Seems that Darrell Issa's been getting restless holding hearings on Presidential libraries and Freedom of Information Act requests, ducking accusations that he’s used almost a million taxpayer dollars to subsidize his personal investment portfolio, and demanding that the Obama Administration’s unprecedented efforts to improve government transparency be slashed to pay for more tax cuts for billionaires.
At the San Diego Union-Tribune, Steve Breen is looking for suggestions to title Darrell Issa's autobiography. There's a lot to try to pack into a title, from the car theft and the weapons charges to the suspicious fire and the Viper car alarm.
Media Matters delves into Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Issa protege and one of Glenn Beck's favorites in Congress. With Glenn Beck set to "transition off," having folks like Chaffetz in Congress to keep pushing crazy conspiracy theories will help maintain Beck's de facto subpoena power.
In a perplexing attempt at damage control, Darrell Issa turned to Twitter today to respond to the Think Progress report that his personal real estate holdings have benefitted from earmarks that he requested. Issa started by releasing a letter from the regional transportation authority recommending the project, then followed up by insisting that he didn't buy the building until after he had secured nearly a million dollars in federal funding to improve it. In his further defense(?), he points out that he swore off earmarks shortly after he secured that money.
As the richest person in the House of Representatives, Darrell Issa has a vast personal empire that includes a wide range of real estate holdings. His dealings around those real estate investments have raised legal and ethical questions in the past, and more recently Roll Call has questioned the line that divides his personal and political interests. This morning, ThinkProgress reports on a far more troubling conflict:
A joint hearing on Wednesday into TSA screening procedures revealed stunning hypocrisy from Darrell Issa, who was apparently completely unaware or uninterested in how absurd he sounded. During a deservedly critical grilling of TSA officials on invasive screening methods, Issa remarked:
Roll Call continues tugging on a thread it uncovered late last week, asking further questions about Darrell Issa's blurry ethical distinction between public and private business. On Tuesday, Paul Singer noted that Issa's DEI entity -- sometimes a reference to his initials, sometimes to his company Direct Electronics Inc -- had been bleeding over into government business in a few instances.
It's no secret that Darrell Issa isn't fond of the landmark health care reforms passed last year. He's voted more than once to repeal the reforms, and has signaled his intentions to find ways to de-fund the new access to health care. But based on comments exchanged in a committee hearing with John Ashcroft, Issa has no idea what conditions are like in the U.S. health care system, Guantanamo Bay, or both.
Issa Watch on Hiatus Indefinitely
The Appearance of Impropriety in Darrell Issa’s Office
Issa responds to ethics problems with conspiracy theories
Issa’s requested DoE loan would have benefited major GOP donor
Issa sought funds via “easy way to end up with corruption in government”
Out of excuses, Issa contradicts himself in avoiding NewsCorp
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1 comments
posted by Lucas O’Connor at 11:50 am