From KSL in Salt Lake City:

A new twist to Utah's hottest political race. Candidates in the third district are reacting after a rare early endorsement from the white house.

The comments are worthwhile reading for GOP candidates everywhere.

 

Corruption: Cannon aide found guilty

Abramoff Cannon Norquist crewmember, David Safavian, goes down

tahns should take note of the corruption trial just concluded in Washington with a guilty verdict for Congressman Chris Cannon's former chief of staff, David Safavian. With the Safavian trial only one component of the still spreading Abramoff corruption scandal, the talk is of more indictments coming—including of members of Congress.

Will Chris Cannon be one of those members? You have to wonder—especially since the Interior Department, where Cannon got his start in Washington, and where plenty of funny business has gone on, has been drawn into the scandal.

There is certainly enough evidence to launch an investigation. One federal law enforcement agency, after reviewing material on Cannon we provided, declined to act on the matter—not, we were told, because the material didn't indicate criminal activity, but because Cannon was a sitting congressman(!). The agency wouldn't move on it "unless the newspapers pick it up."

Well, the newspapers have begun to pick it up, and it's only a matter of time before even the newspapers in Cannon's district will be printing more than Cannon press releases in their coverage of Cannon. (No sooner had I written the foregoing than this arrived in my inbox from Mark Mendlovitz of Los Angeles: Immigrant funds flow to Cannon campaign; Pro-migrant groups have donated $58,200 in the past 12 days, Deseret News, June 21, 2006...well, shut me up!)

Evidence of corruption

In a successful corruption case it's necessary to show that a public official took something of value in exchange for a particular legislative action or promise.

Is Congressman Chris Cannon corrupt?

As reported in a newspaper called the News India-Times by a person in attendance, Congressman Cannon attended a fundraiser for him at an Indian restaurant in New York, May 21, 2002. Unless the fundraiser took in zero dollars, something of value was exchanged.

At the fundraiser, Cannon was quoted, "I would like to see section 245(i) [the "marriage amnesty"] a permanent feature. Hopefully Senate would pass the legislation extending section 245(i) and we can improve this legislation in the conference. We hope we will have something this year about extension of section 245(i)."

In other words, a promise of legislative action was returned, and, in fact, Cannon did work to accomplish the amnesty. (Section 245(i) allows foreigners to defraud the American people through the abuse of the institution of marriage see: Amnesty an American tradition, says Florida senator, Issue 86: July 29, 2001 and Shamnesty, Issue 103).

So there you have it. Cannon took money and promised legislative action—one promise he has kept, though not to his real constituents back in Utah.

I remember the local news coverage in New York of the circus at the county clerk's office in lower Manhattan when that particular amnesty was running out. Lines formed around the block of loving couples waiting to receive marriage licenses. In the general party atmosphere, a news crew interviewed one couple asking them how long they had known each other. They'd just met that day they explained, and, to laughter all around, the prospective groom explained that in China it is a tradition for brides and grooms not to know one another before marriage. Thanks, Congressman Cannon. Way to protect marriage.

Immigration and Gambling

Immigration wasn't the only area in which Cannon dirtied the nation's capital. Check out this report of Cannon's conduct related to Indian tribes published just one month before the Indian restaurant story, while Safavian was still his chief of staff, and while Safavian's long-time lobbying partner, Jack Abramoff, was in the heydey of his multi-million dollar shakedown of the tribes' casinos, Don't Play the Game If You Don't Know the Rules. (A worthy area for investigation would be the surprising nexus between the gambling industry and U.S. immigration law.)

It's my hunch that Chris Cannon, like the Interior Department, are already the subjects of at least some aspects of the Abramoff investigation, and that those will be exanding.

Cleaning up Washington—a job Americans will do

All Americans are sickened by the corruption rampant in a Washington DC where the U.S. Chamberpot of Commerce calls the shots for the enrichment of a few at the expense of the rest of us and our country.

Utahns are sickened by it, too. Next Tuesday, Republicans in Utah's 3rd district will decide what their role will be in the battle to clean this place up. Will they continue to help dirty the country, or will they throw the lying bum out and spare themselves the greater embarrassment that seems likely to come?