# 13 Most Corrupt Members of Congress **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 10, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471 "2005-10-10T00:43:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/1 "2005-10-10T00:43:12Z")
> **[How To Stop Premature Ejaculation Without Medication | Beyond Delay](https://beyonddelay.org/summaries/)** > > Here we'll be looking at the most effective methods to stop premature ejaculation permanently. Of all the treatments there is one that is by far the successful method. You may be surprised to hear… This study claims that these thirteen members of congress are the MOST corrupt. - Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) - Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-CA) - Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) - Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) - Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) - Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH) - Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) - Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ) - Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC) - Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) - Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) - Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) - Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) Now, I haven’t bothered to read it because I am certain that I wouldn’t really understand how to dissect their methodology. So I would like to see what people have to say about this and then I’ll go in and read it keeping a few of those comments in mind. Thanks, Erek ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/2 "2005-10-10T00:57:24Z")
Quite a coincidence that 11 out of the 13 are Republican. _sigh_ How could the Republicans become corrupt so soon. It took 4 decades for congressional democrats to become rife with corruption. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/3 "2005-10-10T01:00:59Z")
I looked over the list at first, and didn’t see Charles Taylor, and I thought, “Hey, where’s my Congressman?” Then I looked more carefully. There he is! Yay! I love being from a county whose name is, literally, synonymous with bullshit. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Updike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@Updike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Updike)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/4 "2005-10-10T01:01:53Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Now, I haven’t bothered to read it because I am certain that I wouldn’t really understand how to dissect their methodology. So I would like to see what people have to say about this and then I’ll go in and read it keeping a few of those comments in mind. > > Thanks, > Erek Ok, just to be clear now, you’re posting a link to something you haven’t read, in order to get a reaction. Good luck with that. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/5 "2005-10-10T01:05:34Z")
I still have to go with Barbara Boxer (D-CA). She was one of the worst violators of the House check kiting scandel yet still managed to become a Senator. I would also suspect Sen. Brownback (R-KS) is highly corrupt. If not corrupt, he is certainly nuts. The idea of President Brownback in '08 is scary even for me - a Republican. Calling Randy Cunningham corrupt is absurb. He is one of the most honest of the public servants (and no, he is not my Congressman). I suspect the methodology was “How can I manipulate numbers to make the Republicans look corrupt?”. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/6 "2005-10-10T01:13:47Z")
> [@SaintCad](#): > > Calling Randy Cunningham corrupt is absurb. He is one of the most honest of the public servants (and no, he is not my Congressman). From the report: > [@](#): > > In late 2003, defense contractor Mitchell Wade purchased Rep. Cunningham’s Del Mar, California home for $1.675 million. Property sales records show that the average sales price for similar-size homes in the same area was at least $500,000 less than the price Mr. Wade paid for Rep. Cunningham’s home. Mr. Wade resold the property in October 2004 for $975,000, taking a $700,000 loss on the property. They go on to describe Cunningham renting yacht moorage space from Wade at over 30% less than current market rates (that’s a very ballpark figure; it’d probably be significantly less if i could be arsed to do the math), and receiving $50,000 from Mr. Wade and his company in campaign contributions. > [@](#): > > In 1997, Rep. Cunningham purchased a yacht named the Kelly C, from then-Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-AL) for $200,000. Five years later, in 2002, Rep. Cunningham sold the yacht for $600,000 – considerably more than the vessel was worth – to Thomas Kontogiannis, a businessman who had been convicted in a bid-rigging scheme. U.S. Coast Guard records do not reflect the sale of the Kelly C; rather they show that Rep. Cunningham is still the boat’s owner. > [@](#): > > In 1987, Rep. Cunningham established Top Gun Enterprises, Inc. The company’s web site, [www.topguninc.com](http://www.topguninc.com), sells knives, including the “Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham Fighter Ace Kalinga Style Buck Knife.” According to the company web site, the knife includes the emblem of the American Fighter Aces Association and the “Official Seal of the United States Congress.” Notably, the web site was recently taken down. > > Federal law prohibits anyone, except as directed by the United States House of Representatives or the Clerk of the House, using the likeness of the congressional seal. 18 U.S.C. §sect;713(d). Violations of this title are punishable by fine or imprisonment of up to six months or both. The Committee should investigate this clear violation of law. If this is one of the most honest of public servants, [I’ve failed Lily Tomlin once again.](http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/959.html) Daniel ---
**Author:** ![ramesh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ramesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ramesh)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/7 "2005-10-10T01:16:54Z")
> [@SaintCad](#): > > Calling Randy Cunningham corrupt is absurb. He is one of the most honest of the public servants (and no, he is not my Congressman). This better be a whoosh; otw, I have to say you are being misinformed or uninformed. > **[Duke Cunningham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_%22Duke%22_Cunningham#Scandals_and_controversy)** > > Randall Harold "Duke" Cunningham (born December 8, 1941) is an American politician and convicted felon. A Republican, he served as member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 50th district from 1991 to 2005, and subsequently served eight years in prison for accepting at least $2.4 million in bribes from defense contractors. Cunningham resigned from Congress in 2005 after having pled guilty to bribery, fraud, and tax evasion in a widely publicized trial. > Prior to his political... ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/8 "2005-10-10T01:26:45Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Now, I haven’t bothered to read it because I am certain that I wouldn’t really understand how to dissect their methodology. So I would like to see what people have to say about this and then I’ll go in and read it keeping a few of those comments in mind. Completely empirical. I pulled up 6 at random and you’ll see the range of seriousness of the violations. Feeney’s violations: 3 free trips One of Cunningham’s violations: Putting the Congressional Seal on products he sells. Waters’ major violation: Selling her influence on sample ballots. Actually her daughter did this and it is assumed with Rep. Waters’ blessing. Jefferson’s violation: Stealing money from investors Blount’s violation: Some minor ones but there are two major improprieties dealing with Phillip-Morris and channeling campaign funds to his son Ney’s violation: Minor but his insertion of material into the Congressional Record at the request of a friend to help with a business venture is unnerving. Basically, a majority of the accusations were about buying votes, i.e. an entity makes a campaign contribution and the Congressmen helps them out with legislation. The other major accusation was free trips from lobbyists. There was simply no quantitative data to back up that these 15 were the worst, just a collection of anecdotes. Are they claiming that these 15 are the only ones that do this? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/9 "2005-10-10T01:42:07Z")
> [@Left Hand of Dorkness](#): > > Quote: > In 1987, Rep. Cunningham established Top Gun Enterprises, Inc. The company’s web site, [www.topguninc.com](http://www.topguninc.com), sells knives, including the “Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham Fighter Ace Kalinga Style Buck Knife.” According to the company web site, the knife includes the emblem of the American Fighter Aces Association and the “Official Seal of the United States Congress.” Notably, the web site was recently taken down. > > Federal law prohibits anyone, except as directed by the United States House of Representatives or the Clerk of the House, using the likeness of the congressional seal. 18 U.S.C. §sect;713(d). Violations of this title are punishable by fine or imprisonment of up to six months or both. The Committee should investigate this clear violation of law. And franking priviledges are only for official business and cannot be used for personal/reelection purposes, yet I get mail from mine all the time that is 99% why you should re-elect me and 1% official business. I’m willing to change my opinion on Cunningham. I originally based it on a report a few years ago listing him among the top in integrity (along with Glenn and McClain) and was used to show that veterans tend to take public service very seriously and tend to be more honest as politicians. The seal issue is relatively minor (for me) as a violation. It could have been an “Ooops” or he just thought it was too minor to worry about (like franking abuse). In the grand scheme of life, there are a lot more abuses of power than that in Congress. But even granting the other things that is reported about Cunningham (it’s interesting that property prices went down in the middle of California’s economic crisis), Sen. Brownback basically has his rent paid for by a Christian group. So fine - all 13 have done corrupt things, but I still find it hard to believe that these are the WORST 13. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/10 "2005-10-10T02:34:27Z")
> [@SaintCad](#): > > I’m willing to change my opinion on Cunningham. Respectfully, SaintCad, you are correct to back off that (sub)claim. Cunningham is embroiled in a scandal at the moment, and has even dropped his re-election bid. Here’s the latest back and forth. Apparently, he claims that he was only overpaid $300,000 for his home by defense contractor Wade, so that’s all the government should be able to sieze: [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20051005-9999-7m5duke.html](http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20051005-9999-7m5duke.html) Here’s a private website that gives a run-down of how Cunningham’s various houses, boats, pay-offs, sweatheart loans, and insider defense contracts fit together. Don’t forget to click the [?] and [$] boxes: [http://www.jaxxattaxx.com/usd/syn/duke.htm](http://www.jaxxattaxx.com/usd/syn/duke.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/11 "2005-10-10T03:14:25Z")
This list appears to be partisan sniping. An honest list of corrupt bastards would include Jim Moran, my old congressman when I lived in Arlington. Yet he is mysteriously missing here. My honest Democratic friends on this board would likely agree with me on that one. Since the list doesn’t include him, it isn’t an honest list. I’m therefore just going to ignore it as a list. If you have complaints about individual members of Congress, I’ll be happy to evaluate them individually. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/12 "2005-10-10T03:23:37Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > An honest list of corrupt bastards would include Jim Moran… Why’s that? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/13 "2005-10-10T03:33:29Z")
. . . I’m rather disappointed to see only one Floridian’s name on that list. Dammit, we have a reputation to defend! ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/14 "2005-10-10T03:45:35Z")
> [@Mr. Moto](#): > > This list appears to be partisan sniping. An honest list of corrupt bastards would include Jim Moran, my old congressman when I lived in Arlington. Yet he is mysteriously missing here. > > My honest Democratic friends on this board would likely agree with me on that one. > > Since the list doesn’t include him, it isn’t an honest list. I’m therefore just going to ignore it as a list. If you have complaints about individual members of Congress, I’ll be happy to evaluate them individually. I think this is a reasonable response. Trying to determine that Senator X is more corrupt than Congresswoman Y is just too subjective. Further, why the top 13? Why not the top 10, 25, or some other obvious number? Better to treat indivicual instnaces of corruption individually. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/15 "2005-10-10T03:50:42Z")
How about the top 535? Yes, I know that there are some upright politicans. But if you go digging, I’m sure you can find something about every single one that might not be completely 100% unquestionably legal. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/16 "2005-10-10T03:51:12Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Why’s that? According to the Wikipedia – [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim\_Moran:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Moran:) > [@](#): > > [Moran] was elected to the Alexandria, Virginia City Council in 1979, serving as deputy mayor from 1982 to 1984, when he was forced to resign because of a misdemeanor conflict of interest charge. Nevertheless, he was elected mayor of Alexandria in 1985. Elected to the House in 1990, he serves on the House Appropriations Committee. His brother, Brian Moran, is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. > > In 1998, during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, Moran was one of 31 House Democrats who voted with Republicans to launch a formal impeachment inquiry into President Bill Clinton. During his time in the House, Moran has seen a few controversies——largely related to his poor handling of personal finances and bad judgement. > > Prior to the 2003 Iraq war he told an antiwar audience in Reston, Virginia on March 3, 2003, that “If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this. The leaders of the Jewish community are influential enough that they could change the direction of where this is going, and I think they should.” > > He also served as the chief Democratic sponsor of a bankruptcy reform bill after a major credit card issuer gave him a particularly large home equity loan. Moran contended that his support for the bankruptcy bill had nothing to do with this loan. > > His personal behavior has also come under fire - in 2000, he was accused of manhandling an 8-year old, African-American boy who, Moran claimed, was trying to steal his car, and there were allegations of abuse when his wife filed for divorce in 1999. So there’s something to it, maybe – but if that’s all, comparing Moran’s crimes & misdemeanors to those of the congresscritters listed in the OP, he doesn’t even rate a Dishonorable Mention. Got anything meatier, **Moto?** ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/17 "2005-10-10T03:54:29Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Further, why the top 13? Why not the top 10, 25, or some other obvious number? Probably just the humor of it. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > So there’s something to it, maybe – but if that’s all, comparing Moran’s crimes & misdemeanors to those of the congresscritters listed in the OP, he doesn’t even rate a Dishonorable Mention. He seems like a lousy human being, but I’m not sure he’s one of the most corrupt members of Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/18 "2005-10-10T04:09:18Z")
Yeah–getting a large loan from a credit card company doesn’t set off my suspicions the same way getting cheap yacht space and an excellent price on a home sale from a defense contractor does. I’m sure there are corrupt democrats, and it’s possible that Moran is one, but not from any evidence offered so far. Y’all should check out Chucky T! Daniel ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/19 "2005-10-10T10:42:39Z")
Tom DeLay (R-Undead) isn’t on the list? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2005, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471/20 "2005-10-10T11:53:41Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Tom DeLay (R-Undead) isn’t on the list? Not on the list on [BeyondDelay.com](http://BeyondDelay.com)? I guess he could be, but that’d be kinda silly. Daniel [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/13-most-corrupt-members-of-congress/325471.md?page=2)