Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Encyclopedia
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that describes itself as "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government and public life by targeting government officials – regardless of party affiliation – who sacrifice the common good to special interests." One of its most visible projects is "CREW's Most Corrupt", an annual report of whom CREW determines are Washington's most corrupt politicians.
According to its website, CREW advances its mission by engaging in research, litigation and media outreach, utilizing litigation, Freedom of Information Act
requests, Congressional ethics complaints, Internal Revenue Service
complaints, Federal Election Commission
complaints, and requests for investigation with government agencies.
CREW has been described by major media organizations, including the Washington Post and New York Times, as a liberal watchdog group and by others as Democratic-leaning, left-leaning and progressive.
.
(R-MO - elected), Charlie Crist
(I-FL - defeated), Jeff Denham
(R-CA - elected), Alvin Greene
(D-SC - defeated), Jeff Greene
(D-FL - defeated), Timothy Griffin
(R-AR - elected), J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ - defeated), Ed Martin
(R-MO - defeated), Kendrick Meek
(D-FL - defeated), Christine O'Donnell
(R-DE - defeated), Dino Rossi
(R-WA - defeated), Marco Rubio
(R-FL - elected), James Traficant
(I-OH - defeated), and Allen West
(R-FL - elected). Of the 14 candidates listed as most corrupt, five were elected and nine were defeated.
According to CREW's report; of the 26 ongoing investigations, sixteen are Republicans (61%) and ten are Democrats (39%), while six are Senators with the remainder serving as Representatives.
Three congressmen are currently out of office since the 2010 report was published; Sen. Burris
(D-IL) chose not to run again, Rep. Mollohan
(D-WV) was defeated and Sen. Ensign
(R-NV) resigned. One congressman, Rep. Rangel
(D-NY) was censured by the House but still serves.
CREW uses the following general categories to label its allegations and they are defined below:
serves as CREW's founding and current executive director. Prior to founding CREW in 2003, she served as one of more than 300 Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the District of Columbia from 1998 to 2003 after having worked for Congressional Democrats John Conyers
, Charles Schumer
, and Joseph Biden.
's Ben Smith
described CREW's founding in 2003 as "one of a wave of new groups backed by liberal
donors" and called CREW "a vehicle for assaults on largely – but not entirely – Republican
targets". In 2006 Congressional Quarterly
reported, "Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has taken aim almost exclusively at GOP
members of Congress. Since its founding in 2003, it [helped] investigate 21 lawmakers, only one of them a Democrat
" (Sen. Blanche Lincoln
of Arkansas, in a complaint that also targeted Republican Sen. Bill Frist
, then Senate Majority Leader). A report by McClatchy News Service described CREW as "a Democratic-leaning watchdog group". In 2007, Ms. Magazine
quoted longtime Democratic pollster Celinda Lake
as saying, "Corruption was a top issue in the [2006] midterm elections, and CREW was critical to the Democrats' success. The fact that they were bipartisan and had created this dirty-dozen list of corrupt politicians really helped people process that these politicians were acting well outside the norm." In 2006, Time magazine
referred to the group as "the liberal watchdog group" and reported, "Since its founding in 2003, CREW has worked through legal and regulatory channels to press allegations of impropriety almost exclusively against Republicans." An Associated Press story in 2010, however, stated that CREW "has a history of targeting members of Congress representing different races, philosophies and both major parties."
Then-U. S. Senator Hillary Clinton and her associates played a role in the early stages of CREW's history. A key staffer to Clinton, Jodi Sakol, attended brainstorming sessions that established CREW. Sakol made Clinton aware of CREW's need for "Democratic progressive money." Mark Penn
, Clinton's pollster and chief strategist, became a director and vice president at CREW.
U.S. Senator Conrad Burns
of Montana charged that CREW was "maliciously false" and "partisan hacks" in calling him corrupt in 2005. The Billings Gazette
reported that CREW defended itself:
CREW has called for the resignation of U. S. House Democrats Charlie Rangel and Anthony Weiner. In June 2011, CREW criticized the Justice Department's prosecution of Democratic politician John Edwards
for allegedly receiving and hiding illegal campaign contributions. Executive director Melanie Sloan said that the prosecutor's case was "remarkably weak," and that "no court has ever interpreted the definition of campaign contribution this broadly."
The Washington Post has variously described CREW as a "liberal watchdog group", "nonprofit watchdog group", "advocacy group", and "nonpartisan watchdog group". The New York Times, USA TODAY, and Roll Call have also referred to CREW as "liberal," with Roll Call also describing CREW as "controversial."
The journal Broadcasting & Cable
described CREW's chief legal counsel as "a Democrat-recommended witness and so the closest to an[ Obama
] administration defender". As recently as April 2011, CREW was described as "left-leaning" by both the Chicago Tribune
and Lexington Herald-Leader
, and The Daily Caller
columnists called CREW "a Democrat-leaning group" without a "contributor base to play watchdog over the Obama administration."
reported in January 2008 that CREW files most of its complaints against members of Congress, and "all but a handful... have targeted Republicans". The article stated that CREW had issued press releases against Democrats but usually had not filed complaints against them, with the exception of Senator Mary Landrieu
, a conservative Democrat. CREW defended itself to Roll Call:
After the article was published, CREW stated that it was "baseless" and "omitted key facts". CREW also suggested the Roll Call reporter had been prompted by a conversation with Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu
, the target of a recent CREW lawsuit at the time.
Roll Call reported that CREW investigated "groups and individuals who are the foes of CREW's donors" as well as a political opponent of one of CREW's board directors, and that CREW refused to disclose its donor list. Donors to CREW include such liberal groups as George Soros
' Open Society Institute
, Democracy Alliance
, Service Employees International Union
, the Arca Foundation, and the Gill Foundation
. The Roll Call article also stated that the CREW mission statement had changed since 2005, when it read that CREW "differs from other good government groups in that it sues offending politicians directly" and that it "aims to counterbalance the conservative legal watchdog groups that made such a strong impact over the past decade."
(OK) called CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan a "great American" for her organization's work on earmark reform.
According to its website, CREW advances its mission by engaging in research, litigation and media outreach, utilizing litigation, Freedom of Information Act
Freedom of information legislation
Freedom of information legislation comprises laws that guarantee access to data held by the state. They establish a "right-to-know" legal process by which requests may be made for government-held information, to be received freely or at minimal cost, barring standard exceptions...
requests, Congressional ethics complaints, Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
complaints, Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
complaints, and requests for investigation with government agencies.
CREW has been described by major media organizations, including the Washington Post and New York Times, as a liberal watchdog group and by others as Democratic-leaning, left-leaning and progressive.
History
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington was founded in 2003 to expose, deter and litigate legal and ethical wrongdoing by members of Congress. The idea for the organization originated in part with co-founder Norman Eisen, as a counter-weight to conservative watchdog groups like Judicial WatchJudicial Watch
Judicial Watch is an organization that describes itself as "a conservative, non-partisan American educational foundation that promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law." According to its mission statement, Judicial Watch "advocates high standards of...
.
Reports
CREW publishes several reports concerning political topics and politicians according to its ideology. As of September 2011, the following possibly recurring reports, among other topical reports, were listed on their website:- CREW’s Most Corrupt 2011:: is the most recent edition of CREW's flagship annual report concerning corruption in congress.
- Crooked Candidates 2010: Identified the candidates that CREW alleged were the most corrupt for the 2010 congressional elections.
- CREW’s Most Corrupt 2010: Unfinished Business a review of previous reports concerning corruption in congress.
- Under Investigation: CREW's list of politicians that may be under investigation by various federal agencies.
- The Pork Parade: Details members of congress allegedly taking advantage of earmarks for financial and political gain.
"CREW’s Most Corrupt"
CREW has published seven annual reports since 2005 of the politicians that CREW identifies as the most corrupt members of Congress. The 2005 report included 11 Republicans and 2 Democrats; the 2006 report included 17 Republicans and 3 Democrats; the 2007 report included 18 Republicans and 4 Democrats;; the 2008 report included 17 Republicans and 7 Democrats; the 2009 report included 7 Republicans and 8 Democrats; the 2010 report included 16 Republicans and 10 Democrats; the 2011 report included 10 Republicans and 4 Democrats."Crooked Candidates 2010"
In 2010, CREW published a "Crooked Candidates" list that included Roy BluntRoy Blunt
Roy D. Blunt is the junior United States Senator from Missouri. He is a member of the Republican Party. His Senate seat was previously held by Republican Kit Bond, until his retirement....
(R-MO - elected), Charlie Crist
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph "Charlie" Crist, Jr. is an American politician who was the 44th Governor of Florida. Prior to his election as governor, Crist previously served as Florida State Senator, Education Commissioner, and Attorney General...
(I-FL - defeated), Jeff Denham
Jeff Denham
Jeffrey John "Jeff" Denham is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.He previously served two terms in the California State Senate, representing the 12th District, which includes Madera, Merced, Monterey, San Benito and Stanislaus counties. Denham was the second...
(R-CA - elected), Alvin Greene
Alvin Greene
Alvin Michael Greene is a Democrat from South Carolina. He was the Democratic Party's nominee in the 2010 United States Senate election in South Carolina. He was defeated by incumbent Republican Sen. Jim DeMint by a margin of 61.46% to 27.65%, with the remaining votes going to third-party and...
(D-SC - defeated), Jeff Greene
Jeff Greene
Jeff Greene is an American businessman and entrepreneur. He is a member of the Democratic Party and was a candidate in the 2010 Senate election primaries in Florida.-Personal life:...
(D-FL - defeated), Timothy Griffin
Timothy Griffin
John Timothy Griffin is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He was a United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas from December 2006 to June 2007, appointed by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.-Early life and education:Griffin was born in...
(R-AR - elected), J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ - defeated), Ed Martin
Ed Martin (Missouri politician)
Edward Martin Jr. was the 2010 Republican nominee for Missouri's 3rd congressional district. In the August 3, 2010 Republican primary, Martin received 63% of the vote; defeating 2 other candidates. After years of the being uncompetitive in Missouri's 3rd, the Republicans had a very good chance of...
(R-MO - defeated), Kendrick Meek
Kendrick Meek
Kendrick Brett Meek is an American politician who was the U.S. Representative for from 2003 to 2011. He was the Democratic nominee in the 2010 Senate election for the seat of Mel Martinez, but he lost in a three way race to Republican Marco Rubio along with Independent Charlie Crist.-Early life,...
(D-FL - defeated), Christine O'Donnell
Christine O'Donnell
Christine Therese O'Donnell is an American Republican Party politician who founded two advocacy organizations. She has been an advocate for nonprofit clients and nonprofit causes for nearly 20 years. A Tea Party favorite, and with strong financial support from the Tea Party movement, she defeated...
(R-DE - defeated), Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi
Dino Rossi is an American commercial real estate executive, former Washington State Senator, two-time Republican candidate for Governor of Washington, and former Republican candidate for United States Senate. His first run for the Governor's mansion in the 2004 election became the closest...
(R-WA - defeated), Marco Rubio
Marco Rubio
Marco Antonio Rubio is the junior United States Senator from Florida . A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives ....
(R-FL - elected), James Traficant
James Traficant
James Anthony Traficant, Jr. is a former Democratic Representative in the United States Congress from Ohio . He represented the 17th Congressional District, which centered on his hometown of Youngstown and included parts of three counties in northeast Ohio's Mahoning Valley...
(I-OH - defeated), and Allen West
Allen West
Allen Clayton West was a convicted criminal. As a result of his incarceration, he gained notoriety as one of the conspirators involved in planning and preparing for the June 1962 Alcatraz escape.- Alcatraz :West was sent to the Atlanta Penitentiary and...
(R-FL - elected). Of the 14 candidates listed as most corrupt, five were elected and nine were defeated.
"CREW’s Most Corrupt 2010: Unfinished Business"
CREW currently lists serving politicians as investigation targets on their annual lists of the most corrupt congressmen.According to CREW's report; of the 26 ongoing investigations, sixteen are Republicans (61%) and ten are Democrats (39%), while six are Senators with the remainder serving as Representatives.
Three congressmen are currently out of office since the 2010 report was published; Sen. Burris
Roland Burris
Roland Wallace Burris is a former United States Senator from the state of Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party....
(D-IL) chose not to run again, Rep. Mollohan
Alan Mollohan
Alan Bowlby Mollohan is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1983 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
(D-WV) was defeated and Sen. Ensign
John Ensign
John Eric Ensign is a former United States Senator from Nevada, serving from January 2001 until he resigned amid an investigation of an ethics violation in May 2011...
(R-NV) resigned. One congressman, Rep. Rangel
Charles B. Rangel
Charles Bernard "Charlie" Rangel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1971. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the third-longest currently serving member of the House of Representatives. As its most senior member, he is also the Dean of New York's congressional delegation...
(D-NY) was censured by the House but still serves.
CREW uses the following general categories to label its allegations and they are defined below:
- "Campaign finance violations" concern usage of campaign funds which is discussed in Campaign finance in the United StatesCampaign finance in the United StatesCampaign finance in the United States is the financing of electoral campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels.At the federal level, the primary source of campaign funds is individuals; political action committees are a distant second. Contributions from both are limited, and direct...
. - "Acceptance of a bribe" is described in BriberyBriberyBribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
. - "Enrichment of self, family or friends" is explained in NepotismNepotismNepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
. - "Honest services fraud" is defined as a scheme to deprive another of the intangible right of honest services and is further examined in Honest services fraudHonest services fraudHonest services fraud refers to a 28-word sentence of , added by the United States Congress in 1988, which states: "For the purposes of this chapter, the term, scheme or artifice to defraud includes a scheme or artifice to deprive another of the intangible right of honest services."The statute...
. - "Illegal gratuity" is another term for bribery.
- "Improper conduct" is a general term that implies procedural, ethical or legal lapses.
- "Solicitation of gifts" is another general term that implies bribery.
- "Travel violations" may include procedural failures as well as ethical lapses and possible bribery.
- "Misuse of Congressional staff" implies use of staff personnel whose salaries are paid with federal funds for the congressman's personal or campaign business.
- "Improper use of appropriated fundsAppropriation billAn appropriation bill or running bill is a legislative motion which authorizes the government to spend money. It is a bill that sets money aside for specific spending...
" suggests using federal funds for personal or campaign purposes.
Director
Melanie SloanMelanie Sloan
Melanie Sloan is the Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a nonprofit government watchdog group.-Early Life and Family:...
serves as CREW's founding and current executive director. Prior to founding CREW in 2003, she served as one of more than 300 Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the District of Columbia from 1998 to 2003 after having worked for Congressional Democrats John Conyers
John Conyers
John Conyers, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1965 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
, and Joseph Biden.
Politics
In 2010 PoliticoPolitico (newspaper)
The Politico is an American political journalism organization based in Arlington, Virginia, that distributes its content via television, the Internet, newspaper, and radio. Its coverage of Washington, D.C., includes the U.S. Congress, lobbying, media and the Presidency...
's Ben Smith
Ben Smith (journalist)
Ben Smith is an American political journalist and blogger for the news outlet Politico, which was frequently cited during the 2008 presidential election. He formerly wrote for the Wall Street Journal Europe, the New York Sun, the New York Observer and wrote a political column for the New York Daily...
described CREW's founding in 2003 as "one of a wave of new groups backed by liberal
Liberalism in the United States
Liberalism in the United States is a broad political philosophy centered on the unalienable rights of the individual. The fundamental liberal ideals of freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion for all belief systems, and the separation of church and state, right to due process...
donors" and called CREW "a vehicle for assaults on largely – but not entirely – Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
targets". In 2006 Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly
Congressional Quarterly, Inc., or CQ, is a privately owned publishing company that produces a number of publications reporting primarily on the United States Congress...
reported, "Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has taken aim almost exclusively at GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
members of Congress. Since its founding in 2003, it [helped] investigate 21 lawmakers, only one of them a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
" (Sen. Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...
of Arkansas, in a complaint that also targeted Republican Sen. Bill Frist
Bill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
, then Senate Majority Leader). A report by McClatchy News Service described CREW as "a Democratic-leaning watchdog group". In 2007, Ms. Magazine
Ms. magazine
Ms. is an American feminist magazine co-founded by American feminist and activist Gloria Steinem and founding editor Letty Cottin Pogrebin together with founding editors Patricia Carbine, Joanne Edgar, Nina Finkelstein, and Mary Peacock, that first appeared in 1971 as an insert in New York magazine...
quoted longtime Democratic pollster Celinda Lake
Celinda Lake
Celinda Lake is a pollster and political strategist for the Democratic Party in the United States of America.-Background and education:A native of Montana, Lake earned her Master's degree in Political Science and Survey Research from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. She attended Smith...
as saying, "Corruption was a top issue in the [2006] midterm elections, and CREW was critical to the Democrats' success. The fact that they were bipartisan and had created this dirty-dozen list of corrupt politicians really helped people process that these politicians were acting well outside the norm." In 2006, Time magazine
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
referred to the group as "the liberal watchdog group" and reported, "Since its founding in 2003, CREW has worked through legal and regulatory channels to press allegations of impropriety almost exclusively against Republicans." An Associated Press story in 2010, however, stated that CREW "has a history of targeting members of Congress representing different races, philosophies and both major parties."
Then-U. S. Senator Hillary Clinton and her associates played a role in the early stages of CREW's history. A key staffer to Clinton, Jodi Sakol, attended brainstorming sessions that established CREW. Sakol made Clinton aware of CREW's need for "Democratic progressive money." Mark Penn
Mark Penn
Mark J. Penn , is the worldwide CEO of the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller and president of the polling firm Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates. In September 2007, he released a book titled Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow's Big Changes, which examines small trends sweeping...
, Clinton's pollster and chief strategist, became a director and vice president at CREW.
U.S. Senator Conrad Burns
Conrad Burns
Conrad Ray Burns is a former United States Senator from Montana. He is only the second Republican to represent Montana in the Senate since the passage in 1913 of the Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and is the longest-serving Republican senator in Montana history.While in...
of Montana charged that CREW was "maliciously false" and "partisan hacks" in calling him corrupt in 2005. The Billings Gazette
Billings Gazette
The Billings Gazette is the largest newspaper in Montana and Northern Wyoming. It is geographically one of the largest distributed newspapers in the nation....
reported that CREW defended itself:
CREW has called for the resignation of U. S. House Democrats Charlie Rangel and Anthony Weiner. In June 2011, CREW criticized the Justice Department's prosecution of Democratic politician John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...
for allegedly receiving and hiding illegal campaign contributions. Executive director Melanie Sloan said that the prosecutor's case was "remarkably weak," and that "no court has ever interpreted the definition of campaign contribution this broadly."
The Washington Post has variously described CREW as a "liberal watchdog group", "nonprofit watchdog group", "advocacy group", and "nonpartisan watchdog group". The New York Times, USA TODAY, and Roll Call have also referred to CREW as "liberal," with Roll Call also describing CREW as "controversial."
The journal Broadcasting & Cable
Broadcasting & Cable
Broadcasting & Cable magazine is a television industry trade magazine published by NewBay Media. Previous names included Broadcasting/Telecasting, Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising, and Broadcasting...
described CREW's chief legal counsel as "a Democrat-recommended witness and so the closest to an
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
and Lexington Herald-Leader
Lexington Herald-Leader
The Lexington Herald-Leader is a newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and based in the U.S. city of Lexington, Kentucky. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the Herald-Leaders paid circulation is the second largest in the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
, and The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller is a news website based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a focus on politics, original reporting and breaking news, founded by journalist and political pundit Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel, former adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney...
columnists called CREW "a Democrat-leaning group" without a "contributor base to play watchdog over the Obama administration."
Roll Call article
Roll CallRoll Call
Roll Call is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C., United States, from Monday to Thursday when the United States Congress is in session and on Mondays only during recess. Roll Call reports news of legislative and political maneuverings on Capitol Hill, as well as political coverage of...
reported in January 2008 that CREW files most of its complaints against members of Congress, and "all but a handful... have targeted Republicans". The article stated that CREW had issued press releases against Democrats but usually had not filed complaints against them, with the exception of Senator Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, a conservative Democrat. CREW defended itself to Roll Call:
After the article was published, CREW stated that it was "baseless" and "omitted key facts". CREW also suggested the Roll Call reporter had been prompted by a conversation with Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu
Mary Landrieu
Mary Loretta Landrieu is the senior United States Senator from the State of Louisiana and a member of the Democratic Party.Born in Arlington, Virginia, Landrieu was raised in New Orleans, Louisiana...
, the target of a recent CREW lawsuit at the time.
Roll Call reported that CREW investigated "groups and individuals who are the foes of CREW's donors" as well as a political opponent of one of CREW's board directors, and that CREW refused to disclose its donor list. Donors to CREW include such liberal groups as George Soros
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
' Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
, Democracy Alliance
Democracy Alliance
The Democracy Alliance is a partnership of business and philanthropic leaders who commit to making make human and financial donations to organizations the Alliance has endorsed...
, Service Employees International Union
Service Employees International Union
Service Employees International Union is a labor union representing about 1.8 million workers in over 100 occupations in the United States , and Canada...
, the Arca Foundation, and the Gill Foundation
Gill Foundation
The Gill Foundation is one of the largest private funders of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equal rights work in the United States...
. The Roll Call article also stated that the CREW mission statement had changed since 2005, when it read that CREW "differs from other good government groups in that it sues offending politicians directly" and that it "aims to counterbalance the conservative legal watchdog groups that made such a strong impact over the past decade."
Public perception
In November 2010, Republican U. S. Senator Jim InhofeJim Inhofe
James Mountain "Jim" Inhofe is the senior Senator from Oklahoma and a member of the Republican Party. First elected to the Senate in 1994, he is the ranking member of the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and was its chairman from 2003 to 2007. Inhofe served eight...
(OK) called CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan a "great American" for her organization's work on earmark reform.
See also
- Government Accountability ProjectGovernment Accountability ProjectThe Government Accountability Project is a leading United States whistleblower protection organization. Through litigating of whistleblower cases, publicizing concerns and developing legal reforms, GAP’s mission is to protect the public interest by promoting government and corporate accountability...
- Judicial WatchJudicial WatchJudicial Watch is an organization that describes itself as "a conservative, non-partisan American educational foundation that promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law." According to its mission statement, Judicial Watch "advocates high standards of...
- OMB WatchOMB WatchOMB Watch is a 501 nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. OMB Watch was formed by Gary Bass in 1983 to lift the veil of secrecy shrouding the White House Office of Management and Budget...
- Project on Government OversightProject on Government OversightThe Project On Government Oversight , founded in 1981, is an independent non-profit organization in the United States which investigates and seeks to expose corruption and other misconduct. POGO assists whistleblowers and investigates federal agencies, Congress, and government contractors...
External links
- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, official site
- CREW's Most Corrupt, list of Members of Congress