Not surprising (Washington Times)
The class of 41 freshman House Democrats has selected a registered lobbyist to form its political action committee, in what ethics watchdogs and Republicans are calling a contradiction of their promise to end a "culture of corruption" in Washington.
The custodian of the Democratic Freshmen PAC is William C. Oldaker, 65, whose most-recent lobbying clients include the oil industry, the tobacco lobby, pharmaceutical industries and American Indian gambling interests. Mr. Oldaker also has been removed from several Democratic PACs over conflict-of-interest concerns.
Interesting. Oldaker represents three of the groups that Democrats pronounce to hate, and constantly rail against. Yet, he is helping them out.
However, because Mr. Oldaker serves as the Democratic Freshmen PAC’s custodian and not its treasurer, he is not directly responsible for fundraising efforts. According to Federal Election Commission forms, a PAC custodian typically houses a PAC’s financial records. A records search shows that the law firm he works for, Oldaker, Biden & Belair LLC, and the Democratic Freshmen PAC share the same Northwest Washington address.
Nonetheless, some campaign-finance watchdogs say the connection shows the new Democratic majority is not pursuing ethics reform as forcefully as promised on the campaign trail.
"Isn’t the point to avoid even the appearance of impropriety?" said Naomi Seligman Steiner of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, when asked about Mr. Oldaker’s involvement in the PAC. "We’re not any more comfortable with it this year than we were last year."
It is just business as usual in Washington. Ethics reforms were simply a nice kiss off for the public, but haven’t changed a thing. And if a Democrat gets caught in an ethical dilemma, they will have most of the Big Media to sweep it under the carpet, as usual.
And let’s not forget earmarks!
[…] Please. Window dressing at the most. It’s not like they chose a registered lobbyist to form a PAC for the 41 new Dem House members, as well as stopped the practice of the […]