A few days ago, Chris Shays made the news for standing up to his party and declaring that the Republicans needed a change in leadership or they would pay the price at the ballot box.
"There will be bad stories that come out that are embarrassing to Republicans and will cause them trouble," Shays said at a briefing. "I'm holding my breath."
Shays stated that the Republican leadership was tied up in ethical conflicts. Tonight, he will take their money.
Tonight, Chris Shays will be the beneficiary of a lavish fundraiser at The Grand Havana Club in Manhattan hosted by Republican Acting Majority Leader Roy Blunt. A ticket of admission for a co-chair level PAC is $25,000, vice-chair level PAC is $10,000 and a ticket for an individual is $2,500. Shays will show up at the fundraiser, be honored by the attendees, and take home a hefty check to use in his upcoming election, all courtesy of Blunt.
He will then return to Washington and go back to attacking his leadership for their ethical malpractices. Blunt, meanwhile, was rated by the non-profit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) as one of the thirteen most corrupt congressmen in Wahsington.
From their report:
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) this week released a 88-page report entitled Beyond DeLay: The 13 Most Corrupt Members of Congress, documenting the unethical and often illegal activities of the most tainted Members of Congress. Rep. Blunt was included in the report which, for the first time compiles and analyzes ethics violations in light of federal laws and ethics rules.
Rep. Blunt's ethics issues stem from his abuse of his position for the benefit of his family, including providing legislative assistance to his wife and son and using his clout to solicit contributions for another son's campaign. Details of Rep. Blunt's egregious activities can be found at www.beyonddelay.org.
"Rep. Blunt's appointment is a case of `new boss, same as the old boss.' While Rep. Blunt may be new to the job, he has long followed Rep. DeLay's pattern of ignoring campaign finance laws and ethics rules," Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today. "Rep. Blunt's favors for Phillip Morris and United Parcel Service, at a time when both companies were clients of his family members, and his funneling of campaign contributions to his son Matt's campaign for Governor begs the question `with such an ethically-challenged record, is Rep. Blunt an appropriate choice for House Majority Leader'?"
Rep. Blunt also contributed the largest individual donation, $20,000, to Rep. DeLay's Legal Defense Fund.
Additionally, according to the Associated Press, Rep. Roy Blunt's Political Action Committee (PAC), Rely on Your Beliefs Fund, has paid roughly $88,000 in fees since 2003 to J.W. Ellis Co., a consulting firm run by Jim Ellis. Mr. Ellis, a long time ally of Rep. DeLay, has been indicted along with Rep. DeLay for conspiracy to violate Texas campaign finance laws. It is unclear what services Mr. Ellis performed for Rep. Blunt, who listed Mr. Ellis as a "consultant."
Attack party leadership for ethics failures to make the headlines, then take money from fundraisers that they set up. Sounds like a pretty good deal for Chris Shays. I guess when your own job is on the line, anything goes.