DNC Files FOIA Request Over McCain's Latest Campaign Impropriety

McCain Campaign Event in Ottawa Runs Afoul of Hatch Act

Washington, DC - The Democratic National Committee today filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the U.S. Department of State seeking information about possible violations of the Hatch Act in connection to John McCain's events in Ottawa today. The FOIA request follows reports that McCain campaign officials requested assistance in arranging a $100-a-plate luncheon speech from U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins.

According to reports, Senator Lindsey Graham, a McCain campaign co-chair, asked Ambassador Wilkins "for advice about logistics, venues and cities" for the event. Ambassador Wilkins also reportedly contacted a Canadian business leader to help sell tickets to the event. McCain's appearance is a campaign event being paid for by his campaign. The Hatch Act forbids U.S. Ambassadors from engaging in any partisan activity whatsoever on foreign soil. The DNC today called on the State Department to turn over all records related to Senator McCain's visit.

Today's report follows news this week that Senator McCain has refused to reimburse a private company for the use of its corporate jet. Senator McCain is also skirting the law by unilaterally withdrawing from the primary funds program after using the promise of taxpayer money to secure a loan and gain free ballot access. Earlier this year, outside groups filed another FEC complaint related to Senator McCain's fundraiser in London's Spencer House in April.

"By apparently running afoul of the Hatch Act during his trip to Canada today, it appears that Senator McCain is once again putting his political aspirations ahead of following the law," said DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney. "Between his refusal to pay for his campaign's use of a corporate jet and his illegally attempting to withdraw from the primary funds program, this is becoming a disturbing pattern of impropriety on the part of Senator McCain and his campaign. How can the American people trust John McCain if he is unwilling to follow the law when it gets in the way of his political aspirations?"

For a copy of the FOIA Request, click here:

http://www.democrats.org/page/-/pdf/CanadaTripFOIA.pdf

MCCAIN AND THE LAW

SKIRTING THE HATCH ACT…

McCain Campaign Asked Ambassador to Skirt Hatch Act. "A Canadian newspaper reported Thursday that Friday's scheduled $100-a-plate luncheon speech by Sen. John McCain in Ottawa was organized in part by U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins, a former South Carolina lawmaker whom President Bush appointed in 2005…The article in the Edmonton Sun, and an earlier one in the Globe and Mail, says that Wilkins contacted Thomas d'Aquino, the president of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, to help set up what they described as a fundraiser before McCain's visit. McCain is scheduled to give a speech at the the Chateau Laurier Hotel and to meet with several Canadian officials… The Hatch Act circumscribes political activity for government employees. According to the American Foreign Service Association Web site, the State Department's ethics office prohibits fundraising activities for its presidential appointees." [The Trail blog, Washington Post, 6/19/08: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/06/19/democrats_question_ambassadors.html#more ]

McCain Campaign Approached Canadians Seeking Visit & CEO Reception Hosts. Two weeks ago, U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins telephoned big-business lobbyist Tom d'Aquino, head of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. Wilkins had been contacted by the McCain campaign about a Canadian visit, and the ambassador wanted to know if some of d'Aquino's group of corporate chief executives might be interested in meeting the Republican presidential candidate. Almost instantly, d'Aquino jumped at the opportunity, and an additional $100-a-plate luncheon organized by the Economic Club of Canada sold out in 30 minutes with tickets now reselling at up to $1,000 a pop. [Edmonton Sun, 6/19/08: http://www.edmontonsun.com/Comment/2008/06/19/5921326-sun.html]

Coming to Canada McCain's Choice; Visit Arranged By Lindsey Graham Who Passed Word that McCain Was Interested in Coming to Canada. Mr. McCain's visit came together very quickly. About two weeks ago, his organization contacted the Economic Club of Canada, whose president, Mark Adler, has strong business connections. Coming to Ottawa was the McCain organization's choice, club spokeswoman Nicolee Tattersall says. As well, the U.S. ambassador to Canada, David Wilkins, who is from South Carolina, is a close friend of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who is very close with Mr. McCain. According to the U.S. source, Mr. Graham called the ambassador to tell him that Mr. McCain was interested in coming to Canada. He asked for advice about logistics, venues and cities that would be appropriate for the presidential nominee. [Globe & Mail, 6/13/08: http://ago.mobile.globeandmail.com/generated/archive/RTGAM/html/20080613/wmccain13.html ]

MISUSE OF CORPORATE JETS…

Wall Street Journal: McCain Campaign Fails to Reimburse For Up To Four Campaign Flights. "She used the jet on several trips last year that included campaign-related activity but never got campaign reimbursement, according to flight-tracking records and campaign-finance reports verified by the McCain campaign. At the New York fund-raiser, she spoke on stage, warming up the audience for her husband. If the campaign had paid for Mrs. McCain's trip to New York and three others that appear to have included some campaign work, it would likely have cost a total of about $15,000, the equivalent of first-class fare for the trips combined." [Wall Street Journal, 6/18/08: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB121374837867082729-lMyQjAxMDI4MTEzNzcxNDc4Wj.html ]

Republican Expert: McCain Should Have Paid for the Flights. "Jan Baran, a Republican campaign lawyer, said the campaign should have paid. 'I don't know why they want to fight it,' he said. 'The chutzpah is not that they're not paying for this trip, it's that they're using a corporate airplane at a highly discounted rate.'" [Wall Street Journal, 6/18/08: http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB121374837867082729-lMyQjAxMDI4MTEzNzcxNDc4Wj.html ]

New York Times: McCain Used Unresolved Loophole in His Own Reform Law to Get Discounted Flights. "Mr. McCain's campaign paid a total of $241,149 for the use of that plane from last August through February, records show. That amount is approximately the cost of chartering a similar jet for a month or two, according to industry estimates. The senator was able to fly so inexpensively because the law specifically exempts aircraft owned by a candidate or his family or by a privately held company they control. The Federal Election Commission adopted rules in December to close the loophole -- rules that would have required substantial payments by candidates using family-owned planes -- but the agency soon lost the requisite number of commissioners needed to complete the rule making. Because that exemption remains, Mr. McCain's campaign was able to use his wife's corporate plane like a charter jet while paying first-class rates, several campaign finance experts said. Several of those experts, however, added that his campaign's actions, while keeping with the letter of law, did not reflect its spirit." [New York Times, 4/27/08: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/27/us/politics/27plane.html?_r=1&oref=slogin]

SKIRTING THE FEC…

FEC Did Not Grant McCain Permission To Withdraw From Public Financing System in the Primary. According to the Washington Post, "The nation's top federal election official told Sen. John McCain yesterday that he cannot immediately withdraw from the presidential public financing system as he had requested, a decision that threatens to dramatically restrict his spending until the general election campaign begins in the fall… Mason notified McCain that the commission had not granted his Feb. 6 request to withdraw from the presidential public financing system." [Washington Post, 2/22/08]

FEC Raised Questions About A Loan the McCain Received. According to the Associated Press, "The government's top campaign finance regulator says John McCain can't drop out of the primary election's public financing system until he answers questions about a loan he obtained to kickstart his once faltering presidential campaign… Federal Election Commission Chairman David Mason, in a letter to McCain this week, said the all-but-certain Republican nominee needs to assure the commission that he did not use the promise of public money to help secure a $4 million line of credit he obtained in November." [AP/MSNBC, 2/21/08]

THE SPENCER HOUSE FUNDRAISER…

Judicial Watch Files Complaint Over London Fundraiser. "Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it filed a formal complaint, dated April 22, 2008, with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) related to a fundraising luncheon held at London's Spencer House to benefit Senator John McCain's presidential campaign. The venue for the event was apparently donated to the campaign by foreign nationals, in violation of federal campaign finance laws." [Judicial Watch release, 4/24/08: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS256624+24-Apr-2008+MW20080424 ]

NRCC - Hodes and Shea-Porter Puts Lawyers over Surveillance Law

125 Days Later, House Renews Terrorist Surveillance Program without Hodes' and Shea-Porter's Help

Washington- Finishing yet another week of business as usual in Washington, Reps. Paul Hodes (NH-02) and Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) aligned themselves today with a select group of liberal Democrats who voted against a bi-partisan agreement to renew America’s terrorist surveillance program (House Roll Call 437) . Hodes and Shea-Porter stood loyally with the fringe element of his party and the trial lobby by voting against a bill that will increase terrorist surveillance and end the frivolous lawsuits against private companies who assisted the federal government in surveillance operations in the wake of the September 11^th attacks.

Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter turned their backs on this bipartisan bill, which “ended a four-month standoff that began after House leaders refused to pass a Senate-approved bill that would have made permanent a temporary surveillance law enacted last August. According to the administration, some wiretap orders that allowed the surveillance of foreign terrorism suspects would have begun to expire two months from now unless new legislation was approved.”

“The negotiations underscored the political calculation made by many Democrats who were fearful that Republicans would cast them as soft on terrorism during an election year.” (Washington Post, 6/20/08)

“ Paul Hodes and Carol SHea-Porter sent a message to the voters of New Hampshire today that they are more interested in putting special interest politics above our national security ,” said NRCC spokesman Ken Spain. “Hodes and Shea-Porter ought to be ashamed of themselves for having put the nation’s security needs at risk by advocating for the further expiration of this critical terrorist surveillance program.”

As today’s Washington Post editorial pointed out, even the Democrat leadership in the U.S. House and Senate gave their stamp of approval to this bipartisan bill to renew the terrorist surveillance program: House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer: “It is the result of compromise, and like any compromise it is not perfect, but I believe it strikes a sound balance.” Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). “There's good things in this bill.” The terrorist surveillance program was passed overwhelmingly in the House today, but with no thanks to Paul Hodes' and Shea-Porter's blind loyalty to the left-wing fringe element of her party. Despite receiving wide-ranging bipartisan support, Hodes and Shea-Porter and some of their liberal friends in Congress lost the battle today to keep the floodgates open for their trial lawyer friends at the expense of Americans’ security.

NRCC - Hodes and Shea-Porter Rejects American Refinery Proposal

Hodes and Shea-Porter's Refusal to Act Allows Energy Crisis to Perpetuate

Washington– Reps. Paul Hodes (NH-02) and Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) has put themselves at odds with the 77 percent of Americans who are experiencing financial hardship due to increased gas prices (ABC/Washington Post Poll, 6/16/08) . Failing to offer any plan of their own, Hodes and Shea-Porter voted twice this week against debating a bill that would have lowered the cost of gasoline by expanding U.S. refining capacities, bringing America closer to energy independence (House Roll Call 423 and 435) .

Reps. Paul Hodes (NH-02) and Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) has put themselves at odds with the 77 percent of Americans who are experiencing financial hardship due to increased gas prices . Failing to offer any plan of their own, Hodes and Shea-Porter voted twice this week against debating a bill that would have lowered the cost of gasoline by expanding U.S. refining capacities, bringing America closer to energy independence .

Hodes and Shea-Porter ignored Americans’ calls for relief yet again by refusing to sign a discharge petition to force a vote on this bill to expand America’s refining capacity, even while some of their Democrat colleagues recognized the need for it:

“The congressmen (Mark Udall and Ed Perlmutter) are also calling for the building of more oil refineries, claiming that's an even bigger issue than supply. ‘They themselves will tell you that refining is the bottleneck right now,’ Udall said. The last oil refinery built in the U.S. was in 1974. Oil demand since then has gone up 15 percent.” (CBS4 – Denver, 6/16/08)

These refineries would relieve the bottleneck in gasoline supply, lower gas prices and protect local economies from job losses. Not one single new refinery has been built in the United States since 1976, and the devastating effects of ignoring America’s critical need for increased refining capacity is clear:

The Need for New Refineries:

• Gas prices spiked by 46 cents per gallon when Katrina decreased American refining capacity by less than 5% . (AAA Fuel Gauge Report, Energy Information Administration)
• “In 1981, the US had 324 refineries … Today, there are just 132 oil refineries … ” (CS Monitor, 9/21/05)
• “Drilling of oil and natural gas exploratory wells increased by 98% from 2000 to 2007. Yet, crude oil production decreased 12.4%.” (Energy Information Administration)

“ Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter's lack of leadership in addressing America’s energy crisis is appalling,” said NRCC Spokesman Ken Spain, “The people of New Hampshire deserve a representative who will fight for them in Washington, and they will remember Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter's disregard for their concerns every time they put gas in their tank.”

“Republicans, who are using discharge petitions to force votes on their energy proposals, plan to keep up the pressure by introducing such measures every week the House is in session before the November elections, leaders say.” (Congressional Quarterly, 6/20/08)

Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter and their Democrat leaders repeatedly refuse to allow an up or down vote on bills aimed at reducing the cost of gas. Instead of supporting these real solutions, Hodes and Shea-Porter have chosen partisanship over the concerns of their constituents in New Hampshire. When will Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter stop being lapdogs for their party leaders and start addressing the needs of the American people?

NRCC - Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter Votes Against Funding Troops

Refuses to Fund Soldiers in Harm’s Way

Washington– Reps. Paul Hodes (NH-02) and Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) voted last night against fully funding our troops who continue to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan (House Roll Call 431) .

Reps. Paul Hodes (NH-02) and Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) voted last night against fully funding our troops who continue to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan .

“Paul Hodes and Carol Shea Porter have failed to support our men and women who are serving on the front lines providing for our national security,” said NRCC spokesman Ken Spain. “There is no excuse for Paul Hodes' and Carol Shea Porter’s unconscionable vote against this critical funding for our troops. Their complete disregard for the safety of our troops is disgraceful.”

By voting against this troop funding bill, Paul Hodes and Carol Shea-Porter also opposed funding for:

• Military, Reserve and National Guard personnel
• Weapons and Ammunition
• Combat vehicles, including armored vehicles for force protection purposes
• Aircraft
• Defense Health Program, specifically for psychological health and traumatic brain injury
• Counterterrorist operations

Paul Hodes' and Carol Shea Porter’s incomprehensible decision to vote against our troops speaks to the core of their priorities in Congress to deflect their duties to provide for our national security at every turn. Hodes and Shea-Porter’s constituents in New Hampshire deserve an explanation for their blatant disregard to fund American men and women in uniform.

Granite State Progress Launches Campaign to Challenge Conservative Propaganda

INITIAL ACTION TOPICS INCLUDE THE TAX CAP, CLIMATE PROTECTION,

AND MCCAIN'S VOTES AGAINST WOMEN

Concord, New Hampshire – Meet Granite State Progress, a multi-issue progressive advocacy organization that combines cutting edge online organizing and communications with rapid and hard-hitting on-the-ground strategies. Year round, Granite State Progress will work to engage citizens from across the state around issues of immediate state or local concern.

"Our goal is to make New Hampshire more progressive and our government more responsive to the real challenges facing communities today," said Zandra Rice Hawkins, Executive Director. "By working with other organizations, we aim to dramatically expand active public support for progressive causes and ideas. Whether it is fighting for a clean energy future, standing up to special interests like the powerful drug companies, or holding public officials accountable, we will be there."

A key component of Granite State Progress' work is providing communications support for the entire progressive community. Local advocacy groups often have few staff and fewer resources to challenge conservative propaganda and make sure that progressive perspectives are heard.

This week, Granite State Progress features a variety of actions ranging from the tax cap to climate protection, and informing New Hampshire residents about Senator McCain's destructive votes against women around the anniversary of the Equal Pay Act.

"Granite State Progress has the potential to be an incredible tool for issue advocacy organizations," said Kurt Ehrenberg, Director of NH Sierra Club. "Already, Granite State Progress is posting progressive job openings, highlighting events, and providing a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems."

Granite State Progress' Web site will also feature Blue Hampshire, the state's leading progressive blog, in an effort to further build and promote the progressive online community that the blog fosters in the state.

"Getting progressive leaders elected is critically important," said Dean Barker, co-founder of Blue Hampshire. "But having a coherent infrastructure in New Hampshire for progressive policy is equally so. That's why I'm delighted to see the arrival of Granite State Progress; it will be a useful tool for connecting good public servants with great ideas."