The political watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, has given Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Long Beach, a dishonorable mention in its list of the 20 most corrupt members of Congress. Richardson is a Democrat who rose from Long Beach City Council to state Assembly to Congress in one year, now representing the 37th District.
The fourth annual report gave Richardson the dubious distinction based on her financial troubles that included her Sacramento home going into foreclosure and multiple defaults on that house and two others in Long Beach and San Pedro. CREW questioned why Richardson was able to get a loan for the Sacramento house -- during her brief stint in the state Assembly -- with such a poor credit history. Furthermore, the report says the fact that she was able to recover the home when the lender, Washington Mutual Bank, rescinded the foreclosure is suspect.
Whether Richardson should be on the list at all is debatable -- she has never been charged or convicted of any Congressional ethical or criminal offenses. Here is part of what the report alleges:
Because it is unusual for someone with such a deplorable credit history to be repeatedly approved for mortgages, the House ethics committee should investigate whether: (1) Rep. Richardson received a preferential loan in violation of House rules; (2) whether she had received other favorable treatment from lenders in the past; and (3) what, if any, official actions she may have traded to acquire these preferential terms. The House ethics committee should also consider whether Rep. Richardson's failure to include her mortgages on her financial disclosure forms violates House rules.
Richardson was one of four members of Congress to be given the dishonorable mention, falling short of the list of the 20 most corrupt members.
See the full report here.
Paul Eakins reports on Long Beach City Hall, and local and regional
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Karen Robes Meeks came to work for the Press-
Laura has run roughshod over people, rules, ethics in her quest for a larger forum. Well now she's got it. Congratulations! Now the entire country knows that has no moral compass & should be put out of office asap.
I met this congresswoman at a longshoreman thanksgiving turkey give away... working side by side for over an hour ,,, I thought she was a longshoreman...well, I would like to say a couple of things about her ....she is a very nice, caring and very intellegent woman... I enjoyed her presance immensly and so did others