2007.08.23: August 23, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Fiji: Politics: Congress: Connecticut Post: Panel investigates Shays' campaign
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2007.08.23: August 23, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Fiji: Politics: Congress: Connecticut Post: Panel investigates Shays' campaign
Panel investigates Shays' campaign
Waxman's panel had been investigating the political presentations that White House officials gave to federal agencies across government prior to the Washington Post article. As part of its investigation, the committee received documents confirming the existence of the "asset deployment team" and received documents that the White House invited 18 federal agencies to asset deployment meetings in 2003. In June 2006, the White House surrogate scheduler, at the suggestion of the White House Office of Political Affairs, asked the agencies to provide news clippings from events that agency heads did, noting that "folks over here get very excited when they see the results of all the hard work you and your agencies do on these events." Shays has been critical of the investigation, and voted April 25 against issuing subpoenas to the Republican National Committee seeking e-mails that White House officials wrote on RNC e-mail accounts about using federal resources to help Republican candidates. Congressman Chris Shays of Connecticut served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Fiji in the 1960's.
Panel investigates Shays' campaign
Panel investigates Shays' campaign
PETER URBAN purban@ctpost.com
Article Last Updated: 08/23/2007 12:18:26 AM EDT
WASHINGTON — A congressional panel is investigating whether the White House misused federal resources to help re-elect Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4, in 2006.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Ca., who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, sent letters Tuesday to the heads of 18 federal agencies seeking documents to determine if that is so.
On Sunday, the Washington Post reported that Karl Rove, the president's political adviser, organized an "asset deployment team" to "coordinate the travel of Cabinet secretaries and senior agency officials, the announcement of grant money, and personnel and policy decisions" to promote Republicans in Congress. Shays was a major recipient of Rove's assistance, according to the report.
Between April 2006 and election day, Shays announced at least 25 new federal grants or projects totaling more than $46 million, including a new veterans medical facility and a long-awaited installment of federal money for ferry service, according to a Post analysis of his news releases. Seven Bush administration officials, including two Cabinet secretaries and the chief of the highway administration, visited his district during that time.
In contrast, Shays announced $39 million in grants and got one visit by a federal official in the prior 15 months, the analysis shows.
Shays won re-election with 51 percent of the vote, defeating Democratic challenger Diane Farrell by a narrow, three-point margin.
John Cardarelli, a spokesman for Shays, said the congressman welcomes district visits from top federal officials.
"Chris has been in Congress for 20 years, and is delighted to do anything he can to help out his constituents, who are the direct beneficiaries of these visits. Chris will continue to fight to get as much as he can for them," Cardarelli said.
Waxman's panel had been investigating the political presentations that White House officials gave to federal agencies across government prior to the Washington Post article. As part of its investigation, the committee received documents confirming the existence of the "asset deployment team" and received documents that the White House invited 18 federal agencies to asset deployment meetings in 2003.
In June 2006, the White House surrogate scheduler, at the suggestion of the White House Office of Political Affairs, asked the agencies to provide news clippings from events that agency heads did, noting that "folks over here get very excited when they see the results of all the hard work you and your agencies do on these events."
Shays has been critical of the investigation, and voted April 25 against issuing subpoenas to the Republican National Committee seeking e-mails that White House officials wrote on RNC e-mail accounts about using federal resources to help Republican candidates.
At the April meeting, Shays complained that "I feel like we are straining out gnats and swallowing camels."
There are "so many huge issues that we should be debating," he added.
Shays later suggested that the Democrats, who are now in the majority, would use government resources for the same partisan purpose.
"You are going to use all these government paid staff even as we speak," he said.
Shays is the only House Republican remaining in New England, and faces a re-election challenge by Greenwich Democratic Town Committee Chairman Jim Himes.
Himes campaigned Wednesday with Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen, holding a news conference in Norwalk and a fund-raising luncheon in Westport.
Himes and Van Hollen criticized Shays for supporting the Iraq war even after suggesting a year ago that he favored a time line for withdrawing troops.
"It's hard to argue you are independent from the Bush administration when the Bush administration has made your re-election one of its top priorities," Van Hollen said Wednesday afternoon.
Van Hollen, who is also a member of the oversight committee, said orchestrating grant releases and Cabinet member visits during the height of an election "doesn't pass the smell test.
"I'm not suggesting there is any illegality here, but I question if this is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds," Van Hollen said. "Voters will have to hold Chris Shays accountable."
In a separate interview, Himes said the Washington Post expose demonstrated the "gross extremes" to which the Republican Party has politicized the federal government.
Michael Sohn, campaign manager for Shays, dismissed the criticism.
"Chris is focused on the job he was elected to do a few short months ago. No matter what partisan politicians in Washington have to say about Chris's views, Chris goes where the truth takes him," Sohn said.
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Headlines: August, 2007; RPCV Chris Shays (Fiji); Figures; Peace Corps Fiji; Directory of Fiji RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Fiji RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Connecticut
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Story Source: Connecticut Post
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Fiji; Politics; Congress
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