Wash Times Investigates Senator Hatch: "Sen. Hatch's secret drug firm links"

[sabra]

Sorry about the source, though it's interesting they are going after Hatch...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/02/the-fog-of-congressional-transparency/

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Hatch's secret drug firm links
Drugmaker money to Utah senator's charity escaped disclosure

The pharmaceutical industry that long has benefited from Sen. Orrin G. Hatch´s legislative efforts has directed large sums of money to a charity he helped found - and still raises money for - while also hiring the Republican lawmaker's son as a lobbyist.

Though Congress boasts that it is more transparent after passing new disclosure rules, Americans have had no way of knowing about the drugmakers' largesse to the charity, Utah Families Foundation. No way, that is, until a normally confidential tax filing was mistakenly released by the Internal Revenue Service to a nonprofit database last year.

The tax form, obtained by The Washington Times, shows that five pharmaceutical companies and the industry's main lobbying group wrote checks in 2007 to the Utah Families Foundation - some as large as $40,000 - that far exceed what they could give publicly to Mr. Hatch´s campaigns.

[ErinBerin84]

1. this is kind of off topic

but it has to do with the Washington Times, so whatever. I was watching C Span last week, and a Washington Times reporter (who is often on tv spouting Republican talking points, but I forget his name) was asked about Rush being the head of the GOP and about the BS "class warfare" argument that Repubs are using on letting the Bush tax cuts expire. I was shocked that he said "Ugh...Rush...I'm not a listener. On the topic of taxes....(sigh) the party's over. Every day there is an article about a new hedge fund manager being arrested...the party's over..so if Obama wants to tax these people, I don't have a problem with that." He disagreed with other Obama policies, but I was shocked that he conceded the tax issue.

[wildbilln864]

2. k&r! nt

[AlinPA]

3. The Washington Times investigating a republican?

[acmavm]

4. Oh poor Orrin. All I can say is doesn't surprise me a bit. He's really

a vile piece of work.

[struggle4progress]

5. The Moonies are really all about power -- if, after all these years, it's expedient

to run towards the political center, then they'll run towards the political center