MINNESOTA DEMOCRATS JOIN NATIONAL CALL FOR HONEST LEADERSHIP

01/18/2006

Invites Minnesotans to join Democrats in calling for ethics reform

ST. PAUL (01/18/06) - Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez today applauded Minnesota’s Democrats in Washington for rolling out a national reform campaign designed to provide the American people with the honest leadership and open government they deserve.  Melendez urged the people of Minnesota to join Democrats in demanding honest leaders who are accountable to the people by signing the national Honest Leadership Petition at http://www.democrats.org/Honesty . 

Today’s statement follows news conferences in Columbus, Ohio-where Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean kicked off the national rollout of the Democratic reform agenda-and Washington where the Democratic leadership in Congress introduced the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act. 

The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act would end the Republican culture of corruption by:

· Closing the revolving door between lawmakers and lobbyists by doubling the amount of time lawmakers and staffers must wait before lobbying Congress;
· Prohibiting the receipt of gifts, including meals, entertainment and travel, from lobbyists;
· Clamping down on “pay to play” systems like the one set by lobbyists like Jack Abramoff; and
· Ending efforts like the “K Street Project,” which Republicans created to force corporations and lobbying firms to hire Republicans in exchange for political access. 

“Democrats across America stand united in exposing and ending the Republican culture of corruption - and in its place putting forth an agenda of strong ethics reforms that will provide the American people with honest leadership at all levels of government,” said Melendez.  “These reforms represent an honest, common sense approach to breaking the grip of the Republican culture of corruption.  As part of that effort, I strongly encourage Minnesotans to demand truth and integrity from their representatives and to hold their leaders accountable by signing the Honest Leadership Petition.

“The Republican Party has built a corrupt system where money speaks volumes and ordinary people have no voice. Wealthy special interests and scandal-plagued lobbyists like Jack Abramoff buy access and get results on any issue, no matter the public interest. Representatives Mark Kennedy, Gil Gutknecht, John Kline and Sen. Norm Coleman have brought that culture to Minnesota.  Minnesotans can do better than Republican leaders who put the special interests ahead of Minnesota’s working families. 

“I applaud the Democratic Party’s national leadership for introducing this strong and vital ethics reform package to reaffirm our Party’s commitment to providing the American people with honest leadership.  Democrats in Minnesota and across America are fighting to strengthen government ethics rules, end the revolving door between lawmakers and lobbyists, tighten gift and travel rules, and clamp down on pay to play systems like the one set by Jack Abramoff and his cronies. The time has come for Republicans to join Minnesota Democrats in fighting for honest leadership at all levels of government,” said Melendez.

Melendez urged Minnesotans to go to http://www.democrats.org/honesty to sign a new Honest Leadership petition, which the American people can sign to demand honest leadership from their elected representatives.  As part of this initiative, Democratic elected officials at all levels of government will also be asked to sign the Democratic Declaration: Honest Leadership and Open Government, a pledge to adhere to the same ethics standards that Democrats are asking Republicans to honor.

For more information on the Democratic Party’s honest leadership agenda, visit http://www.democrats.org/honesty . 

Minnesota DFL Chair Brian Melendez will be available for comment at 3:30 today (Wednesday) in the State Capitol press offices.

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Republican Culture of Corruption-Minnesota Style

Senator Norm Coleman

· Tom DeLay’s Leadership PAC, $5,000 on 10/2/02
· James Forrest Miller, son of former GOP Senator Jack Miller and also Jack Abramoff’s lobbying partner, $1,000 on 5/12/04 and $500 on 6/14/05

Representative Mark Kennedy

· Tom DeLay’s Leadership PAC, $29,500
· Bob Ney’s Leadership PAC, $4,500 on three days in 2004 (10/4, 8/24 and 6/29)

Representative John Kline

· Tom DeLay’s Leadership PAC, $30,000 (Kline said he’ll return if DeLay is convicted)
· Bob Ney’s Leadership PAC, $1,000 in 2002

Representative Gil Gutknecht

· Tom DeLay’s Leadership PAC, $5,778
· Direct contribution from Jack Abramoff, $250 on 10/3/96

David Ruth
Director of Communications
Minnesota DFL
(651) 251-6314 (o)
(612) 702-9473 (c)
(651) 251-6325 (f)

http://www.dfl.org