Members of Congress are pretty much the only people left in America who say there’s no need for term limits. They think they’ve got everything under control.
But if that were true, why is there seemingly a new scandal in Congress every day?
Abuse of power is rampant in our nation’s capital and careerism is to blame. Sure, individual members sometimes step down…after they get busted. But that treats the symptom rather than the disease. The real cancer of Washington is the unchecked arrogance that develops when people are handed too much power for too much time.
Term limits are the remedy for the disease.
Let’s examine the 10 worst congressional scandals of the last year.
Editor’s Note: It was very tough to narrow down the list to merely 10 scandals. We apologize to the vast number of worthy scandals that were not included in this year’s list.
10. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) – Creeps While You Sleep
This comedian-turned-senator’s downfall was anything but funny. After a photo emerged showing him groping a woman in her sleep while on a USO tour, Franken faced similar allegations from at least seven other women. Before the Senate Ethics Committee could conclude its investigation into his conduct, Franken resigned from the Senate on January 3rd.
9. Ex-Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) – On Trial for Funding Lavish Life with Taxpayer Funds
Ever watch the show Downtown Abbey about the luxurious lifestyle of British aristocrats? Ex-congressman Aaron Schock loved the show and its posh style so much that he redecorated his congressional office to look like the inside of a British mansion. He then illegally sought $40,000 in reimbursement from taxpayers, including $5,000 for a crystal chandelier. Schock is also alleged to have pocketed hundreds of thousands more for personal gain.
He remains on trial for 22 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, theft of government funds, making false statements, filing false reports and filing false tax returns.
8. House GOP Tries to Gut Congressional Ethics Panel
On the first day of the 2017 legislative session, the House GOP majority wasted no time in voting to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics, an independent panel created in 2008 after several lawmakers were jailed for corruption. In a secret vote, the House moved to take control of the watchdog and move investigations back to the House Ethics Committee, a body controlled by lawmakers themselves.
After being admonished by President Trump on Twitter for violating its commitment to “drain the swamp,” the GOP majority scrapped its plan.
7. Chaka Fattah Ends 11th Term in Congress, Reports for First Term in Prison
Former congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) reported for prison in January 2017. Before that, Fattah was a 33-year career politician, serving in the Pennsylvania Legislature and Congress from 1983-2016.
In 2016 Fattah was found guilty of racketeering, conspiracy, bribery and money laundering, just to name a few of his 23 corruption counts. But Fattah’s incumbency was so powerful that he almost won his 2016 primary, even while under indictment.
While running for re-election, the crooked Fattah couldn’t find donors to his campaign. So he did what most incumbents do: relied on thousands in taxpayer funds to send campaign-style mailers to constituents. A true poster child for term limits.
6. Jason Chaffetz Says Congress is Underpaid, Needs More Dough
In June, now-former congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) claimed members of Congress, who earn $174,000 per year plus incredible perks, are not paid enough. Chaffetz called for a stipend of $30,000 per year on top of his luxury salary.
Remember: the median personal income for an American citizen is $26,964. That means Chaffetz and the rest of Congress already rake in 545 percent more than the average Joe – to say nothing of deluxe pensions, health care subsidies, free flights, free parking, free gym membership, millions of dollars in office allowance and other perks the rest of us don’t get.
Getting elected to Congress is winning the lottery, but as Chaffetz tells it, he and fellow career politicians are really the poverty-stricken victims. If only the American taxpayer would put an additional $30,000 into each congressman’s panhandling cup, all would be right again.
5. John Conyers Busted With His Pants Down
On December 5th, John Conyers (D-MI) resigned from the House after 52 uninterrupted years in Congress. That’s one of the longest tenures of all time. But Conyers didn’t go without a fight.
His own party pushed him out of office after it was revealed that Conyers paid out $27,000 in taxpayer dollars to cover up allegations that he sexually harassed female staffers. One witness, Melanie Sloan, who used to serve on Conyers’ staff in the 1990s, said the careerist octogenarian once called her into his office while he was not wearing any pants.
Conyers’ behavior proved not to be an isolated incident. Sources reported that the Congressional Office of Compliance, the slush fund that bailed out Conyers, had paid out $17 million in settlements on behalf of congress members since its creation in the 1990s. There is an ongoing effort to make all of this information public.
4. Bob Menendez Bribery Case Ends in Mistrial
Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), a 24-year Washington insider, never denied taking lavish trips around the world on his top donor’s private jet. He never denied that Dr. Salomon Melgen paid for his luxury golf memberships, Dominican Villas and a never-ending supply of the finest foods and beverages.
But Menendez does dispute that any of that amounted to corruption. It was just a great friendship, Menendez alleges, glossing over the fact that he helped Melgen obtain visas for foreign lovers, assistance in a Medicare fraud case, and port security contracts in the Dominican Republic.
Unfortunately, a judge agreed, declaring a mistrial in November, after the Menendez jurors could not reach a conclusion. Hope for justice is not all lost, however, as U.S. Justice Department officials are reviewing the case and determining whether Menendez should go on trial again.
3. Markwayne Mullin Insults Constituents, Breaks Term Limit Pledge
At a town hall event last April, a constituent of Representative Markwayne Mullin (R-OH) reminded Mullin of a simple fact: that Mullin works for the taxpayers. Mullin angrily denied this, calling the constituent’s claim “bull crap” and insisting “no one here pays me to go.” Of course this is blatantly false. Mullin has never returned the $174,000 annual salary he collects on the taxpayers’ dime. Nor has he turned down any of the perks and privileges afforded to members of Congress, such as the gold-plated retirement plan.
To make matters worse, Mullin made a cheesy video in July to announce he will be breaking his three-term limit pledge and staying on the congressional dole with no end in sight.
Mullin has already attracted primary challengers for his 2018 run. Let’s see if voters punish him for being an ingrate and breaking his word.
2. 20-Year Congressman Bob Brady Bribes Opponent to Drop out of Race
Crooked politicians love to say term limits aren’t needed because we have elections. But, behind the scenes, many of them use truckloads of special interest dough to assure elections stay rigged to protect incumbents. Take Bob Brady (D-PA), a 20-year congressman from the Philadelphia area. Last year, newly-unsealed Justice Department records revealed that Brady laundered $90,000 through fake companies and consultants to bribe his primary opponent, Jimmie Moore, to drop out of the race.
Once Moore was out of the way, Brady cruised to re-election with no primary opposition and 85% of the vote in the general. Just another day in the life of a powerful incumbent.
1.“Queen Corrine” Brown fleeces a charity, reports for prison on 18 fraud convictions.
Several years ago, Corrine Brown (D-FL) was my congresswoman. I’ll never forget how her seniority and perfectly-gerrymandered district made it impossible for “Queen Corrine” to ever lose. Voting was rarely even an option, since she so frequently ran unopposed. What I didn’t know is that “Queen Corrine” would soon be busted as a criminal.
In May of 2017, Brown was convicted on 18 federal fraud charges which centered on creating a phony baloney charity called “One Door for Education.” Here’s how her scam worked: megadonors wanting Washington favors would pump cash into Brown’s foundation. Then, Brown would vote the way these special interests wanted while pocketing the non-profit’s cash. She was caught spending the charity’s money lavishly on private jet rides, luxury boxes at NFL games, Beyoncé concerts, high-end shopping sprees and direct ATM cash.
In January 2018, Brown entered the Coleman federal corrections complex in Sumter County, Florida. After 12 terms in Congress, she officially begins her first term in prison.
by Nick Tomboulides, Executive Director
U.S. Term Limits