Has Gordon Smith pulled a Tom DeLay?

The Hill News has reported that Oregon Senator Gordon Smith may have violated Senate ethics rules the same way House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay did by having a lobbying firm pay for an overseas trip:

In a potential violation of congressional ethics rules, five members of Congress traveled to Ireland in 2003 at the expense of a lobbying firm, disclosure records show.

Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), then-Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) and Reps. Howard Coble (R-N.C.), Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) and Clay Shaw (R-Fla.) attended a four-day international trade seminar at Ashford Castle in County Mayo during the August recess.

Disclosure reports for the five lawmakers show that Washington lobbying firm, Kessler & Associates Business Services Inc., footed the $25,000 bill, even though congressional ethics guidelines bar lobbying firms from paying for lawmakers’ travel.

A $25,000 trip to Ireland?  Must have been a sweet deal.  And who does Kessler & Associates Business Services Inc. represent?  Abbott Laboratories, Altria, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Delta Airlines, Pfizer,... just to name a few.

Just remember, next time you go get a prescription filled, part of the cost is for expensive junkets to Europe for our elected officials. 

I wonder if this was the same trip where he bought himself a set of antique golf clubs for $1.25 million dollars (Sorry, I don't have the golf club link.  You can thank the O's really bad website for that, but the story on Smith's spending habits in Old Europe was published in the O on 8.19.04, titled "Smith savors, assails Europe.")

My alert neighbor, Bill, tipped me off on this story.  Thanks Bill.

Comments

[linus]

Just a link to a contribution to the Tom Delay defense fund

http://www.opensecrets.org/alerts/v6/delay.asp

Oregon Smith Fund Medford OR Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) $1,000

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