Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson handed out 23 illegal scholarships
It certainly pays to be a family member or friend of Texas Congressman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Yesterday it was learned that she had steered six scholarships towards family members and friends, but today that number has jumped to 23.
U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson awarded eight scholarships last year to her grandsons and a top aide’s children – bringing to 23 the number of awards she handed out since 2005 in violation of Congressional Black Caucus Foundation eligibility rules.
Since 2005, she has handed out 23 scholarships that violated the Congressional Black Caucus’s anti-nepotism rule and she still is trying to tell us that she didn’t realize that she was doing anything wrong?
I did not intentionally mean to violate any rules in the process,”
I have a major problem with this statement because even if this was not a strict rule–which it was–there is still a major ethics problem here. The mere fact that this woman did not have a problem–and found nothing wrong with–using her position to create a slush fund of sorts in order to hand out money to friends and family shows a real lack of integrity.
She is now claiming that she will repay the money by the end of the week, but that simply is not good enough. She abused her position of authority and for that she must step down. This is exactly the type of behavior that people are sick and tired of.
She had to have known that taking taxpayer dollars and spending it on family members was wrong but she did it anyway; if she didn’t realize that this wasn’t proper behavior, that alone should disqualify her from office because she apparently has a problem determining right from wrong.
America's Watchtower 
NPR had a short story about this and they are reporting she didn’t know she was doing something wrong. Question, how in the world can you be in Congress, with the authority to hand out these scholarships, and not understand the proper procedure? In other words, how could she not know she wasn’t supposed to be handing out money to friends and relatives?
LikeLike
That is what is most troubling to me. If she really didn’t know she was doing anything wrong–which I find hard to believe–than she is so ignorant of the system that she should not be allowed to serve any longer.
LikeLike
Oh, come on, you guys are playing coy. It’s just another example of a member of Congress honestly thinking that he or she occupies some special place in American society where they don’t really have to observe the rules imposed by man or God by which everyone else has to live.
The scholarships aren’t Congressional or funded by taxpayer dollars, by the way. They’re created by the Congressional Black Caucus and funded by those Members of Congress from their own sources
I listen to NPR. They didn’t report she didn’t know she was doing anything wrong, they reported that she claimed not to know. Big difference. NPR isn’t carrying anyone’s water on this or most other issues.
Steve, the scholarships may have been distributed in violation of the rules established by the Caucus, but that doesn’t make them illegal.
I hate the idea of term limits, I really do, and I wish the incumbent members of both Houses of Congress would quit making it so hard for me to continue hating term limits.
Y’all take good care now and may God bless us all!
LikeLike
– “The scholarships aren’t Congressional or funded by taxpayer dollars, by the way. They’re created by the Congressional Black Caucus and funded by those Members of Congress from their own sources”
You make it sound like the CBC members are providing the money themselves. While it’s true that taxpayer money is not involved, the scholarships are funded by private and corporate charitable donations. While the legal implications for this are certainly different, I fail to see any real ethical or moral difference. It’s graft and corruption either way.
LikeLike
Sorry you didn’t read my immediately following comment. My point wasn’t to make her transgression less outrageous, it was just that it was inappropriate to call it “illegal.” As I said a moment or two later, members of Congress must be like Caesar’s wife – not only innocent of an wrongdoing, but even free of the perception of wrongdoing.
LikeLike
– “it was just that it was inappropriate to call it “illegal.””
Which might not be a valid point either. The fund in question is a registered 501(c), and there are some fairly strict federal statutes regarding them. I’ve not done the research yet, but it doesn’t really strain credulity to speculate that funneling charitable donations to your own friends and/or family members in violation of the rules established for the fund might well run afoul of one or more of the aforementioned federal statutes.
LikeLike
Dunno if I made myself clear. What she did wasn’t illegal, I don’t think, except that she may have violated a contract she has with the caucus.
But the Members of Congress should be like Caesar’s wife – above all suspicion or reproach. Yesterday, Roger Clemens pleaded not guilty to lying to Congress, and my very first thought upon hearing the news story was “Well, why should it be a crime to lie to Congress if it’s not a crime for them to lie to us?”
It’s a crying shame that our Congress’ members bring such disrepute on it, and that the major objective of each party is to retain power – right now we’re clucking (and worse) over the efforts of Harry Reid and Mrs. Pelosi and their henchpersons, and figuring how their work is calculated to keep the Democrats in power. A few short years ago, though, it was Tom DeLay in a breathtaking display of power politics, especially in forcing the redistricting of Texas to guarantee more GOP seats. Like what the Dems are doing, perfectly legal and morally repugnant.
Back to Mrs. Johnson – she should resign, plain and simple, as should Mr. Rangel. There are probably a few dozen other members from both parties who should also file their retirement papers.
Again, may God bless us all!
LikeLike
I admit that I shouldn’t have used the word illegal. A more appropriate word would have been unethical.
LikeLike
Here’s MY take on it: Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson violated rules, steered scholarships to relatives
LikeLike
And she should retire as gracefully as possible.
LikeLike
Now that we can agree on! Or in the president’s words in regard to Chalrie Rangel, it is time for her to retire in dignity.
LikeLike
I think the opportunity for retiring with anything resembling dignity has already passed.
LikeLike
I don’t know Steve, you just might be racist for pointing this out! 😀
LikeLike
That wouldn’t be the first time!
LikeLike