Tribal donations to Rep. Richard Pombo (R-California), the powerful chairman of the House Resources Committee, are often linked to hearings on tribal issues, according to a watchdog group.
The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington calls Pombo one of the "most corrupt" members of Congress. He has received $221,000 from tribes since 1999, the group says [CREW Website].
This year alone, tribes have given $90,000 to Pombo. The top donor was the Paskenta Band of Nomiaki Indians in California. Coming in second was the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts.
The Mashpee donations came from the tribe's chairman, vice chairman and other members. They coincided with a hearing Pombo held that was favorable to the tribe's federal recognition petition. He later introduced a bill to speed up the tribe's case.
In another example, Pombo held a hearing on the Osage Nation sovereignty bill within days of receiving $5,000 from the Oklahoma tribe.
Get the Story:Beneficiary of tribal donations on watchdog's 'most corrupt' list (The Cape Cod Times 11/29) Relevant Links:
Rep. Richard Pombo - http://www.house.gov/pombo
House Resources Committee - http://resourcescommittee.house.gov Related Stories:
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