Democratic Corruption, Part II

Allan Mollahan, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Ethics Committee has stepped aside. Nancy Pelosi has accepted that decision. Here's how the AP's Larry Margasak reported the story:
The top Democrat on the House ethics committee, Alan Mollohan, will leave the panel, at least temporarily, while he defends his own financial conduct, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Friday. Mollohan's decision comes in an election year when his party is accusing majority Republicans of allowing a "culture of corruption" in Congress. Mollohan, of West Virginia, will be replaced by Rep. Howard Berman of California, a former ranking Democrat on the panel. Mollohan has denied any wrongdoing.
According to the National Legal and Policy Center, here's what his Financial Disclosure Report said:
Mollohans 2000 Financial Disclosure Report listed his income- producing assets as being worth from $179,012 to $562,000 with liabilities of $170,000 to $465,000. Among the liabilities was Visa credit card debt listed as $45,003 to $150,000.

Just four years later, Mollohan's 2004 Financial Disclosure Report showed him with assets worth $6,313,025 to $24,947,000 offset by liabilities in the $3,665,011 to $13,500,000 range. It also showed him owning an oceanfront beach house on Bald Head Island, NC which was valued at $1,000,000 to $5,000,000. NLPC found that Mollohan was renting the beach house during the summer of 2005 for $11,975 a week.
An investigation is still needed to determine the facts of the case but I'm highly skeptical of Mr. Hollohan's innocence at this point. Nancy Pelosi, however, is defending him:
"The allegations against Congressman Mollohan originate from the National Legal and Policy Center, which engages in highly partisan attacks on Democrats," Pelosi said. "The attacks are an attempt to deflect attention from the long list of Republican criminal investigations, indictments, plea agreements and resignations which have resulted from the reported long-term and extensive criminal enterprise run out of House Republican leadership offices," she said.
Ms. Pelosi, It's pretty difficult to lie about information on public documents. Only a Democrat would be stupid enough to pull a stunt like that. A simple FOIA request by a reporter would settle the matter. Even a lazy Washington reporter is willing to do that.

As for her diatribe about "extensive criminal enterprise run out of House Republican leadership offices", it's looking like Ms. Pelosi's offices aren't as lilly white as she'd have us believe. She'd be well-advised to not throw stones around because she's living in a glass house.

If you're looking for corruption in Washington, don't think that it's a GOP-only problem. Both parties are capable of corruption.

Cross-posted at California Conservative

Posted Friday, April 21, 2006 4:06 PM

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