Congressman's donors linked to tribal dispute before committee (pombo)

[Ernesto]

And, now our own home grown repuke gets outed as a member of "the culture of corruption"!

Last Updated 3:47 pm PDT Tuesday, July 12, 2005
WASHINGTON (AP) - On Monday and Tuesday, the chairman of the House Resources Committee was raising money during baseball's All Star Game and its surrounding festivities. On Thursday, his committee will hold a hearing on land claims involving an Indian tribe bankrolled by his baseball hosts.
Spokesmen for Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Calif., and for organizers of the fundraiser said the timing was coincidental.


"This fundraiser has been in the works for quite some time," said Pombo spokesman Brian Kennedy. He said there was no connection between Pombo's fundraising and his committee work.
But Common Cause, a political watchdog group, said the circumstances raise questions.

"Any reasonable person could conclude that Rep. Pombo is inclined to be more sympathetic to this tribe if he knows that the family who threw him these big fundraisers during the All-Star game is aligned with the tribe," said Common Cause spokeswoman Mary Boyle.

Donors were paying $5,000 each for a place in the owner's box at Detroit's Comerica Park and access to two days of batting practice, team photos, the "John Hancock All-Star FanFest" and the game itself Tuesday night, according to invitation details released by the National Republican Congressional Committee.
http://www.sacbee.com/state_wire/story/13219315p-14062196c.html