More than one in four members of Congress who hold top positions on committees and subcommittees or are in the House Leadership have used their position to enrich family members, according to a watchdog's investigation.
Lawmakers employed family members on campaign committees and used campaign funds to pay family businesses or contribute to relatives among other methods that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington says warrants an investigation.
In its report, CREW identified 96 members of Congress -- 44 Democrats and 53 Republicans -- who used their positions to financially benefit family members. CREW, a Washington-based watchdog group that promotes openness in government, focused on the 337 House committee or subcommittee chairs and ranking members, along with the five leadership positions. It examined campaign finance records from the 2002, 2004 and 2006 election cycles.
Highlights of the report include:
64 paid family members through their campaign committees or PACs (26 Democrats and 38 Republicans);
24 have relatives who lobby Congress (10 Democrats and 14 Republicans);
19 used their campaign committees or PACs to pay a family business or a business that employs a family member (9 Democrats and 10 Republicans);
17 used their campaign funds to make campaign contributions to relatives (11 Democrats and 6 Republicans);
15 used their positions to benefit a family member or a family member’s client (3 Democrats and 12 Republicans);
At least 7 paid offspring who ranged from school-age to college-age (all Republicans)
Download the quick overview chart
Lawmakers employed family members on campaign committees and used campaign funds to pay family businesses or contribute to relatives among other methods that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington says warrants an investigation.
In its report, CREW identified 96 members of Congress -- 44 Democrats and 53 Republicans -- who used their positions to financially benefit family members. CREW, a Washington-based watchdog group that promotes openness in government, focused on the 337 House committee or subcommittee chairs and ranking members, along with the five leadership positions. It examined campaign finance records from the 2002, 2004 and 2006 election cycles.
Highlights of the report include:
64 paid family members through their campaign committees or PACs (26 Democrats and 38 Republicans);
24 have relatives who lobby Congress (10 Democrats and 14 Republicans);
19 used their campaign committees or PACs to pay a family business or a business that employs a family member (9 Democrats and 10 Republicans);
17 used their campaign funds to make campaign contributions to relatives (11 Democrats and 6 Republicans);
15 used their positions to benefit a family member or a family member’s client (3 Democrats and 12 Republicans);
At least 7 paid offspring who ranged from school-age to college-age (all Republicans)
Download the quick overview chart
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