Curt Weldon, daughter possibly being investigated by Feds

[Smash255]

With all the people from PA, especially SEPA on this board, I am suprised no one has posted this yet.

[quote]
WASHINGTON (Oct. 14) - The FBI is investigating whether Republican Congressman Curt Weldon used his influence to secure lobbying and consulting contracts for his daughter, two people familiar with the inquiry said Saturday.

The inquiry focuses on lobbying contracts worth $1 million (euro800,000) that Weldon's daughter, Karen Weldon, obtained from foreign clients and whether they were assisted by the congressman, they said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of the confidentiality of the criminal investigation.

The two people familiar with the investigation told the AP on Saturday that the inquiry was being handled by agents from the FBI's field offices in Washington and Philadelphia and was being coordinated by the Justice Department's Public Integrity Section. Spokesmen for the Justice Department and the FBI declined comment Saturday.

Those two people familiar with the investigation confirmed that federal agents were examining Weldon's work between 2004 and 2004 to help two Russian companies and two Serbian brothers connected to former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. They had hired Solutions North America Inc., a company operated by Karen Weldon and Charles Sexton, a Republican ally of the congressman.

Weldon, vice chairman of the House Armed Services committee, is a Russian speaker regarded by some as a foreign policy expert who has clashed at times with the Bush administration.

Weldon, a 10-term Republican from the Philadelphia suburbs, long has denied any wrongdoing, and his top aide Saturday said no one had notified him of an investigation.

"I think if there was an investigation, somebody would have contacted us," said Russ Casso, Weldon's chief of staff.

Casso said Weldon and his staff were "100 percent caught off guard" when they learned of the investigation, first reported late Friday by McClatchy Newspapers. This account cited two individuals with specific knowledge of the existence of the investigation; they declined to be identified because of the confidentiality of criminal investigations.

Casso, whose boss is in a tight race against Democrat Joe Sestak in the Nov. 7 congressional elections , tried to cast doubt on reports of the investigation. "Unidentified sources mean nothing," Casso said. "There's no substance in that story. It's a flimsy story."

Last week, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee mailed fliers to voters in Weldon's district accusing Karen Weldon of getting help from her father on lobbying projects.

Michael Puppio, Weldon's campaign manager, questioned the timing of the mailing and published reports about the investigation. He accused Democrats of "attempting to smear the congressman and his entire family" in the final weeks of the campaign.

Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the DCCC, declined comment.

The Weldon investigation comes at a critical time for Republicans who are fighting to maintain a majority in the House of Representatives in a midst of scandals.

On Friday, Republican Congressman Bob Ney pleaded guilty in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, which has touched on federal lawmakers, former aides and members of the Bush administration.

At the same time, an inquiry is under way on Capitol Hill into whether Republican House leaders or their top aides covered up questionable behavior of former Congressman Mark Foley toward teenage males who worked as congressional interns.

10/14/06 17:44 EDT

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/report-says-fbi-probing-gop-lawmaker/20061014174809990001?_mpc=news%2e10%2e1&cid=842

[TeePee4Prez]

I knew this.  It's just surfacing now because Weldon's vulnerable.  I think if this sotry blows up, he'll be in more trouble than Sherwood due to the fact this district is much more liberal/Democratic than PA 10.

[MarkWarner08]

I knew this.  It's just surfacing now because Weldon's vulnerable.  I think if this sotry blows up, he'll be in more trouble than Sherwood due to the fact this district is much more liberal/Democratic than PA 10.

Democrats  are now leading in PA-07, PA-10 and they're barely trailing in PA-06. Do you know how Patrick Murphy's doing? I've written off his chances, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this race.

[TeePee4Prez]

I knew this.  It's just surfacing now because Weldon's vulnerable.  I think if this sotry blows up, he'll be in more trouble than Sherwood due to the fact this district is much more liberal/Democratic than PA 10.

Democrats  are now leading in PA-07, PA-10 and they're barely trailing in PA-06. Do you know how Patrick Murphy's doing? I've written off his chances, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this race.

I think we'll get PA 6.  That entire area is flying to the left.  Thing with PA 8 is Patrick Murphy has made some gaffes plus the district isn't moving ideologically at all.  Bucks County is the sole suburban county the GOP is still holding on to a point.  Couple that with the fact PA 8 traverses through populist Democratic Lower Bucks and Northeast Philadelphia which is a lot of Fitzpatrick's base makes it even more difficult.  I'm about to write off PA 8 at this point- the Democrats really don't have crap there to field for a candidate. 

[J. J.]

I've been saying Weldon has had problems since July.  There are internal problems with the GOP organization there,  Sestack has solid defense credentials, now this.

[Keystone Phil]

I just heard about this yesterday. Apparently, this was news out in California awhile ago (I guess it is related to Cunningham's situation) and, as Flyers said, is just coming out here because of the tight race.

The funniest thing about this election is that PA 7 and 10, seats that should be safe for us, will be the closest.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

This is probably the end for Weldon; he was in trouble anyway, and this is a district with some history of voting for Democrats when they have a good election.

[Keystone Phil]

This is probably the end for Weldon; he was in trouble anyway, and this is a district with some history of voting for Democrats when they have a good election.

I don't know if this is the end but it's close to it. The Dems fielded a great candidate but Weldon is still liked in the district. Needless to say, though, this is going to be one of the closest. The good thing for the Dems - If Sestak gets in, he'll be there for quite awhile. I can see that man making himself a somebody in Congress, too.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Perfect!

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Are there any Republicans not under investigation?

[MarkWarner08]

Are there any Republicans not under investigation?

Reminds me of the Democrats in 1994.-

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Are there any Republicans not under investigation?

Reminds me of the Democrats in 1994.-

Yeah, but those scandals don't compare to the current scandals. Wow, some Congressmen had overdrawn their bank account. Whoop dee doo. Gingrich capitalized heavily on this, even though he had written some bad checks himself.

[MarkWarner08]

Are there any Republicans not under investigation?

Reminds me of the Democrats in 1994.

Yeah, but those scandals don't compare to the current scandals. Wow, some House Democrats had overdrawn their bank account. Whoop dee doo.

I'm no apologist for DeLay, Ney and all of the Republicans caught up in the Abramoff bribery scandal, but what about Dan Rostenkowski and Bill Jefferson?

DeLay used some nasty, despicable tactics to essentially "shake down" the K Street crowd and his actions on the Medicare vote and calling the EPA the "Gestapo" were also wrong. But Democrats have also had that fair share of scandals. After a certain number of years in power (using recent history as a guide, 40 for House Democrats and 12 for House Republicans), the ruling party either becomes corrupt or complacent.

[Keystone Phil]

Oddly enough, I have been referring to him in this way, too...

[Smash255]

Weldon's daughter's house being raided can't be helpful to Weldon.......

[nlm]

Weldon's Ties to Serbian Businessman Part of Probe

By R. Jeffrey Smith and Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, October 18, 2006; Page A08

Officials at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade were surprised three years ago to be invited to a luncheon in honor of visiting Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), hosted by Bogoljub Karic, a wealthy Serbian businessman who had been barred from visiting or trading with the United States because of his close ties to former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic.

Weldon "was visiting solely because of Karic," whom he was trying to get off the U.S. blacklist, a former senior embassy official familiar with the visit concluded. "It seemed odd" at the time, because Karic had no obvious tie to Weldon's district outside Philadelphia, and Weldon should have known the embassy was shunning contacts with him, the official said. The FBI is investigating whether Rep. Curt Weldon used his influence to benefit himself or his daughter. (Matt Rourke - AP)

What the embassy apparently did not know is that the Karic family that year signed a contract with Weldon's daughter, Karen, and a business partner that called for monthly payments of $20,000 for "management, government and public relations," according to a copy of the March 2003 contract. In all, the family paid Karen Weldon's firm $133,858 that year for efforts she undertook to set up a foundation for it.

Curt Weldon's visit and that deal are under investigation by the FBI, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the probe. His efforts to assist clients of his daughter's consulting firm in their dealings with the federal government are the focus of that probe, according to sources familiar with it .

more at.....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101701560.html

In a tight race, this could finish Weldon. It's hard to believe people could want this from their Congressman.

[J. J.]

It came out in the debate today, with Weldon calling himself the "underdog."

[Smash255]

If Weldon is calling himself the underdog at this point he knows he is screwed.

[J. J.]

If Weldon is calling himself the underdog at this point he knows he is screwed.

I agree.  He's not dealing with this well.

[Smash255]

If Weldon is calling himself the underdog at this point he knows he is screwed.

I agree.  He's not dealing with this well.

More like having a meltdown.  The relevation was damaging enough and could have been the final blow, but if that didn't do it, his reaction to the whole debacle sure did,  and not only made it much worse, but makes him look guilty as all hell.