 In the week leading up to the April 23, 2008, anniversary of the public relationship between the FBI and the man it affectionately refers to as "Representative #3" (Rep. #1's convicted, Rep. #2 is Tom DeLay…), the Florida Democratic Party released one deadly question a day.
The following questions remain unanswered by corrupt Congressman Feeney:
QUESTION #7: Why did you send a letter to the Department of Energy on behalf of an Abramoff client?
QUESTION #6: Did Tyng-Lin Yang contribute to your legal defense fund so that he could get a NASA contract?
QUESTION #5: Did you take your clubs on the private jet?
QUESTION #4: What was your golf score when you played St. Andrews with Jack Abramoff... and did he let you win?
QUESTION #3: How could you not wonder who was footing the bill for a "fact-finding trip" turned golf outing in Scotland?
QUESTION #2: Why did you receive the same Abramoff email as a former aide who pleaded guilty to conspiracy?
QUESTION #1: What Was the Real Cost of Your 2003 Abramoff Trip?
The Latest News
Feeney defense receives funding
[Florida Today, May 3, 2008]
Democrats try to win Feeney’s House seat on Space Coast
[Associated Press, April 26, 2008]
Party Launches Ads Against Tom Feeney on News Sites on Anniversary of FBI Investigation Revelations
[Florida Democratic Party Press Release, April 23, 2008]
Still under a cloud
[Florida Today, March 31, 2008]
Rep. Feeney pays Baltimore company $28,000 for help in Abramoff probe
[Orlando Sentinel, November 13, 2007]
Feeney hires help in Abramoff inquiry
[Orlando Sentinel, November 13, 2007]
Mica, Feeney fail children in SCHIP veto override fight
[Daytona Beach News-Journal, October 19, 2007]
Feeney Should Stop Playing Politics with Children's Health
[Florida Democratic Party Press Release, October 4, 2007]
Feeney Makes the Most Corrupt List - Again
[Florida Democratic Party Press Release, September 18, 2007]
Our view: A foul odor
[Florida Today Editorial, August 31, 2007]
Feeney sinks further into ethics swamp
[St. Petersburg Times Editorial,
August 29, 2007]
Feeney political future remains cloudy
[Daytona Beach News-Journal, July 15, 2007]
Feeney sets up legal defense fund
Our position: Feeney shouldn't take money from a supporter seeking a NASA contract
Orlando Sentinel
August 18, 2007
For a textbook example of why legal-defense funds for lawmakers are a bad idea, consider the one three-term U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney of Oviedo set up to pay his legal bills related to his part in the ongoing federal probe of corrupt lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Feeney supporter pumps up legal fund
Orlando Sentinel
August 17, 2007
The fund that U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney set up to help pay his legal bills has received a $5,000 donation from an Oviedo businessman who is hoping for a NASA contract.
Our view: Feeney's fund
Florida Today Editorial
June 26, 2007
More alarm bells from the FBI probe into Rep. Tom Feeney's relationship with influence-peddling felon Jack Abramoff have gone off with his creation last week of a legal defense fund.
Feeney sets up legal fund amid Justice inquiry
Mark Matthews, Orlando Sentinel
June 23, 2007
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney has established a legal-defense fund to pay costs relating to an ongoing Justice Department inquiry into his ties with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Feeney sets up legal defense fund
Orlando Sentinel/Miami Herald Blogs
June 22, 2007
Legal expenses have mounted for Feeney in recent months. He paid the Washington-based firm Patton Boggs a combined $23,121 for "legal services" in February and March, according to election records. Read the documents here.
Rep. Feeney sought rule change tied to Abramoff
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/29/news_pf/Worldandnation/Rep_Feeney_sought_rul.shtml
What Feeney Says:
In an e-mail sent to the St. Petersburg Times last year, which is now being sought by the FBI, Feeney's then-chief of staff Jason Roe vehemently denied any improper relationship with Abramoff.
"Tom has never written a letter for Abramoff. Abramoff has never been in our office. Abramoff has never asked anything of us," Roe wrote. "There is no accusation of a quid pro quo. No quid pro quo exists." |
The Truth:
In 2003 Feeney was among several lawmakers who wrote to the Energy Department opposing changes to a federal program that also were being fought by an Abramoff client.
The members of Congress sent their letter in March 2003, the same week that Atofina Chemicals sent a similar letter to the department criticizing a proposed change in the federal Energy Star program that rates consumer products for energy efficiency. |
E-mail details false trip data
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/26/State/E_mail_details_false_.shtml
What Feeney Says:
Feeney has maintained he did not know Abramoff coordinated the trip.
Pepper Pennington, the lawmaker's spokeswoman, said Wednesday that Feeney relied on the estimates relayed to him by the sponsor of the trip, which he thought was the National Center for Public Policy Research, a Washington-based conservative think tank. |
The Truth:
An e-mail obtained by the St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday shows that Abramoff's office sent specific instructions on how to report the trip expenses to a handful of people, including Feeney's congressional assistant.
The e-mail, written in September 2003, a month after the trip, was sent to Feeney's then-executive assistant Eliza Baker. Others on the e-mail list included Mark Zachares, a former House aide who last week pleaded guilty to conspiracy for his relationship with Abramoff.
According to court documents, Zachares said he knew the expense details for the Scotland trip were lies coordinated by Abramoff. |
Feeney trip tied to Abramoff 'slush fund'
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/search/orl-feeney2707apr27,0,6782308.story
What Feeney Says:
In a 2005 Orlando Sentinel story, Feeney, an Oviedo Republican, said he was misled about who paid for the Scotland visit. In January of this year, he used stronger language, saying he was "duped and lied to" about what he thought was a fact-finding trip with Abramoff, who has pleaded guilty to corruption charges.
"Any assertion that this office knew Abramoff paid for the Scotland trip is a g--d----- lie," Feeney’s former Chief of Staff Jason Roe wrote in the email being sought by the FBI. |
The Truth:
Documents obtained by the Sentinel on Thursday from the Senate Indian Affairs Committee show that Abramoff's personal charity, Capital Athletic Foundation, paid $150,226.32 for a "Scotland fundraiser" in 2003.
The 2003 Scotland trip that included Feeney, Abramoff and six others is the only one that has come to light for that year. |
Documents raise questions on trip cost
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/search/orl-mfeeney2607apr26,0,3826337.story
What Feeney Says:
Tom Feeney of Oviedo reported the cost of a 2003 trip to Scotland with lobbyist Jack Abramoff at $5,643.
Feeney spokeswoman Pepper Pennington would not provide many details Wednesday when asked how Feeney derived the $5,643 figure he listed on his disclosure forms. |
The Truth:
Court documents released this week show the expenses for the eight people on the trip exceeded $160,000. If that number were divided among the eight travelers, the cost would have amounted to at least $20,000 per person -- not the figure Feeney, a Republican, reported to the House ethics committee and later agreed to pay to the U.S. Treasury after the trip was disclosed. |
Four Major Papers Call on Tom Feeney to Come Clean:
Palm Beach Post: 'Representative No. 3'
May 05, 2007 - Among the latest to claim the "I was stupid, not corrupt" defense is Florida Congressman Tom Feeney. Playing dumb is Rep. Feeney's only defense as, after a lull, the feds press the Abramoff case again.
Orlando Sentinel: Clear the air - U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney should be answering questions about a questionable trip.
April 29, 2007 - Eleven people have now been convicted in the Justice Department's probe of Mr. Abramoff, including others who took trips to Scotland with him. It's past time for Mr. Feeney to clear the air.
St. Petersburg Times: Rep. Feeney owes public answers, now
April 29, 2007 - Feeney's attorney may be urging him to keep quiet, but his legal tactic is at odds with his official responsibilities. He is a congressman with a cloud over his head, and the public is owed some answers.
Florida Today: Our view: Feeney and Abramoff
April 25, 2007 - However, the FBI's moves increase speculation about the legality of his actions and whether everything has come to light. That's why it's imperative the FBI dig deep and get to the bottom of the Feeney-Abramoff connection.
The Feeney Saga:
Former Feeney fundraiser leaves post
Anita Kumar,
St. Pete Times Buzz Blog
May 8, 2007
A former fundraiser for Rep. Tom Feeney and other Floridians has dropped her lucrative side job raising money to concentrate on running the office of an Arizona congressman under federal investigation.Patricia Roe is the chief of staff to Rep. Rick Renzi but had…
Democrats: Abramoff Ties Make Feeney Vulnerable
Matthew Murray, Roll Call Staff
May 8, 2007
If Central Florida is key to any potential pickups by House Democrats in 2008, as some claim, the Orlando-area district of Rep. Tom Feeney (R) may end up being ground zero. After all, House Democrats say, Feeney is one of a few of…
Paper trail links D.C. think tank to ‘slush fund’
Mark K. Matthews, Orlando Sentinal Washington Bureau
May 5, 2007
When U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney first told Congress about a 2003 golf junket he took with lobbyist Jack Abramoff, the Oviedo Republican named a conservative think tank called the National Center for Public Policy Research as the trip's sponsor.In the years since…
High anxiety? The woes of ‘Representative #3’
Scott Maxwell, Orlando Sentinel Taking Names
April 29, 2007
Things don't look good right now for Tom Feeney.According to court papers released last week, the feds apparently have been referring to the Oviedo Republican as "Representative #3."And that should scare him.Because the guy previously identified as "Representative #1" is now serving time on corruption…
Rep. Feeney sought rule change tied to Abramoff
Anita Kumar, St. Pete Times
April 29, 2007
Rep. Tom Feeney insists he never helped convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, but in 2003 Feeney was among several lawmakers who wrote to the Energy Department opposing changes to a federal program…
Feeney trip tied to Abramoff ‘slush fund’
Tamara Lytle and Mark K. Matthews, Orlando Sentinel Washington Bureau
April 27, 2007
U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney's controversial golf trip to Scotland in 2003 apparently was paid for by a foundation that Senate investigators described as a "slush fund" used by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.The foundation's connection is included among thousands of…
Documents raise questions on trip cost
Mark K. Matthews, Orlando Sentinel Washington Bureau
April 26, 2007
Rep. Tom Feeney of Oviedo reported the cost of a 2003 trip to Scotland with lobbyist Jack Abramoff at $5,643, but court documents released this week show the expenses for the eight people on the trip exceeded $160,000.If that number were divided…
E-mail details false trip data
Anita Kumar, St. Pete Times
April 26, 2007
Rep. Tom Feeney has insisted for years that he didn't know convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff paid for their luxury golfing trip to Scotland in 2003.But an e-mail obtained by the St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday shows that Abramoff's office sent…
Document: Scotland trip for 8, including Feeney, cost $160,000
Mark K. Matthews, Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer
April 25, 2007
Rep. Tom Feeney of Oviedo reported the cost of a 2003 trip to Scotland with lobbyist Jack Abramoff at $5,643, but court documents released this week show that the expenses…
FBI asks Florida’s Feeney about Abramoff
Lesley Clark, Miami HeraldWednesday,
April 25, 2007
Rep. Tom Feeney, a former Florida House speaker, said he's cooperating with the FBI, which has asked for details about a golf trip to Scotland he took with Jack Abramoff, the former lobbyist at the center of a far-reaching public corruption scandal.A former congressional aide…
Ex-House aide pleads guilty in lobbyist probe
Tamara Lytle and Mark Matthews, Orlando Sentinel Washington Bureau
April 25, 2007
An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information. A former congressional aide pleaded guilty Tuesday to accepting $40,000 in gifts and cash from lobbyist Jack Abramoff as part of an influence-peddling scandal that is still under investigation…
Cost hidden for Feeney trip
Anita Kumar, St. Pete Times
April 25, 2007
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff treated Rep. Tom Feeney and others to a Scotland trip in 2003 that began with a trans-Atlantic flight on a private jet and featured twice-daily golf at world-famous locales.New court documents released Tuesday show Abramoff's expenses for the luxury…
FBI asks Florida’s Feeney about Abramoff
Lesley Clark, Miami Herald
April 25, 2007
Rep. Tom Feeney, a former Florida House speaker, said he's cooperating with the FBI, which has asked for details about a golf trip to Scotland he took with Jack Abramoff, the former lobbyist at the center of a far-reaching public corruption scandal.A former congressional aide…
Feeney link to lobbyist faces more scrutiny
Mark K. Matthews, Orlando Sentinel Washington Bureau
April 24, 2007
U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney of Florida said Monday that the Justice Department has asked for "more information" about his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.But the Oviedo Republican said he is "not a target"…
Ex-House aide snared in Abramoff probe
Pete Yost, Associated Press Writer
April 24, 2007
A former congressional aide pleaded guilty Tuesday to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in gifts from lobbyist Jack Abramoff in an influence-peddling scandal that has touched the White House, Interior Department and congressional Republicans. Mark Zachares was the 11th…
FBI interested in Feeney tape | video
Florida Today Washington Bureau
April 24, 2007
U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney said today he is "voluntarily cooperating" with the Justice Department in a probe to any ties between the Oviedo Republican and convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Last week, FBI contacted FLORIDA TODAY to ask for a copy of an interview it…
FBI asking Tom Feeney about trip with Abramoff
Anita Kumar, St. Pete Times
April 24, 2007
The FBI has asked U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney for information about his dealings with Jack Abramoff as part of its ongoing investigation into the lobbyist convicted of defrauding clients.FBI agent Kevin…
Rep. Feeney was on trip with Abramoff
The Associated Press
April 23, 2007
An aide to Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, accepted $30,000 worth of tickets from influence peddler Jack Abramoff and went on a golf junket to Scotland in exchange for assisting the lobbyist, according to court papers filed Monday in the Abramoff scandal.Mark Zachares will plead guilty…
FBI asks Tom Feeney about trip with Abramoff
Anita Kumar, St. Pete Times
April 23, 2007
The FBI has asked U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney for information about his dealings with Jack Abramoff as part of its ongoing investigation into the lobbyist convicted of defrauding clients.FBI agent Kevin Luebke refused…
High cost of golf scandal; US politican must pay for illegal St Andrews junket
Derek Watson, The Express (Scottish Edition)
January 6, 2007
A lavish golfing junket cost a US congressman thousands of pounds after he was found guilty of breaching ethics rules. Republican Tom Feeney, from Orlando, Florida, had accepted the trip to the Old Course, St Andrews from a disgraced lobbyist at the centre…
FDP Statement on Feeney’s Ethics Violation
For Immediate Release, January 4, 2006
Florida Democratic Party spokesman Mark Bubriski issued the following statement on the House ethics committee's announcement that Congressman Tom Feeney violated House rules for his part in the Jack Abramoff scandal: "Congressman Feeney, oft cited as one of the most corrupt members of Congress,…
Ethics Panel Fines Weldon, Feeney for Trips
Paul Kane, Roll Call
January 3, 2007
The House ethics committee today imposed nearly $30,000 in fines on two Members for taking inappropriate, privately funded trips overseas as part of the long-running controversy about travel that arose from the Jack Abramoff scandal. In what appears to be its final actions on the…
Watchdogs: Acts legal but improper
Larry Wheeler, Gannett News Service
November 12, 2006
Frank Kinney thought one way to keep federal money flowing to his growing government technology center was to keep campaign money flowing to the congressman most responsible for his $140,000-a-year job. As executive director of Florida's Technology Research and Development Authority in Titusville, Kinney…
GOP incumbents battle to keep seats in Congress
John Bozzo, Daytona Beach News-Journal
November 7, 2006
Two incumbent Republican congressmen face challenges in the Nov. 7 election from Democrats hoping for upset victories. John Mica, 63, R-Winter Park, seeks his eighth term representing the 7th District, including Palm Coast, Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, Deltona and DeLand. Opposing him is John… |
