Twitter Updates

Thursday, May 18, 2006

CA-50: Brian Bilbray (R-VA) Perjury and Voter Fraud

Brian Bilbray's campaign in the CA-50 special election appears to be using the old crash and burn playbook. Via Kos, Bilbray lives a three times zones outside of the district.

Wednesday, the Democratic Party called for an investigation into allegations of perjury and voter fraud against Republican candidate Brian Bilbray.

Democrats said the proof is in property records from three homes and Bilbray's declaration of candidacy. [...]

In fact, there are serious questions about where Bilbray really lives.

Virginia property records show Bilbray claims a home in Alexandria, Va., as his primary residence, for tax purposes.

The same is true for a home in Imperial Beach. [...]

There are also allegations Bilbray's children testified they lived in Virginia for purposes of paying in-state college tuition there.

Democrats are asking the California and Virginia attorneys general to investigate.

If Bilbray lives in Virginia, he may not be eligible to run for the congressional seat here.

The neighbor's seem to think the Brian Bilbray is full of it:

Neighbors told 10News they rarely ever see Bilbray at the house, which is his mother's home.

"He comes here occasionally to see his mother like boys will do, but he doesn't live here," said neighbor Frank Knudsen.

"If he does live here, he must leave late at night and come back early in the morning," said neighbor Bill Rider.

Another man, who lives right next door, said he wondered when people would catch on that Bilbray does not live here.

I'm sure the press will be on it now.

This race was also on the front page of Daily Kos yesterday in a Georgia10 story:

The latest poll numbers are promising. Just three weeks away, Busby has made gains among independents. But climbing up in the polls has only increased the hostility of the attacks against her.

The NRCC sent out a vile mailer comparing Busby to teenage drunk drivers. You can view a PDF of the ad here. Bilbray has denied any prior knowledge of the mailer.

The race is also getting nasty between Republicans as well. Bilbray had hoped to run unopposed in the primary, but this week, millionare Bill Hauf announced he would also seek the Republican nomination on June 6th. He has already sent out mailers attacking Bilbray, which can't be making the NRCC too happy.

The next three weeks will be intense, and Busby needs all the support she can get. You can donate to Busby's campaign here.

And the DCCC also had a new press release:

Bilbray's Whisper Campaign

With Candidate Bilbray in D.C. Today, Will he Tell his Special Interest Friends What he was Talking to Cunningham About When a Cunningham Aide was Subpoenaed?

(Washington, D.C.) -- Today, lobbyist Brian Bilbray is in Washington for a special interest fundraiser. While he is here, Californians are asking what Bilbray was talking about when he spoke to disgraced former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham on the floor of the House of Representatives last year. At the time that Bilbray spoke to Cunningham, the House Clerk announced, in accordance with the rules, that a top aide to Cunningham had been subpoenaed in the federal investigation into Cunningham's ties to a defense contractor. Cunningham subsequently resigned from Congress after pleading guilty to accepting $2.4 million in bribes from a defense contractor and for failing to pay more than $1 million in taxes.

As a registered lobbyist, Bilbray used special privileges given to former congressmen to access the House floor whenever he wanted. What is unknown to this day is what Bilbray and Cunningham were talking about and whether or not that conversation had to do with the fact that Cunningham was under investigation.

"If Brian Bilbray truly means what he says on the campaign trail about returning integrity to Congress, he should be straightforward about what he and Cunningham were whispering about on the House floor," said Bill Burton, communications director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "California families have gotten enough corruption for a lifetime when they witnessed their Congressman Duke Cunningham resign in shame after admitting that he accepted millions in bribes. This November, California voters will reject the special interest lock on Washington, D.C. and embrace new priorities, priorities that put families first."

Bilbray Talking to Cunningham on the House Floor When Top Cunningham Aide Subpoenaed. In 2005, the AP reported, "A top aide to Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham has been subpoenaed to testify in California as federal prosecutors investigate the congressman's relationship with a defense contractor. The aide, Cunningham's legislative director Nancy Lifset, notified the House of Representatives of the subpoena in accordance with House rules. The reading clerk announced it on the House floor Wednesday evening. Cunningham, R-Rancho Santa Fe, was on the floor at the time talking with Brian Bilbray, a former San Diego area-congressman who's now a lobbyist. Cunningham's attorney did not immediately return calls for comment and Lifset could not immediately be reached. The announcement said Lifset was being asked to testify and produce documents by authorities in the Southern District of California, where a federal grand jury has convened to investigate Cunningham's relationship with Mitchell Wade, founder of defense firm MZM Inc." [AP, 7/20/05]

Several Sources, Including One GOP Lawmaker, Said Bilbray Used Floor Privilege to Lobby in the House Chamber. In 2005, The Hill reported, "Several sources, including one GOP lawmaker, said ex-Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-Calif.) uses his floor privilege to lobby in the House chamber. Bilbray denied the allegation, saying, 'I've never done that. That's not right. When there is something I'm interested in, I'll go in and listen to the debate or watch it in the gallery.'" [The Hill, 6/7/05]
This race is more exciting each and every day.

No comments: