U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., is not among the laundry list of
federal officials to have accepted money from embattled lobbyist
Jack Abramoff, a member of his Washington office said Thursday.
Abramoff – who wooed countless lawmakers with golf trips,
expensive dinners and sporting events in order to influence
legislation – is accused of illegal dealings with American Indians,
of which he and former associate Michael Scanlon allegedly
defrauded millions in fees.
The lobbyist has been charged with and pleaded guilty to federal
conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud. Thus far, no member of
Congress has been indicted in the growing controversy.
A group of current and former Pennsylvania lawmakers, including
Phil English, George Gekas, Charles Gerow, Stewart Greenleaf, Tim
Holden, Joe Pitts, Rick Santorum, Bill Shuster, Arlen Specter, Pat
Toomey and Curt Weldon all accepted donations from Abramoff in
varying degrees, according to the Web site the Capital Eye.
The Web site also indicated that New York state legislators were
also not immune, with former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton,
Eliot Engel, Felix Grucci Jr., Rick Lazio, Nita Lowey, Charles
Rangel, Tom Reynolds and John Sweeney receiving funding.
“I’d hope the public wouldn’t assume that the entire membership
of the U.S. Congress is corrupt because of the indescretions of a
few of its representatives,” Peterson’s Communications Director
Chris Tucker said. “I think that would be an unfair and altogether
incomplete extrapolation.”
Tucker said Peterson – who is up for re-election this year and
is preparing to run for the seat again – tries to avoid Washington
politics, adding the lawmaker is focused on legislation that will
positively impact his rural and sprawling 5th Congressional
District, which includes McKean, Potter, Cameron and Elk
counties.
“He has, from the beginning, avoided the glitter, glam and
glad-handing that folks tend to associate with Washington
lawmakers,” Tucker said. “For one, all that back and forth simply
doesn’t fit his personality. And two, he’s not in Washington to
advance his career, rather he’s here to advance his agenda – one
that protects the interests of rural America and ensures that his
constituents are treated fairly by the federal government.”
On Thursday, The Associated Press reported that Peterson’s
Republican colleague Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is
considering proposals to ban gifts and privately funded travel as
part of an effort to stem the influence of lobbyists on
lawmakers.
Officials said Democrats were likely to counter the move with
their own set of recommendations.
According to the Web site opensecrets.org, which lists campaign
contributions and expenditures for those running for political
office, Peterson had garnered a total of $90,836 in Political
Action Committee (PAC) contributions for the period of 2005-06,
according to data released by the Federal Elections Commission as
of Oct. 31, 2005.
Of that, according to the information provided on the Web site,
Peterson received $4,000 from lawyers and lobbyists, with lobbyists
listed as his fourth-largest supporters.
The Web site indicates Peterson had received $9,036 in
contributions from agribusiness PAC’s; $4,600 from communications
and electronics; $2,200 from construction; $4,700 from defense;
$19,400 from energy and natural resources; $7,200 from finance,
insurance and real estate; $24,000 from health PAC’s; $4,000 from
lawyers and lobbyists; $3,000 from transportation; $4,000 from
miscellaneous businesses; $2,700 from labor; and $6,000 from
ideology and single-issue PAC’s.
Meanwhile, the Web site notes the leading industries supporting
Peterson are hospitals and nursing homes, electric utilities,
health professionals, lawyers and law firms, forestry and forest
products, oil and gas, human rights, commercial banks, retired
persons, insurance, miscellaneous manufacturing and distributing,
miscellaneous energy, defense electronics, public sector unions,
electronics manufacturing and services, defense aerospace, health
services and HMOs, food and beverage, automotive and retail
sales.
