April 21, 2010

Report: America’s Worst Governors

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Since 2005, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has compiled an annual list of Washington’s most corrupt lawmakers, and this year it added a new group of elected officials to its hall of shame: the nation’s governors. In its “Worst Governors” report, CREW highlights “the unethical and incompetent actions” of 11 state chief execs. Who made the cut? You know your guv did, South Carolina. Yours, too, New York. The full list, along with what CREW says landed them there, below the jump.

Gov. Haley Barbour  (R-MS)

  • Allegedly laundered campaign contributions
  • Refused to accept federal stimulus funds to expand unemployment insurance
  • Used his position to enrich himself and his family members

Gov. Donald Carcieri (R-RI)

  • Hired his niece in violation of Rhode Island’s anti-nepotism laws
  • Failed to adequately manage his state’s logistics and staffing needs
  • Violated campaign finance laws by soliciting subordinates, accepting luxury gifts and missing a filing deadline
  • Impeded the public’s access to information and blocked pro-transparency legislation

Gov. Jim Gibbons (R-NV)

  • Violated campaign finance law by accepting illegal corporate donations
  • Allegedly assaulted a waitress
  • Overlooked ethical lapses of his appointee
  • Misused state resources in pursuit of an extra-marital affair
  • Endangered his state’s economy by threatening to reject federal stimulus funds
  • Has been investigated for his conduct as a member of Congress

Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA)

  • Prevented the public release of government records and has fought legislation to make government more transparent
  • Weakened the authority of the state ethics board
  • Refused to accept federal stimulus funds to expand unemployment insurance and to fund other important programs
  • Rewarded campaign donors with government jobs and contracts
  • Has been fined for ethics violations

Gov. David Paterson (D-NY)

  • Accepted improper gifts
  • Testified falsely under oath
  • Acted with willful opacity in consequential state matters
  • Shielded a top aide from assault allegations

Gov. Sonny Perdue (R-GA)

  • Accepted gifts and travel from lobbyists
  • Violated campaign finance laws
  • Failed to file complete personal financial disclosure information and supported a tax loophole that benefitted him personally
  • Allegedly thwarted an investigation by the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs
  • Appointed a business associate to a state position

Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX)

  • Allegedly disregarded campaign finance laws and aided a business that was especially generous to his campaign
  • Refused to operate transparently, and has blocked access to information related to a death penalty case
  • Rejected federal stimulus funds in a manner that appeared to put partisan politics ahead of the interests of the citizens of Texas
  • Has perpetuated the revolving door between government and special interests
  • Accepted travel and campaign donations from a business that received benefits from his official actions
  • Used campaign funds for a personal trip with questionable relevance to his campaign for office

Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM)

  • Used state investments to benefit political allies
  • Allowed pay-to-play scandals to plague his administration
  • Rewarded close associates with state positions or benefits, including providing a longtime friend and political supporter with a costly state contract
  • Failed to make state government more transparent

Gov. Mike Rounds (R-SD)

  • Resisted efforts to promote government transparency and frustrated public access to information
  • Used his office for personal benefit
  • Abused state authority for the benefit of friends and family
  • Used a state plane to travel to his son’s basketball games

Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC)

  • Abused his office for his personal benefit and the benefit of his friends
  • Violated campaign finance laws by failing to report in-kind contributions and improperly converting campaign funds for personal use
  • Subordinated his responsibilities to his pursuit of an extramarital affair
  • Endangered his state’s economy by threatening to refuse stimulus funds

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA)

  • Used non-profit and campaign funds for personal benefit
  • Built cozy relationships with special interests
  • Created conflicts of interest by accepting a consulting position and doing state business with a company staffed by his former campaign aides
  • Provided state jobs to friends with dubious qualifications
  • Forced air pollution employees who were trying to protect the environment out of office
  • Vetoed bills to improve transparency in hospitals at the behest of powerful special interests

And don’t forget to check out CREW’s Harper’s Index-style rundown of stats and other info from its report, which contains gems like these:

Name of the former top lobbyist for the nation’s second largest subprime mortgage lender, New Century Financial Corp: Joe Waltuch

Current Status of New Century Financial Corp: Bankrupt and under federal criminal investigation for securities and accounting violations

Current Status of Joe Waltuch: Gov. Gibbons’s appointee as commissioner of the Nevada Division of Mortgage Lending
 

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