Travel Scandal Reveals True Mike Johanns
Oct 17, 06:52 PM CST
OMAHA, Neb. – The revelation that Mike Johanns used taxpayers’ money to become a ‘superstar’ campaigner for Karl Rove and George W. Bush has many Nebraskans asking if they can really trust Mike Johanns to be a guardian of their tax dollars. On Friday, Nebraska Democratic Party Chairman Steve Achelpohl gave voice to some of their concerns.
“Mike Johanns has been exposed for what he is: a George W. Bush loyalist who put the interests of the Republican Party before those of the taxpayers. When approached with an underhanded scheme like this, a public servant with everyday Nebraska values would have said ‘no.’ Instead, Mike Johanns said ‘yes’ – 38 times. By taking part in this corrupt scheme, Mike Johanns has revealed himself as a Republican Party hack who doesn’t have the character that a Senator needs,” said Achelpohl.
Johanns took 38 trips as part of an orchestrated scheme to find ways for the former Secretary of Agriculture to campaign for Republican candidates on the taxpayers’ dime. Some of the trips were meant to benefit a few of the country’s most unsavory politicians, including five of the top twenty most corrupt members of Congress.
“This unprecedented fraud shows that ‘proven, tested, trusted’ is nothing more than a slogan to Mike Johanns,” Achelpohl continued. “In reality, Mike Johanns is a proven part of the problem in Washington. And when it comes to earning taxpayers’ trust, Mike Johanns has repeatedly failed the test.”
Squandering taxpayers’ dollars is not unusual for Mike Johanns. A similar Congressional report in May showed that USDA employees—under then-Secretary Mike Johanns—took a staggering number of unnecessary trips that cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The House Oversight Committee report can be downloaded here.
Campaign Trips Were Deemed ‘Official.’ According to the Oversight Committee, “the majority of the 303 events outside of Washington, D.C., with Republican candidates recommended by the White House and attended by Administration officials were deemed ‘official’ events and the costs of travel and other expenses were billed to the federal taxpayer.” [Congressional Report, page 14]
Mike Johanns Took Part in the Scheme – 38 Times. “Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson, and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao all participated in 20 or more events with Republican candidates.” The report shows Johanns participated in 38 events. [Congressional Report, pages 12-13]
Karl Rove’s Office of Political Affairs Called Johanns a ‘Superstar’ Participant. A staffer in Karl Rove’s Office of Political Affairs wrote an email that referred to Mike Johanns and a handful of other top officials as “superstars” for their high level of activity in the program. [Congressional Report, page 17]
Johanns Campaigned for Five Corrupt Politicians. Johanns campaigned for Rick Santorum, John Doolittle, Marilyn Musgrave, Richard Pombo, and Rick Renzi. All five are included on the 2006 list of the 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress. [Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]
USDA Wasted Money on Trips Under Johanns’ Watch. Mike Johanns wasting taxpayer money isn’t unusual. During 2006 alone – part of the two and a half years Republican Senate candidate Mike Johanns was Secretary of Agriculture – 20,959 USDA employees attended 6,719 conferences around the globe. 94 conferences in Hawaii cost $254,755 and 59 in Orlando cost $282,656. The locations of the conferences were rarely related to the subject matter; one USDA staffer went to the Surfers Paradise Resort in Australia to study Mississippi crayfish and several staffers traveled to Hawaii from DC to learn how Congress operates. [CBS News]
– by Eric Van Horn | Send this to a friend
