As reported here, "A soon-to-be U.S. senator lends money to a lobbyist. The lobbyist never pays it back. The lawmaker then uses her Senate position to help direct more than $11 million in government money to projects benefiting the lobbyist's clients.
"It's the story of Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., a former technology executive, and her former campaign manager Ron Dotzauer, who founded a lobbying firm and still owes the senator an unpaid personal loan from 2000.
"Cantwell's spokesman says she sees nothing wrong with the relationship. Ethics experts have a different take.
"Senate ethics rules require lawmakers to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest when making official acts that benefit people in whom they have a personal financial relationship. [Emphasis mine]
""It is clear that this financial relationship web between the senator and the lobbyist creates a huge conflict of interest," said Ellen Miller, head of the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation, which is working to highlight how lawmakers use legislative earmarks to reward special interests."
Remind me again. What was it the Dems said about ethics, and "a culture of corruption"?
Fellow blogger Reality Hammer has his say on this here.
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