PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
August 21, 2006
Contact: Ed Yoon (925) 249-1615; (213) 503-5455 (cell)

Congressman Richard Pombo again uses taxpayer funds for his personal political benefit

Pleasanton, CA – In the week of August 14, Congressman Richard Pombo again used taxpayer funds for his personal political benefit.

Many of Pombo’s constituents received up to two pieces of direct mail from his congressional office that had all the hallmarks of a political campaign mail piece. One mail piece, called “Putting Families First”, apparently targeted only women voters who are considered in this CA-11 election to be a critical “swing” voting bloc. The other, called “Transportation Update,” was apparently sent to all voters to coincide with the visit by the Bush-appointed Transportation Secretary Maria Cino that week.

Although such practices are not unusual by incumbents to bolster their electoral chances, there is no doubt that taxpayers foot the bill for politicians such as Richard Pombo to campaign for himself.

In a separate occasion on August 16, Pombo was spotted by protesters from Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund and MoveOn.org Political Action at the Contra Costa Country Club in Pleasant Hill where Pombo drove himself to in the luxury Lincoln LS paid for by taxpayers to speak to a partisan political event sponsored by the Contra Costa County Republican Party.

 

Representative Richard Pombo, considered by ethics watchdog groups as one of the most corrupt members of Congress, is again playing fast and loose with House ethics rules. It was previously disclosed by the Kansas City Star and Detroit Free Press that Representative Pombo leased a luxury Lincoln at a cost to taxpayers of $7,086.36 per year. Those news reports pointed out that a member of Congress could lease less expensive cars through the General Services Administration where the government negotiates bulk leases. A four-door sedan can be leased for $258 a month or $3,096 a year. Federal records show that only 134 out of 435 members of Congress lease cars.

“He’s renting a luxury car on taxpayers’ dime to campaign for reelection and that seems unethical,” said Dave Citron, a resident of Danville.

“Unfortunately, we have come to expect this sort of behavior from Representative Pombo,” said Ed Yoon, Campaign Manager for Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. “Following in the tradition of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and indicted Representative Tom Delay, he seems to think the taxpayers can pay for a seemingly endless array of his personal and campaign expenses.”

 

###

The Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund www.defendersactionfund.org provides a powerful voice in Washington to Americans who value our conservation heritage. Through grassroots lobbying, issue advocacy and political campaigns, the Action Fund champions those laws and lawmakers that protect wildlife and wild places while working against those that do them harm.