By Michael Becker, Alamogordo Daily News
September 23, 2007
A Washington-based congressional watchdog group has released its third annual list of what it says are the "most corrupt members of Congress."
Three New Mexico lawmakers including Rev. Steve Pearce have made this year's list, the first time senators or congressman from the Land of Enchantment have been included.
The list was released on Sept. 18 by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). Three days later, Rep. Pearce's office responded by denying all the claims raised in the report.
CREW's list for 2007 covers four senators, all Republicans, and 18 representatives 14 Republicans and four Democrats.
Sen. Pete Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson, both Republicans, made the list because of their involvement in the attempted removal of U.S. Attorney David Iglesias and allegations that the two pressured him about a corruption probe into New Mexico Democrats.
The removal of Iglesias and several other U.S. Attorneys led to congressional hearings. Attorney General Albert Gonzales' testimony at those hearings failed to impress and he was eventually forced to resign.
In the case of Rep. Pearce, CREW included him in its list citing an alleged failure in 2003 to fully disclose his financial assets as required by law.
According to CREW, Pearce was president of Lea Fishing Tools, in which he held stock worth $1 million to $5 million. Pearce sold the company's assets to Key Energy in 2003 in exchange for shares in the company.
CREW alleges that Pearce failed to list the sale of Lea Fishing Tools' assets on his 2003 financial disclosure forms.
According to the organization's report, Pearce stated in 2003 that he was president of Trinity Industries Inc., formerly known as Lee Fishing Tools, and that he held between $5 million and $25 million in stock in that company. CREW stated "it appears that Trinity Industries may be a holding company for the Key Energy stock, but this is unclear."
Pearce denies any wrongdoing or any attempt to mislead.
"We've checked the law, we've reviewed the forms and I am confident the law was followed," Pearce said in his Sept. 21 news release.
"To double check, I have sent a letter to the House Committee on Standards of Office Conduct to confirm my financial disclosure statements," Pearce said. "If a mistake was made on the disclosure form, I would act to clear it up immediately."
CREW also cited Pearce's acceptance of campaign donations from oil companies and his continued advocating of drilling on Otero Mesa.
According to CREW's report, Yates Petroleum, which was given the largest drilling lease on the mesa, has been the largest single donor to Pearce's campaigns since 2002.
The organization cited Federal Election Commission reports that show the company has given Pearce $32,490 in donations since 2002, and members of the Yates family have donated another $78,379.99 to the congressman.
CREW also noted that family members of another mesa leaseholder, Chase Petroleum, have given Rep. Pearce's campaigns $51,200 since 2002. And, Marbob Energy, a third leaseholder, has donated $20,500 through its political action committee to Pearce's campaigns since 2002, CREW noted in its report.
Pearce responded to what he called CREW's "wild claims" about Otero Mesa, noting the decision to allow drilling was taken in 2000, two years before he was elected.
"My position on Otero Mesa has long been know," Pearce said in his response. "It appears the only thing they got right was the spelling of my name ... They don't have their facts straight."
Pearce accused CREW of being an "extreme leftist" activist group and of having a partisan agenda.
"Their real objective is to tarnish Republicans and suppress the vote in 2008," Pearce said in his news release. "New Mexico is going to be an important state in the presidential election. If they can get Republicans to stay home by repeating absurd charges about me, then they won't be there to vote against Hillary (Clinton) or whoever wins the nomination."
CREW describes itself on its Web site as a nonprofit "dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability in government." Its founder and executive director, Melanie Sloan, is a former U.S. Attorney and served as an aide to Rep. John Conyers and Sen. Charles Schumer, both Democrats.