Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) Takes One From the Playbook of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA)
By Vladimir Posted in Democrats | It's for the children — Comments (0) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
What's the deal with educational software?
First it was Mose Jefferson, older brother of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), who was implicated in a kickback/bribery scheme between LA-based software firm JRL and the Orleans Parish School Board. That scandal led to the resignation of the chair of the School Board, Ellenese Brooks-Sims, and charges against Ms. Brooks-Sims and Mose Jefferson. (Although the intrepid Congressman may not be implicated in this particular deal, he had tentacles of influence in all phases of local N.O. politics, and was able to steer public dollars to benefit the members of his extended family.)
Now we have the story of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA, natch) shepherding a $2 million contract for educational software, to the benefit of a company whose extended family of contributors gave Sen. Landrieu's campaign $80,000. Pretty good return on investment, I'd say.
more...
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., steered $2 million in federal funding to a campaign contributor for a reading program in District of Columbia schools.
The Washington Post reported last week that in 2001, Landrieu directed the money for the Voyager Expanded Learning literacy program for kindergartners and first-graders. A former school official told the newspaper the district had picked a different reading curriculum.
Voyager’s political action committee, executives, employees, their relatives and lobbyists have contributed $80,000 to Landrieu, according to campaign finance reports cited by the paper.
Landrieu, who sits on the Senate Appropriations Committee, served as the ranking Democrat on the District of Columbia subcommittee at the time. In a statement to the paper, Landrieu said the contributions and funding were unrelated.
No one is alledging any specific wrongdoing. It's clear, though, that the Educational Establishment has become the exclusive feifdom of Democrats (in Government and in the NEA), and that award of these lucrative software contracts is just How Backs Get Scratched.
H/T LANewsLink.com