Progressive Democrat Issue 92: REPUBLICAN CORRUPTION IN PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania Republican, Curt Weldon, doesn't have to go far to find a lobbyist for mutual back-scratching. Weldon's daughter is a lobbyist. And together, it seems their corruption has gained the attention of the FBI.

Here's Salon.com's coverage:

The FBI is investigating whether Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., 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 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...

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.

And somewhat more detail from Truthout.org:

The FBI, which opened an investigation in recent months, has formally referred the matter to the department's Public Integrity Section for additional scrutiny. At issue are Weldon's efforts between 2002 and 2004 to aid two Russian companies and two Serbian brothers with ties to strongman Slobodan Milosevic, a federal law enforcement official said.

The Russian companies and a Serbian foundation run by the brothers' family each hired a firm co-owned by Weldon's daughter, Karen, for fees totaling nearly $1 million a year, public records show.

Karen Weldon was 28 and lacked consulting experience when she and Charles Sexton, a Weldon ally and longtime Republican leader in Delaware County, Pa., created the firm of Solutions North America Inc. in 2002. Both are registered with the Justice Department as representatives of foreign clients...

But McClatchy Newspapers' sources said the FBI only over the last few months obtained evidence suggesting that the congressman may have broken the law. One of the sources, a federal law enforcement official, said that Weldon had not yet been told about the inquiry.

The official said that the FBI recently sought the assistance of federal prosecutors in pressuring an unidentified person to provide evidence about the 59-year-old congressman. The attempt to "squeeze" this individual appeared to be an early step, the two sources said.

Weldon originally was in denial...he and his campaign claimed there WAS NO investigation. But it seems that there is.

Not only does it sound like favors for money going on here, but working for people linked to Milosevic? I mean, why not work for people linked to Hitler or Stalin? What's a little genocide among friends?

Curt Weldon is just one more example of the Republican culture of corruption and their eagerness to profit even off genocide.

This comes at a bad time for Weldon because he already is in danger of losing his seat even before this came out. What should have been a shoo-in 10-term incumbent Republican cake walk had already turned into a tossup because the Democrat, Joe Sestack, is a 3-star general who is actually out raising the Republican. Weldon, not surprisingly, made some nasty attacks on Sestack, but this backfired because it was seen as disrespectful to the military in the district. Now the FBI is investigating Weldon, adding to his woes. This is a prime pick up shot!