influence peddling

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France Begins Formal Inquiry Against Sarkozy

Judge will now determine whether charges should be brought

(Newser) - After 15 hours of questioning yesterday, former French president Nicolas Sarkozy emerged as the star of his very own formal investigation into allegations that he peddled influence. It's a staggering turn of events Le Figaro calls a "shock wave," and an unprecedented one for a former French...

'Pop-Up' Firms Skirt Ethics Rules, Party With Pols

Lobbyists find ways to throw convention shindigs

(Newser) - Where there's a pesky ethics rule, there's usually a way around it, and lobbyists have found a simple way to sidestep restrictions against throwing parties for lawmakers at the Republican and Democratic conventions, NBC finds. "Consulting firms" have been set up to throw parties for members of...

Non-Lobbyist Newt Gingrich Acted a Lot Like a Lobbyist

Ex-speaker hawked clients' products, arranged meetings

(Newser) - Newt Gingrich’s consulting clients all signed contracts saying that Gingrich “does not provide lobbying services of any kind,” but what he did for them looks an awful lot like lobbying to the New York Times . Gingrich actively hawked his clients’ products in his presentations to lawmakers, and...

Newt's Tiffany Credit Sparks Influence Concerns

No-interest credit extended as Callista Gingrich dealt with mining policy

(Newser) - At first, self-professed "frugal" Newt Gingrich's Tiffany bill of up to $500,000 just made him look ridiculously out of step with cash-strapped Americans. But now, the financial arrangement with the jewelry behemoth is raising questions about influence, notes Gawker . Gingrich and his wife enjoyed a special interest-free...

Big Biz Can Only Donate So Much to Bobby Jindal...

... but is throwing a lot at his wife's nonprofit

(Newser) - If a corporation needs to get on Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's good side, there's a limit to how much it can donate to his campaign in order to do so. But there's no limit to how much it can donate to his wife's nonprofit. The Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana's...

Cuomo Raked in Millions From Special Interests

He did vow to 'take them on' during campaign

(Newser) - When Andrew Cuomo vowed to "take on" special interests in his race to be New York governor, what he didn't say is that he was taking them on as campaign partners. Records show Cuomo accepted millions from health care providers, real estate firms, lawyers, bankers, contractors, lobbyists and PepsiCo...

Looks Like Bribery's Legal
 Looks Like Bribery's Legal 
OPINION

Looks Like Bribery's Legal

Messy campaign finance system explains Blago verdict: Scott Turow

(Newser) - An Illinois jury's failure to convict Rod Blagojevich on bribery-related charges despite damning evidence starts to make sense when you look at America's shambolic campaign finance system, argues Scott Turow. The huge number of loopholes, together with the Supreme Court's decision to lift restrictions on corporate campaign donations, has turned...

Blago Lawyer Walks Off the Job

After dispute over closing argument, Sam Adam Jr. departs

(Newser) - Rod Blagojevich's lawyer left a federal courthouse in Chicago today without delivering his closing argument after the judge threatened to cite him for contempt of court, the Tribune reports . Sam Adam Jr. wanted to tell jurors about witnesses the government didn't call and planned to contend that their testimony would...

House Eyes Ethics Probes on 30 Members
House Eyes Ethics Probes on 30 Members
UPDATED

House Eyes Ethics Probes on 30 Members

Reps under scrutiny named in leaked document

(Newser) - As the House ethics committee yesterday was voting to go forward with full investigations of Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson, it was putting out a bigger fire started when an internal document revealed more than 30 lawmakers were under scrutiny was leaked on the Internet. “No inference...

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