Local Reporters Question Two New Cases of McNerney Swapping “Campaign Cash-for-Earmark Requests”
9/23/08
Following up on the successful launch
of ONE TERM IS ENOUGH, local Valley journalists have uncovered
more examples of Jerry McNerney’s wasteful earmark abuses. Journalists
are starting to ask the tough questions about Jerry's McNerney's
broken promise to clean up Washington corruption.
Josh Richman, a reporter and blogger with the Contra Costa Times,
has discovered two new cases of McNerney swapping
“campaign cash-for- earmark requests.”
“Well, I’ve found that Pleasanton’s Corrina, Helmuth
and Stephanie Meissner – the president; founder/chief technological
officer; and CEO, respectively, at Dublin-based Onyx
Optics Inc. – gave
McNerney’s campaign a total of $3,750 in May, while Onyx
Optics senior scientist Huai-Chuan Lee of Albany donated
$500 in June. McNerney sponsored a $2
million earmark for Onyx Optics “for manufacturing technology
development of advanced components for high power solid-state
lasers.”
“Furthermore, CPU Technology
chief scientist Gail Walters has given
McNerney $2,500 in this election cycle while vice president
Richard Kessinger has
given $1,500. Pleasanton-based CPU Technology makes microprocessor-based
electronic systems used in defense technology, and with global
defense/aerospace giant BAE Systems got
a $2 million McNerney-sponsored earmark “for virtual simulation
and modernization of (the) Bradley Fighting Vehicle.” CPU Technology
got
a $47 million contract from BAE in June.”
Meanwhile, ace-political reporter Lisa Vorderbrueggen on her
Inside Politics Blog questions the corrupt contribution process.
“The earmark issue is tricky on several fronts.”
“It is illegal, of course, for an elected official to accept
campaign dollars in exchange for earmarks, votes or other government
favors.”
“McNerney ran on a reform platform during a time when congressional
ethics was on the hot seat but he also promised to bring jobs
to his district. Should he eschew all earmarks? Should he return
the EDO campaign money?”
“On Dec. 12, 2007, USA Today reported that McNerney accepted
campaign contributions from the political committee of Morgan
Hill-based defense contract EDO Corp. two days before he requested
a $800,000 federal earmark for the company.”
ONE TERM IS ENOUGH believes Jerry McNerney is the poster boy
for special interest hypocrisy. Instead of changing Washington’s
culture of corruption, Washington’s corruption changed Jerry McNerney.
Also
from the Time's Political Blog
“But the latest issue Fleischman brings up is far more interesting.
On Dec. 12, 2007, USA Today reported that McNerney accepted campaign contributions from the political committee of Morgan Hill-based defense contract EDO Corp. two days before he requested a $800,000 federal earmark for the company.
FEC records show EDO Corp. PAC contributed $9,500 to McNerney in 2007 betwen March 12 and Dec. 12. The congressman sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee on March 14, 2007, asking for funding for EDO Corp.’s “electronic warfare concept demonstrator for the littoral combat ship.”
The earmark issue is tricky on several fronts.
It is illegal, of course, for an elected official to accept campaign dollars in exchange for earmarks, votes or other government favors."
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