that Rep. Charles Taylor [33] (R-N.C.) owns land in an area to which he has earmarked [9] funds for the construction of a highway. (The Hill [34] story)

Rep. Jim Gibbons [35] (R-Nev.) has come under fire for employing an illegal immigrant to work in his home. (KLAS Las Vegas [36] story)

Rep. Rick Renzi [37] (R-Ariz.) is reportedly the subject of two federal probes, one involving legislation he introduced benefiting a military contractor that employs his father (NY Times [38] story); the second relating to a government land deal involving a business partner. (AP [39] story)

Sen. Arlen Specter [40] (R-Pa.) is considering eliminating all earmarks [9] from a spending bill under his jurisdiction. (Roll Call [41] story)

Sen. Conrad Burns [42] (R-Mont.) has spent over $90,000 of his campaign funds on legal fees in connection to the ongoing investigation of his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff [6]. (TPM Muckraker [43] story)

Rep. Jane Harman [44] (D-Calif.) is under investigation by the Justice Department [45] for enlisting wealthy Democratic Party [46] donors to help retain her spot as the head Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee [47]. (Time [48] article)

A former staffer accused Rep. Jon Porter [49] (R-Nev.) of violating House [50] rules by making fundraising calls from his congressional office. (Las Vegas Sun [51] story)

A former staffer has sued the office of Rep. Rodney Alexander [52] (R-La.), claiming she was sexually harassed by Alexander's chief of staff. (Roll Call [53] story)

Rep. Jim Gibbons [29] (R-Nev.) denied allegations that he had assaulted and aggressively propositioned a Las Vegas cocktail waitress. (AP [54] story)

The House Appropriations Committee [55] under Chairman Jerry Lewis [56] (R-Calif.) dismissed the sixty private contractors it had hired to assist its staff in investigating government spending fraud. (USA Today [57] story)

Rep. John Sweeney [58] (R-N.Y.) failed to properly disclose who paid for a trip he took to the Northern Marianas Islands accompanied by an aide to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff [6]. (Times Union [59] story)

Congresspedia News Updates [60]

U.S. Congress [61]

Democracy [62]

U.S. Government [63]

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