Doolittle says his inclusion on list of corrupt congressmen is unfair, wrong

By Gus Thomson, Auburn (CA) Journal

September 24, 2007

U.S. Rep. John Doolittle is a repeat member of a Washington watchdog organization's list of most corrupt members of Congress.

The list by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington names 18 Republicans and four Democrats.

Doolittle, whose connections to lobbyist Jack Abramoff are the subject on a Justice Department investigation, said the listing was an underhanded attempt to attack him from a liberal Democrat organization funded by billionaire activist George Soros.

"I just really think it's unfair and wrong for an underhanded and vile organization like CREW, who disagrees with me because I'm a conservative Republican, to attack me on that," he said. "Because of the atmosphere right now, it's a very impactful thing."

Doolittle has said he has done nothing wrong and wants the Justice Department investigation to come to a conclusion to clear his name. With a new congressional election coming in November 2008, Doolittle is already facing a Democrat challenger who ran a surprisingly strong campaign against him in 2006.

He's also facing questions within his own party from some former supporters about his ability to win again, given the cloud of uncertainty hanging over legal issues in Washington.

At the same time, he can draw on strong support in a conservative Republican county.

The non-profit CREW report includes Doolittle on the cover with four other federal elected officials.

Inside the report, CREW delves into several issues that have dogged Doolittle in recent years, including a 15 percent commission his campaign paid his wife, Julie, for fundraising. Doolittle has said that the arrangement was approved by the House Ethics Committee but this year hired another contractor to perform campaign fundraising duties.

The report also discusses Doolittle's ties to Brent Wilkes, director of a company who he helped assist through a $37 million federal earmark. Wilkes was named a co-conspirator in the federal investigation of Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham. The report tallied $118,000 given by Wilkes and his associates to Doolittle campaign committees.

Doolittle's Virginia home was searched by the FBI in April as part of the investigation. Doolittle said at the time that the search was politically motivated and perhaps had to do with steering attention away from the embattled, then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' own problems.

The CREW report said corruption has become a significant political issue. Exit polls showed in November 2006 that voters thought corruption was more important than the Iraq war in their choices at the polls, the report said.

"Every year CREW creates this compendium of corruption to expose and hold accountable those members of Congress who believe they are above the law," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW and a former member of Democratic Sen. Joe Biden's staff.

Sloan added that Congress persists in abdicating its constitutional responsibility to law enforcement.

"Luckily for the public, at least the Department of Justice still believes that political corruption is worth pursuing," Sloan said.

Doolittle said Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington should live up to its name.

"What they do flies in the face of the name of the organization itself," he said. "There's nothing responsible or ethical about it. It's the sort of bare-knuckle politics Democrats have decided to practice."

Doolittle's plans for a run at a 10th term in Congress representing the Fifth District are being challenged by Auburn City Councilman Jim Holmes and Eric Egland, a Air Force reservist from Roseville. Also expressing an interest in running, state Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, has questioned Doolittle's effectiveness because of the continuing ethics questions hanging over him.

Speaking Thursday during a telephone press conference, Doolittle dismissed suggestions that conservative Republican and former assemblyman Rico Oller was also a possible challenger.

"As far as I know, it's not true," Doolittle said. "He's supporting me for Congress and not planning on running against me."

Doolittle is working from a strong Republican base that until last election, had provided large election majorities since the early 1990s. Democrat Charlie Brown gained 46 percent of the vote while Doolittle won with 49 percent.

Doolittle has been able to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in special projects through earmarks for his district. This year, however, he's no longer the Republican House majority secretary - the fifth most powerful Republican in the House. He stepped away from that post after the Republicans lost the majority last November. And after his home was searched, he temporarily stepped down from his Appropriations Committee seat.

Doolittle said that his success in winning funding for a new Folsom bridge in the presidential budget could be considered an "earmark" he played a major role in getting.

There will also be $1 million in funding moving through the budgetary channels for work on the regional wastewater treatment system linking Lincoln to the Auburn area.

But with Democrats cutting back on earmarks and Republicans receiving less from what is left, Doolittle said he's working from a pot of funding that amounts to 20 percent of what's available.

Lincoln Mayor Kent Nakata said that despite the furor, he's supporting Doolittle. The congressman has been a consistent supporter of the regional wastewater treatment project and continues to press for Highway 65 bypass funding, he said.

"The congressman has been very focused on helping Lincoln, providing funding for transportation, sewer treatment and cultural projects," Nakata said. "It's helped establish Lincoln as a major player and he's given us a lot of support. It's very difficult to say negative things because he's helped us so much."

But not all Republicans are sticking with the congressman. Lincoln's Wayne Nader said he's supported the Doolittle campaign in the past but not this time.

With the Justice Department dragging out an investigation and several allegations leveled at the congressman, even if Doolittle is cleared "it still doesn't look good."

"It's time for him to move on," Nader said. "Anyone who's elected is a humble servant of the people. Elected officials need to maintain that humility and not lose touch with people."