Kline, Peterson, Oberstar Travel Champs

trying to stay awake zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……

A few questions You’ve mentioned that this is 2006 data …so do former Congressmen Gutknecht and Kennedy have to file this report or are they absolved that they are no longer in the House ?
The Mankato Free Press ripped Gutknecht for his travels, so I suspect that he should have had some trips.  I thought he attended the same event as Kline. What about trips paid for Congressional Staff ?

You mention Bachmann … but if this is 2006 data, what good does it do to have her tell the public what trips were paid for AFTER she was elected.  The timing of this report seems to be too late.

Have you looked at Norm Coleman’s report ?
Sen. Norm Coleman and his staff, who took 94 trips worth more than $175,000 during a five-year period according to a study by the Center for Public Integrity.
And in 2007, Coleman took a trip on April 5th trip to speak at the Ventura County Republican Party gathering. In 2005, he listed on his report that he spoke at a similar gathering … so for consistency sake, I would think it should be reported?  For future reports, how would he account for his June 3 trip to Houston Texas where he attended a benefit for the Good Government Fund ?
Are these reports accessible on the web ? What’s the address ?

Good questions I believe those who have left office are not required to file, and Gutknecht, Sabo, and Kennedy would not be required to do so.  Representatives, senators, candidates, and delegates file on 6/15 for the preceding  calendar year, so the current filings are for 2006.  2007 filings will be required on 6/15/08.

These are available in a couple different places, I’m partial to Open Secrets myself. 

Interestingly, while Bachmann has a 2005 disclosure on file from her candidacy, there isn’t a 2006 one available yet.  She’s one of the last to have neither a filing or extension noted.  I haven’t yet been able to verify whether that’s due to slowness in the House Clerk’s office, or whether Bachmann failed to file.  (Klobuchar’s appeared online late yesterday.)

Also, one more thing to note… Personal financial disclosures are only required to document travel by the representative/senator/delegate paid for by a third party.  So if Coleman paid for all travel in 2006 himself, he would not have to disclose anything, even if staffers traveled on a third-party dime.

Peterson on CREW list of paying relatives Did you see that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released its first-ever analysis of the misuse of power by the chairmen and ranking members of all House of Representative committees and subcommittees, as well as top leadership positions, to financially benefit their family members.
http://www.citizensf...
Colin Peterson is the only Minnesotan on the list. 
There may be nothing inappropriate with this … assuming that the person actually performed work and was compensated at a level consistent with others doing similiar work … or if the work was also done for other Congresspersons.
Do you know anything about this ?

Although it goes back over a number of years, the report only deals with the current Congress so Sabo, Kennedy and Gutknecht would not be considered in CREW’s reporting.  Also, they only looked at the House and not the Senate.

trying to stay awake zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz……

A few questions You've mentioned that this is 2006 data …so do former Congressmen Gutknecht and Kennedy have to file this report or are they absolved that they are no longer in the House ?

The Mankato Free Press ripped Gutknecht for his travels, so I suspect that he should have had some trips.  I thought he attended the same event as Kline. What about trips paid for Congressional Staff ?

You mention Bachmann … but if this is 2006 data, what good does it do to have her tell the public what trips were paid for AFTER she was elected.  The timing of this report seems to be too late.

Have you looked at Norm Coleman's report ?

Sen. Norm Coleman and his staff, who took 94 trips worth more than $175,000 during a five-year period according to a study by the Center for Public Integrity.

And in 2007, Coleman took a trip on April 5th trip to speak at the Ventura County Republican Party gathering. In 2005, he listed on his report that he spoke at a similar gathering … so for consistency sake, I would think it should be reported?  For future reports, how would he account for his June 3 trip to Houston Texas where he attended a benefit for the Good Government Fund ?

Are these reports accessible on the web ? What's the address ?

Good questions I believe those who have left office are not required to file, and Gutknecht, Sabo, and Kennedy would not be required to do so.  Representatives, senators, candidates, and delegates file on 6/15 for the preceding  calendar year, so the current filings are for 2006.  2007 filings will be required on 6/15/08.

These are available in a couple different places, I'm partial to Open Secrets myself. 

Interestingly, while Bachmann has a 2005 disclosure on file from her candidacy, there isn't a 2006 one available yet.  She's one of the last to have neither a filing or extension noted.  I haven't yet been able to verify whether that's due to slowness in the House Clerk's office, or whether Bachmann failed to file.  (Klobuchar's appeared online late yesterday.)

Also, one more thing to note… Personal financial disclosures are only required to document travel by the representative/senator/delegate paid for by a third party.  So if Coleman paid for all travel in 2006 himself, he would not have to disclose anything, even if staffers traveled on a third-party dime.

Peterson on CREW list of paying relatives Did you see that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) released its first-ever analysis of the misuse of power by the chairmen and ranking members of all House of Representative committees and subcommittees, as well as top leadership positions, to financially benefit their family members.

http://www.citizensf...

Colin Peterson is the only Minnesotan on the list. 

There may be nothing inappropriate with this … assuming that the person actually performed work and was compensated at a level consistent with others doing similiar work … or if the work was also done for other Congresspersons.

Do you know anything about this ?

Although it goes back over a number of years, the report only deals with the current Congress so Sabo, Kennedy and Gutknecht would not be considered in CREW's reporting.  Also, they only looked at the House and not the Senate.