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Revision as of 21:06, 12 July 2006 by WWB (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a Washington, DC-based organization dedicated to fighting corruption by U.S. government officials by means of creative litigation. The organization self-identifies as progressive and works in concert with other left-leaning non-profits inside the Beltway. CREW occasionally critiques Democrats, but primarily focuses on criticizing the Republican congressional leadership. One of their most visible projects is a list of people they call the "most corrupt."
CREW was founded in 2001 by Melanie Sloan, a former aide to Representative John Conyers and Senator Charles Schumer.
CREW also runs the website JackInTheHouse, focusing on Jack Abramoff.
CREW Staff
- Melanie Sloan, Executive Director
- Naomi Seligman, Deputy Director and Communications Director
- Anne L. Weismann, Staff Attorney
CREW Publications
In January 2006, CREW published a report, "Beyond Delay: The thirteen most corrupt members of Congress" documenting the unethical activities of thirteen Members of Congress: 10 House Members and three Senators. Although much of the information is available in a variety of documents, CREW compiled the information into one reference document. The allegations against some of those on the list have been well publicized while the activities of others have gone relatively unnoticed.
The 13 Most Corrupt Members of Congress
- 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 H. Taylor (R-NC)
- Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
- Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
- Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN)
- Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Cases with CREW involvement
- Clint Curtis
- Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
- Theft of Democrat documents within the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary
- Ethics violations by Tom DeLay
Critics
Senator Conrad Burns, one of those named by CREW as corrupt, says that the organization is "nothing but a group of partisan hacks doing the dirty work of Democrats." Some critics believe it is no coincidence that the two Democrats that CREW has criticized are in districts that are among the safest in the country for incumbents.
By the group's own admission they do have an agenda that goes beyond ethics. "We are progressive," said Naomi Seligman, the group's deputy director and a former spokeswoman for Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana. "We do work within a larger progressive infrastructure."
Seligman suggested her group is the progressive counterweight to Judicial Watch, a group from the right that calls itself "a non-profit, public interest law firm dedicated to fighting government corruption." Judicial Watch was a key player in the push for President Clinton's impeachment.
External links
- Official Website
- .PDF File: "Beyond Delay, the 13 most corrupt members of Congress"
- Washington Times "Inside Politics" column, May 11, 2005
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