FBI investigates Rep. Curt Weldon (PA-07 - His Dem opponent is Joe Sestak)

[Pirate Smile]

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department is investigating whether Republican Rep. Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania traded his political influence for lucrative lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter, according to sources with direct knowledge of the inquiry.

The FBI, which opened an investigation in recent months, has formally referred the matter to the department's Public Integrity Section for additional scrutiny. At issue are Weldon's efforts between 2002 and 2004 to aid two Russian companies and two Serbian brothers with ties to strongman Slobodan Milosevic, a federal law enforcement official said.

The Russian companies and a Serbian foundation run by the brothers' family each hired a firm co-owned by Weldon's daughter, Karen, for fees totaling nearly $1 million a year, public records show.

Karen Weldon was 28 and lacked consulting experience when she and Charles Sexton, a Weldon ally and longtime Republican leader in Delaware County, Pa., created the firm of Solutions North America Inc. in 2002. Both are registered with the Justice Department as representatives of foreign clients.

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/15754123.htm

[babylonsister]

1. The crooks are coming out of the woodwork! nt

[peacebird]

2. REPUBLICAN Weldon - another in the Culture of Corruptions Hit Parade!

:popcorn:

[Stand and Fight]

3. Gooood Night!

Another one bites the dust?

[PCIntern]

4. this is really something...

I found it almost impossible to belive that he was in trouble to begin with in that district. You can go past what I would call lower-class working homes in an election year and see Bush/Cheney/Weldon signs stretching as far as the eye can see. But Sestak has really ginve him a run and this may be the nail in the political coffin.

Southeastern PA may be responsible for giving three or four seats alone back to the Dems. God Bless Us.

[donkeyotay]

5. Interesting that gopers like Russian bidness so much

Seems their base wanted them to take care of business here.

[stevedeshazer]

6. K & R - ANOTHER one!

:wow:

[RedEarth]

7. Oh the Culture of Corruption in the republican party is never ending

[leesa]

8. Oh, this is an unexpected treat! You mean the FBI is actually doing

some legitimate work and not shilling for the White House in this one?

[leveymg]

9. This is similar to what brought Tom DeLay, and Bob Ney down

Has all the earmarks of a foreign influence peddling scheme involving a bunch of ex-KGB and Serbian thugs. Same M.O. of funneling money through relatives to a ranking GOP with pull on national security issues and Abramoff ties.

The FBI is rolling up the Mafiya octopus that has a choke hold on the Republican Party.

[Eurobabe]

10. Oh boy, break out the popcorn! And the beer!

[Califooyah Operative]

11. Good. nt

[Thickasabrick]

12. Freepers say this is payback for "Able Danger" and Berger

investigations. Does anyone know what they are referring to?

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

13. The party of criminals and pedophiles - Curt Weldon on the Police Blotter

More jailbirds come home to roost.

[Singular73]

14. *** FBI probing Rep. Weldon, his daughter

By KIMBERLY HEFLING and LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 29 minutes ago


WASHINGTON - The FBI is investigating whether Rep. Curt Weldon (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., used his influence to secure lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter, two people familiar with the inquiry said Saturday.

The inquiry focuses on lobbying contracts worth $1 million that Weldon's daughter, Karen Weldon, obtained from foreign clients and whether they were assisted by the congressman, they said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the confidentiality of the criminal investigation.

Weldon, a 10-term Republican from the Philadelphia suburbs, long has denied any wrongdoing, and his top aide said Saturday no one had notified him of an investigation.

"I think if there was an investigation, somebody would have contacted us," said Russ Caso, Weldon's chief of staff.

Caso said Weldon and his staff were "100 percent caught off guard" when they learned of the investigation, first reported late Friday by McClatchy Newspapers. This account cited two individuals with specific knowledge of the existence of the investigation; they declined to be identified because of the confidentiality of criminal investigations.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061014/ap_on_go_co/congressman_investigation

[bluestateguy]

15. Is this Abramoff related?

Break story break!

[Doctor_J]

16. Snark

Um, some Repugs committed TREASON by leaking Valerie Plame's name, and the FBI never investigated that. Why would they waste their time on this?

Edit: And oh, yeah, some OTHER Repugs tried to kill Leahy and Daschle with Anthrax, and have never been caught.

[Wickerman]

17. supresses chuckle

:rofl:

[Erika]

18. The GOP Culture of Corruption continues n/t

[bluedogyellowdog]

19. ...and the hits just keep on comin' !!!

:spank: :bounce:

[Raine]

20. Is there anything sleazy

that the repugs aren't into...that's a rhetorical statement, not a question.

[kestrel91316]

21. ANOTHER crooked ReNAMBLAcan???? No one could have

forseen this!

[Duppers]

22. G.O.P. =

Greedy Old Perverts!