Politics Extra: Chabot unloads tainted money

Friday, January 06, 2006

Chabot unloads tainted money

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Steve Chabot just wrote two hefty checks to Cincinnati's Joseph House for Homeless Veterans today totaling $5,000.

A spokesman for Chabot, R-Westwood, told the Enquirer earlier this week that Chabot's office was reviewing his campaign finance reports and the congressman hadn't decided what to do with the campaign contributions he got from Indian tribes represented by former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

In a story in Wednesday's Enquirer, it was reported that $3,000 in contributions had been found in Chabot's campaign finance records. But Chabot's office called Friday to say that (1) there had actually been $4,000 in contributions, and (2) they has just written a check for that amount to the Joseph House.

Later on Friday, Chabot's office called again to say that another $1,000 contribution had been identified, and -- just to be safe-- that too was being sent to the shelter.

Abramoff pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington on Tuesday to defrauding the Indian tribes he represented out of millions of dollars and trying to use gifts and campaign contributions to get official favors.

Chabot's office released this statement from the congressman: "It is very important for the public to have absolute confidence in our democratic system. I always strive to meet the highest ethical standard and would much rather see these contributions go to a worthy local charity that will benefit our needy veterans."

But Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley, a Democrat who's opposing Chabot in the First Congressional District, said that's not the whole story.

Read more in Saturday's Enquirer ...

33 Comments:

at 8:14 PM, January 06, 2006

Anonymous said...

So what if Chabot gave away the Abramoff money? It doesn't change the fact that he was doing Abramoff's bidding in Louisiana. Chabot is one of only a handful Congressional members who acted in an offical capacity to help Abramoff and his clients. Chabot wrote a letter to the Bush Administration to help Abramoff's gambling interest clients and then received money from those clients. Here is a link to an article about these transactions.

http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/pressclip.php?view=1057

Such behavior is unacceptable. Chabot should focus on this district.

at 8:25 PM, January 06, 2006

Anonymous said...

I'm glad Chabot finally decided to ditch the dirty money only after it was clear that Abramoff was ready to name names and his opponent, Councilman John Cranley, called for the money's return. It's been clear for at least two months that the Abramoff scandal was going to consume Washington and the GOP-led Congress. Chabot spent none of that time reviewing his records to see if he had received money from Abramoff. Meanwhile dozens of his fellow GOP Representatives did the research and either returned the money or donated it to charity.

The timing of the donation of the money is all the more suspect when the nature of how Chabot came to accept it is known. Chabot signed his name to a letter to the Department of the Interior arguing against allowing the Jena Band of Choctaw Native Americans to acquire land to run a casino in Louisiana. This letter directly benefitted Native American tribal groups that ran casinos in the Gulf Coast region, and that were Abramoff clients. Following Chabot's signature, he received $4,000 in contributions from these tribes over the course of eight months. Clearly indicative of a quid pro quo: Chabot peddles his influence for Abramoff's cash.

In politics timing is everything, and here the timing is damning. These payments for actions Chabot took under the letterhead of the United States Congress show that he is not interested in serving the citizens of the First District, but rather remaining entrenched in power. This is about honesty, this is about character, and now it should be about change.

at 8:55 PM, January 06, 2006

Anonymous said...

ahh shucks i keep finding more dirty money. don't matter that just yesterday i say i don't even know who Casino Jack is. gee whiz, i'm just nice old Steve. i walk around all nice when i'm in the first and then go stooge for DeLay, Abramoff and Bushie in DC.

at 8:57 PM, January 06, 2006

Anonymous said...

And so 2006 begins and each day Steve Chabot finds a new dirty contribution for doing the bidding of Jack Abramoff.

at 8:59 PM, January 06, 2006

Anonymous said...

So is he acknowledging he takes tainted money or not? You can never get a straight answer from this guy.

at 9:36 PM, January 06, 2006

Anonymous said...

WHO GAVE THE OTHER $1K STEVE? WHICH OTHER INDICTED/CONVICTED/GUILTY CRONY OF YOURS GAVE IT?

at 10:19 PM, January 06, 2006

Anonymous said...

Big deal. Chabot has been voting against veterans benefits and the homeless the twelve long years you've been in congress.

at 11:26 PM, January 06, 2006

Anonymous said...

Chabot keeps every promise he makes, like his term limit pledge.

Chabot is resigning real soon, so leave him alone.

at 9:01 AM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

John Cranley ought to give it up. He is simply unfit to serve in the Congress of the United States. He is a child who has no understanding of regular people's problems. He is a liberal professor with no wife, no family, no real job, saved for college, or done any of the other real world things that our federal representatives should do so as to understand common people's problems. Harvard is no substitute for real life experience.

John Cranley spends his days trying to free people from the penitentiary. Yes, some may be innocent, but a large majority of those applying for assistance through his project are guilty of horrendous crimes and use John Cranley and his young, idealistic, liberal law students to push their improper agenda.

John Cranley has been part of the mess at City Hall for too long. Do the citizens of the 1st Congressional District want City Hall style government from their elected representative to the Congress? The answer, John-Boy Cranley, is "NO!"

John Cranley is single-handedly responsible for the CMHA public housing mess in western Hamilton County that is slowly deteriorating first rate neighborhoods like Price Hill, Delhi, and Green Township. His failed liberal ideology has driven crime and drugs into these once great neighborhoods and is the main reason citizens are fleeing Hamilton County.

Steve Chabot provides steady, common-sense, conservative leadership to the pride of Hamilton County--the beautiful west side. Steve has raised a family, paid his taxes, and held office at various levels of government. He understands the real problems of the citizens of his district. He has never been a rubber-stamp for the outragous spending of some of his Republican colleagues. Although a loyal Republican, Steve has placed the District and the well-being of our country before partisanship on a variety of issues. Most importantly, he has been a hawk on issues of spending and taxes.

John Cranley has been part of the collapse of our city center, a bloating murder-rate, and the steady decline of our beautiful city neighborhoods. He's always had his eye on the next job. He announced for Congress only days after being elected to the Council.

John Cranley will get spanked like the boy that he is in November.

at 10:07 AM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Its ridiculous to suggest that Chabot hasn't been a rubber stamp for "outrageous spending of his Republican colleagues." He voted for the FY 2006 budget that the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think-tank, says will produce a nearly $400 billion deficit. That is reckeless spending.

On the other hand, John Cranley has repeatedly balanced the city's budget as chairman of the finance committee.

Chabot pretends to be fiscally responsible, but then spends like a drunken sailor. Cranley is fiscally responsible.

at 10:13 AM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Looks like Chabot's team just previewed their campaign message. Real smart to attack the Innocence Project.

at 10:20 AM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Chabot's campaign trying to make an issue of running for higher office is the pot calling the kettle black.

Let's review Chabot's record of office hopping.

1987: Chabot is re-elected to City Council
1988: Chabot runs for Congress and loses.
1989: Chabot is re-elected to City Council
1990: Chabot runs for County Commissioner.
1992: Chabot runs for County Commissioner.
1994: Chabot runs for Congress.

6 races in 7 years.

at 10:49 AM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Amazing. Steve Chabot needs to come clean on all this stuff.

For twenty long years the westside and city have been declining under his watch. Crime, blight and poverty have only increased.

Congress oversees section 8 and a whole host of opportunities to improve things, yet Chabot has done nothing about it.

With all the favors and stooging Chabot does for Abramoff and Bush and DeLay and Taft, why hasn't he gotten anything accomplished for his district?

Getting mixed-up in all these DC scandals is one thing. It would be another thing if Chabot was taking care of his district. But the results are clear -- his district has been neglected.

What exactly has he been doing in Washington? It looks like he does a great job for his cronies. Too bad he fails his district.

Chabot seems interested in only one result -- holding on to power and staying in office.

at 11:54 AM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

I have watched all of Steve's campaigns closely and never recall him making a term limit pledge. Indeed, I wanted him too when he first ran, but he would not do so.

Tell me when and where he made that pledge?

Source?

at 1:17 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Gee, which one of these crooks is worse. It's a tough call. Once again we get to pick the lesser of two evils. We have a corrupt system were special interest hedge their bets and get big returns on their investments. Democrat or Republican, it doesn't matter, they will both sell us out to the highest bidder.

at 4:25 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

One of the 10 points of the Contract with America was for term limits. Chabot signed that.

at 4:31 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

See the Republican Contract with America section on term limits. http://www.house.gov/house/Contract/termlimd.txt

"The first joint resolution
(identical to H.J.Res. 38 as introduced in the 103rd Congress)
limits the number of Senate terms to two and the number of House
terms to six."

See also the University of Michigan's list of signers of the Contract with America. http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/text/cwasign.txt

Chabot signed and ran on the Contract. When's he going to announce he's not running?

at 4:40 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

I've been very impressed by John Cranley. During his time on City Council, the city has been revitalized, the murder rate has decreased, we haven't experienced any firehouse brownouts or police slowdowns, the older neighborhoods aren't falling behind, the population loss has reversed, and the city's financial health has never been better. We should bring the successful policies of the City of Cincinnati to Washington. Vote for John Cranley.

at 4:53 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Steve Chabot's done a bang-up job, too. GE, the largest defense contractor in the First District, hasn't lost jobs, the country hasn't been attacked by terrorists, we're not in a war, we're respected by the rest of the world, we don't have a pay-for-play on a national level...oh wait, never mind.

at 5:25 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Steve Chabot signed the Contract with America.

Steve Chabot made term-limits a central plank of the campaign that got him in congress.

Steve Chabot co-sponsored two bills amending the Constitution of the United States to limit terms of office for Representatives. (H.J.RES.3, 1/4/95 and H.J.RES.76, 3/23/95)

Steve Chabot voted to limit lifetime service to Members of the House to six years. (H.AMDT.330 to H.J.RES.73)

Steve Chabot voted four times to limit Congressional representatives to six two-year terms. (H.J.RES.2, 2/28/95; H.AMDT.329 3/29/95; H.J.RES.73, 3/29/95; H.AMDT.331, 3/29/95)

Steve Chabot is in his sixth and last term.

at 6:35 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Jack Abramoff and Steve Chabot both went to DC in 1994.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/28/AR2005122801588_pf.html

at 7:38 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

How about returning Delay's Dirty Money ?

HamiltonCountyRepublicanParty.com

at 7:59 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Hey "Has Been" Cabot:

Why are there Homeless Veterans ?

Isn't this something that should have fixed before Halliburton got your no-bid spending contract ?

at 8:38 PM, January 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

I've been very impressed by Steve Chabot. During his time in Congress, the city has been revitalized, the murder rate has decreased, we haven't experienced any firehouse brownouts or police slowdowns, the older neighborhoods aren't falling behind, the population loss has reversed, and the city's financial health has never been better. We should continue the successful policies of Steve Chabot and their effect on the City of Cincinnati--most of which is in his District. I'm especially impressed by how the west side has progressed since 1994 when Chabot was first elected. Re-elect Steve Chabot.

at 7:41 AM, January 08, 2006

Anonymous said...

Section 8 vouchers are overseen by the federal government. Congress, i.e., Chabot and Schmidt, are the local officials responsible for all matters connected to section 8.

So, dude, write your section 8 voucher complaints about the Westside to Chabot.

Or is Steve Chabot just going to play his "blame everything on the democrats and deny any personal responsibility game" again? Steve Chabot likes to dodge his own responsibilities.

Steve Chabot has been the point person for all maters related to section 8 on the Westside since 1994.

Chabot is of the party that rules the White House, the House, and the Senate.

So what has Steve Chabot accomplished in his twelve long years in congress on section 8? Nothing. No reform.

Sending minions to blame others for what he is responsible for is another reason why Steve Chabot is a sham and will go down.

But to give Chabot the benefit of the doubt, maybe his bosses Tom DeLay & Jack Abramoff didn't tell him that he was in charge of section 8.

http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/index.cfm

at 7:41 AM, January 08, 2006

Anonymous said...

at 7:47 AM, January 08, 2006

Anonymous said...

HamiltonCountyRepublicanParty.com -- nice. didn't delay just step down? i guess abramoff and scanlon are telling on delay. will delay tell on chabot?

at 11:59 AM, January 08, 2006

Anonymous said...

I see the CranBots are out in full force. They'll wish they never opened that pandora's box once the liberal special interest money starts rolling into boy-cranley's coffers.

at 1:59 PM, January 08, 2006

Anonymous said...

liberal interests are nothing compared to the criminal interests that line chabot's campaign coffers.

at 7:40 PM, January 08, 2006

Anonymous said...

I see the Cha BOTs are out playing the liberal blame game. Why don't they talk about the Republican liberal corruption. They are so conservative everything is behind closed doors. Including Bush's liberal Christian Values !

Bush the Christian

at 8:28 AM, January 09, 2006

Anonymous said...

All non issue!!!!!

Chabot is keeping his term limit promise and stepping down for Monzel to run.

Let it go Cranley people!

at 1:43 AM, January 10, 2006

Anonymous said...

The Contract with America called for term limits *legislation* to apply to all Congressman and Senators. The obligation of the signers was to vote for term limits legislation.

It didn't call for term limits supporters to voluntarily limit their own terms in the event of the legislation's failure, while term limits opponents go on serving forever. That would be an intellectually self-defeating act. Chabot never committed to voluntary term limits, and if the Cranleybots were more intelligent they'd have already figured this out.

at 3:52 PM, January 10, 2006

Anonymous said...

That last blog is ridiculous. If "term-limiters" sincerely care about representing their district's needs, and believe term limits best serve their district by allowing new blood to come in on a regular basis, then whether or not other representatives choose to do the right thing shouldn't affect their decision.

If they have integrity, the principled decision as to what's best for their district is clear. In Chabot's case, he could allow a new, younger Republican to carry the mantle.

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Friday, January 06, 2006

Chabot unloads tainted money

33 Comments: