Rep. Laura Richardson named one of most corrupt leaders
Former employees speak out
California’s Rep. Laura D. Richardson was named one of the most corrupt people of the year. In a report released by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the group named 19 members of Congress–14 members whose actions violated the law or who otherwise engaged in serious misconduct, and five others whose lack of regard for the rules earned them a dishonorable mention. Richardson came out at No. 8.
Richardson has been accused of misusing official resources for campaign activity and personal benefit. But this isn’t the first time the politician has been included in a CREW report. She was also listed in 2008 and 2009.
In an interview published in March 2011, Maria Angel Macias, Rep. Richardson’s former district scheduler, alleged that Rep. Richardson had required members of her staff to volunteer time on her 2010 re-election campaign.
She said the representative often scheduled campaign events “while on the taxpayer’s dime” and even made staff members work at her campaign events outside office hours. Other staff reported that they were forced to work campaigns or face termination.
In her resignation letter, Ms. Macias added that “on more than one occasion [she] was asked to do a task or coordinate an event that was on the ethical borderline and not in [her] job description.”
Staffers also reported that the congresswoman even asked them to routinely run errands for her.
Other alleged offences included intimidation for political contribution, solicitation on federal property, improper use of appropriated funds and false statements to Congress.
http://www.ourweekly.com/los-angeles/congresswoman-laura-d-richardson-makes-2011-most-corrupt-listagain
WASHINGTON D.C. - CREW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, has just released their seventh report on congressional corruption. In the report, CREW names 19 members of Congress – 14 members whose actions violated the law or who otherwise engaged in serious misconduct, and five others whose lack of regard for the rules earned them a dishonorable mention. Coming in at number 8, California's own Rep. Laura D. Richardson.
With most ballots in the Nov. 6 election counted, a little analysis of the results as it relates to African Americans is in order.
Looking at the number of African Americans elected to Congress this go-round is a good starting point.
According to David Bositis, Ph.D., of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, there was a net gain of one new Black congressional member.
Voters on both the West and East coasts sent African American politicians packing.
The third time is the charm for Reggie Jones-Sawyer, who Tuesday was elected to represent the 59th Assembly District.
After dropping out of the Los Angeles City Council 10th District race in 2002 and barely losing out to Holly Mitchell in the contest for the 47th Assembly District in 2010, Jones-Sawyer will now join Mitchell in Sacramento. She was re-elected to the Assembly by defeating Keith Mc Cowen 83.4 to 16.6 percent.
One of the highlights of the Oct. 16 City Council meeting in Carson was the passage of a motion to establish May 12 as Mervyn Dymally Day in the city. Introduced by City Manager David Biggs, the resolution honors the late 37th-District congressman for his “career and contributions to the public sector, and the communities he represented.”
Representative Laura Richardson recently agreed to pay a $10,000 fine for forcing her Congressional staff members to work on her 2010 campaign.
The House Ethics Committee recommended the punishment and claimed that Richardson also used official goveernment resources for personal purposes and obstructed the committee’s investigation by attempts to alter evidence and efforts to influence the testimony of staff members who would be witnesses in the investigation.
