Recent Posts
-
What the Pentagon Looks Like Under Sequestration Cuts
August 12, 2013 -
Freeland Says Globalization, Technology and Global Politics Driving Growth of the Super Rich
August 9, 2013 -
Ghattas: U.S. Foreign Policy Must Adapt to the 21st Century, Rising Superpowers
August 8, 2013 -
DoD Memo Sheds Light on New Whistleblower Protections
August 7, 2013 -
Whistleblowing Study Examines Fairness vs. Loyalty
August 7, 2013 -
Y-12 Security: Time to Give Federalized Guard Force a Shot?
August 6, 2013 -
Goodman: America's Bloated Military Spending Hurts U.S. Mission
August 5, 2013 -
POGO and Allies Urge Improvements to Surveillance Law
August 2, 2013 -
POGO Obtains DoD Memo on 20 Percent HQ Spending Cut
August 1, 2013
New Turn in FBI Investigation into Weldon
TweetNovember 30, 2006
Former Representative Curt Weldon tried to cut U.S. aid to Moldova in a ploy to regain $2.5 million that a family friend lost in an investment deal gone bad, according to a little-noticed article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Weldon used his perch to personally help his friend � John J. Gallagher � on several other occasions. Gallagher, in turn, appears to have helped Weldon�s daughter Karen Weldon find clients in Russia. Gallagher�s relationship to the Weldon�s has apparently become a topic of the FBI�s corruption investigation. The Inquirer article follows a New York Times piece a few weeks ago on Weldon�s efforts to help Italian arms makers get U.S. defense contracts. Corruption of the kind being investigated in the Weldon case has is part of a larger effort which has revealed that �wrongdoing by public officials at all levels of government is deeply rooted and widespread.�
In January, the public will find out how the Democratic-run Congress intends to address this with new ethics legislation. Meanwhile, House Majority Speaker Nancy Pelosi�s former chief of staff turned lobbyist warned that big business is in trouble with the Democrats�that is unless they �ramp up their public relations efforts.� Gee, that sounds like a not-so-nuanced pitch for business.
At the time of publication, Beth Daley was the Director of Investigations for the Project On Government Oversight.
Authors: Beth Daley
Stay Connected
Browse POGOBlog by Topic
POGO on Facebook
Latest Podcast
Podcast: How The Intelligence World Came to Rely on Contractors
POGO's Scott Amey talks about the growing private intelligence industry that includes major federal contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, the former employer of Edward Snowden. Podcast with Joe Newman, Aimee Thomson, Jana Persky and Andre Francisco.
