Feeny, T Rep

<div>---</div><div>alec award</div><div></div><div>Well, this sounds familiar, and for good reason...<div class="media" style="background-color: rgb(253, 249, 240); border: 1px dotted rgb(240, 225, 178); font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 18px; background-image: url(http://www.bradblog.com/Images/GradientDarkBrown_headline.jpg); margin: 10px 30px; padding: 8px; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; background-repeat: no-repeat repeat;">In a 630-page deposition, released to the press yesterday, former Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer described a systemic effort by Republicans to suppress the black vote. Referring to a 2009 meeting with party officials,<a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/jim-greer-denounces-florida-republican-party-officials-as-liars-and/1242157" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">Greer said</a> "I was upset because the political consultants and staff were talking about voter suppression and keeping blacks from voting." He also said <a href="http://www.theledger.com/article/20120726/POLITICS/120729446/1374?p=2&tc=pg" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">party officials discussed</a> how "minority outreach programs were not fit for the Republican Party." Florida is currently embroiled in a controversy surrounding Gov. Rick Scott's (R) voter purge program, which disproportionately affects voters of color. Fifty-eight percent of Scott's <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/05/28/491120/how-florida-governor-rick-scott-could-steal-the-election-for-mitt-romney/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">original list of voters</a> who were supposedly ineligible to voter were Hispanic while Hispanics make up only 13 percent of Florida's eligible voters. Greer and the GOP <a href="http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/florida-gop-cuts-last-ties-greer" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">cut ties</a> in 2010, and he is currently facing felony corruption charges.</div>The summary above comes <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/07/27/598431/former-florida-republican-party-chair/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">from ThinkProgress' Alex Brown</a> who offer a hat-tip to<a href="http://www.salon.com/2012/07/27/fla_republican_we_suppressed_black_votes/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">Salon's Alex Seitz-Wald</a> who opens his report this way:<div class="media" style="background-color: rgb(253, 249, 240); border: 1px dotted rgb(240, 225, 178); font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 18px; background-image: url(http://www.bradblog.com/Images/GradientDarkBrown_headline.jpg); margin: 10px 30px; padding: 8px; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; background-repeat: no-repeat repeat;">In the debate over new laws meant to curb voter fraud in places like Florida, Democrats always charge that Republicans are trying to suppress the vote of liberal voting blocs like blacks and young people, while Republicans just laugh at such ludicrous and offensive accusations.</div>The entire matter echoes back to <a href="http://www.bradblog.com/?p=1025" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">our initial 2004 exclusive</a> on then Republican software programmer turned whistleblower Clint Curtis who had filed a sworn affidavit charging Florida Republican Tom Feeney had asked his company, Yang Enterprises, Inc. (YEI), to create a vote-rigging software prototype in 2000.At the time of his alleged meetings with Feeney, Curtis says the Congressman --- who had been Jeb Bush's Lt. Governor running mate in 1998 before becoming Speaker of the FL House and one of the most powerful elected officials in the state by 2000 --- discussed methods that he said the Republican Party had in place to "reduce the black vote" in the 2000 Presidential election.According to the <a href="http://www.bradblog.com/Docs/ClintCurtis/CC_Affidavit_120604.pdf" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">December 6, 2004 affidavit [PDF]</a> filed by Curtis, just days before he would testify to a U.S. House Judiciary Committee panel..</div><div></div><div>brad 7/12</div><div>
</div><div>After all these years writing about him here at <a href="http://www.bradblog.com/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">The BRAD BLOG</a>, it was fascinating, to say the least, to finally try and get some direct answers from the nation's most notorious former GOP lobbyist, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Abramoff" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">Jack Abramoff</a>.Now that he's completed three and half years in the federal penitentiary; after pleading guilty in 2006 to charges of conspiracy, fraud and tax evasion; cooperating with federal prosecutors to help net some 20 other convictions or guilty pleas from former Bush Administration officials,<a href="http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4047" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">one member of Congress</a> and a number of other lobbyists and congressional aides; becoming an <a href="http://www.republicreport.org/author/jack-abramoff/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">anti-corruption blogger</a>; and writing a book (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1936488442/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=1936488442&link_code=as3&tag=tbb-20" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America's Most Notorious Lobbyist</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=tbb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1936488442" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" />) about it all to help pay off some $44 million in court-ordered restitution to his victims, Abramoff joined me for a very lively, and at times feisty interview today on <a href="http://kpfk.org/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">KPFK</a>/Pacifica Radio's The BradCast.Topics in the live, 30 minute interview include:<ul style="font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 18px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-left: 25px;">Abramoff's take on the lack of morality at the heart of his crimes (he agrees to the failing, but seemingly only in part.)</li><li style="margin-left: 25px;">His belief that details of his story have been misreported (such as his attempt to take out life insurance policies on the lives of tribal elders to help cover the lobbying debts of tribes he represented and/or mis-represented.)</li><li style="margin-left: 25px;">His response to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Abramoff#Saipan_and_Northern_Mariana_Islands" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">allegations</a> of forced abortions and sex slavery in the sweatshops of his clients, the Northern Marianas Island (he denies knowledge of it having happened, and believes the claims were politically motivated.)</li><li style="margin-left: 25px;">What disgraced former and <a href="http://bradblog.com/ClintCurtis" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">alleged election fraudster</a> Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL) was doing on Abramoff's <a href="http://www.bradblog.com/?p=4457" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">lobbyist junket to play golf in St. Andrews, Scotland</a> ("He was not supposed to be on that trip...he may have done something for us, but I can't remember what it was," claims Jack.)</li><li style="margin-left: 25px;">Whether he has done enough to tell the public the criminal truth about his former friends, colleagues, and highly placed elected officials who were the recipient of his bribes in the Bush Administration and the U.S. Congress, and whether he needs to do so before the lobbying reforms he claims to seek can ever come to pass.</li></ul>I am only sorry we didn't have more time, as I had so much more to ask about, and there were several topics I would have liked to have drilled down into much more detail in hopes of holding feet to fire. But he had another interview commitment at the bottom of the hour, I had promised in advance to get him off air in time to make it, and he committed (yes, it's all on tape, Jack!) to come back and continue the discussion in the future. I'll look forward to holding him to that.After he left, for the second part of the hour, we continued with listener phone calls, and their take on whether Abramoff's purported conversion from infamous criminal to hopeful reformer can or should be trusted, or whether this is just the latest "con" by "<a href="http://casinojack-movie.com/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">Casino Jack</a>". The caller responses were very interesting, and I'll welcome yours as well, in comments below...</div><div>--</div><div>brad 8/10</div><div>It's been a while since we've checked in with election fraud whistleblower turned would-be politician Clint Curtis, so let's bring everyone up to speed. Clint Curtis is the computer programmer who was allegedly asked to write election-flipping software by former Florida Speaker of the House-turned-U.S. Congressman Tom Feeney (R) back in 2000. Curtis blew the whistle and testified, <a href="http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001049.htm" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">under oath and on video tape</a>, before a U.S. House Judiciary Committee panel shortly after<a href="http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001024.htm" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">The BRAD BLOG broke the extraordinary story in late 2004</a>. (Quick recap of the Curtis story and links to our years-long, in-depth coverage<a href="http://www.bradblog.com/?page_id=3980" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">right here</a>.)Curtis fought back, taking on Feeney twice for his congressional seat, only to lose both times - the first to a fishy vote count in 2006 (which Curtis challenged with evidence in hand, only to be <a href="http://www.bradblog.com/?p=3947" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">shot down by a Democrat-led Congressional committee</a>) and the second time to a pro-Bush Blue Dog millionaire put up by the Dems in the 2008 primary. Feeney, dogged by Curtis' allegations, and an FBI investigation into his dealings with disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, would finally lose his seat in '08. (Curtis' story is covered in depth in the award-winning 2008 documentary film <a href="http://votinglies.com/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">Murder, Spies & Voting Lies</a>.)<blockquote class="pullquote pqRight" style="float: right; width: 10em; margin: 0.25em 0px 0.25em 0.75em; padding: 0.5em; border: 6px double black; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); background-color: rgb(255, 235, 205); font-style: italic; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 16px; font-family: Georgia;">"If progressives get behind progressives, work their tail off, give them money that we don't really have - if we hurt ourselves and make ourselves bleed a little bit, we will get there. It's the only way to fight back against the corporate money that dictates our policy."</blockquote>You'd think that'd be enough politics for anyone, but not Curtis. He loaded up the truck and moved several hundred miles north of Beverly… Hills, that is. Now armed with a brand-spankin' new law degree, he is mounting one more assault on a Congressional seat --- <a href="http://clintcurtis.com/" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); text-decoration: none;">this time in Northern California's 4th Congressional district</a>.Will this be another quixotic attempt? Or will the progressive Democratic candidate who ran unchallenged in the recent CA primary, finally break through, giving Congress a much-needed voice of reason and election integrity advocates a serious ally in the House of Representatives?I recent spoke to Curtis about all of the above, and much</div><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">NAM  <a href="http://aif.com/press_release/2013/pr_130107.shtm" style="font-family: sans-serif;">http://aif.com/press_release/2013/pr_130107.shtm</a><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">swThomas Charles Feeney III,, a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Republican_Party_U.S.A." title="Republican Party U.S.A." class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Republican</a>, represented the 24th Congressional District of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Florida" title="Florida" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Florida</a> in the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.House_of_Representatives" title="U.S. House of Representatives" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. House of Representatives</a> between 2003-2009. Feeney lost to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Suzanne_Kosmas" title="Suzanne Kosmas" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Suzanne Kosmas</a> (D) in the November 2008 general election.<table id="toc" class="toc" style="font-size: 12px; border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); padding: 5px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><tbody><tr><td><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; width: auto; font-size: 12px; display: inline;">Contents</h2>  [<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#" class="internal" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Record_and_controversies" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1 Record and controversies</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Iraq_War" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.1 Iraq War</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Environmental_record" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.2 Environmental record</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Federal_investigation_into_Abramoff_ties" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.3 Federal investigation into Abramoff ties</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Florida_redistricting" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.4 Florida redistricting</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Clint_Curtis_and_vote_fraud" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.5 Clint Curtis and vote fraud</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Threats_to_local_newspaper" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.6 Threats to local newspaper</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Defense_of_Tom_Delay" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.7 Defense of Tom Delay</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Ethics_complaints" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.8 Ethics complaints</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Failure_to_report_real_estate_property" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.9 Failure to report real estate property</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#National_security_and_foreign_policy" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1.10 National security and foreign policy</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Biography" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2 Biography</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#2006_elections" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2.1 2006 elections</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Money_in_Politics" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">3 Money in Politics</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Committees_and_Affiliations" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4 Committees and Affiliations</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Committees" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4.1 Committees</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Committees_2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4.2 Committees</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-18" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Committee_assignments_in_the_109th_Congress.282005-2006.29" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4.2.1 Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-19" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Boards_and_other_Affiliations" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4.3 Boards and other Affiliations</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-20" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#More_Background_Data" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5 More Background Data</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-21" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Contact" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">6 Contact</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-22" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Articles_and_resources" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7 Articles and resources</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-23" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Resources" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.1 Resources</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-24" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Local_blogs_and_discussion_sites" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.2 Local blogs and discussion sites</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-25" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Articles" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.3 Articles</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-26" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#Articles_by_Feeney" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.3.1 Articles by Feeney</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-27" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#References" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.4 References</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-28" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#In_the_Wikipedia" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7.5 In the Wikipedia</a></li></ul></li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table><h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Record and controversies</h2><div style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.5em 0.75em; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgb(220, 232, 248); border: 1px solid rgb(92, 121, 181); padding: 0.25em;">General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:U.S.legislation" title="Category:U.S. legislation" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">articles on legislation</a>. You can add information you find on how Tom Feeney voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Help:References" title="Help:References" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">cite your sources</a>!</div><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Iraq War</h3><div style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.5em 0.75em; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: rgb(220, 232, 248); border: 1px solid rgb(92, 121, 181); padding: 0.25em;">For more information see the chart of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.House_of_Representatives_votes_on_the_Iraq_War" title="U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War</a>.</div><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Environmental record</h3>For more information on environmental legislation, see the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Portal:Energy_and_Environment_Policy(U.S.)" title="Portal:Energy and Environment Policy (U.S.)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Energy and Environment Policy Portal</a><h3 style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Federal investigation into Abramoff ties</h3>According to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Democratic_Congressional_Campaign_Committee" title="Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">DCCC</a>, Feeney took $1,000 from lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who was later convicted on charges related to the defrauding of American Indian tribes and corruption of public officials. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-0" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[1]</a>Feeney is one of three Republican House members to have gone on a Scotland golf trip with Abramoff in 2003, thus linking him to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Abramoff-Reed_Indian_Gambling_Scandal" title="Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Abramoff-Reed Indian Gambling Scandal</a> (the others were convicted former Rep. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Bob_Ney" title="Bob Ney" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Bob Ney</a> and indicted former Rep. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_DeLay" title="Tom DeLay" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Tom DeLay</a>). Feeney stated that he believed the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/National_Center_for_Public_Policy_Research" title="National Center for Public Policy Research" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">National Center for Public Policy Research</a> was paying for the trip, not Abramoff.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[2]</a>In January 2007, the House announced that Feeney had violated chamber rules by letting Abramoff pay for the trip.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[3]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[4]</a>In September 2005, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_Responsibility_and_Ethics_in_Washington" title="Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington</a> named Feeney one of the thirteen most corrupt members of Congress because of his ties to Abramoff. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[5]</a>On April 23, 2007, the Department of Justice submitted a document in court naming Rep. Feeney as "Representative #3" in the criminal investigation of Mark Zachares, a former congressional aide to Rep. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Don_Young" title="Don Young" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Don Young</a> (R-Alaska) and lobbyist who, in April 2007, pleaded guilty to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in gifts from lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In April 2007, the FBI asked Feeney for information about his dealings with Jack Abramoff as part of its ongoing investigation into the lobbyist convicted of defrauding clients.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[6]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[7]</a>Feeney stated that “These questions have been asked and answered 100 times...The Scooter Libby case showed that you must be careful when dealing with the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Justice_Department" title="Justice Department" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Department of Justice (DoJ)</a>. We’re giving them everything they need and more...There’s no relationship (to the Abramoff scandal).” <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-7" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[8]</a>In late June 2007, Feeney established a legal defense fund to cover expenses relating to the FBI's investigation his ties to Abramoff. On June 20, he filed documents with the House stating he "has incurred legal expenses in connection with his official duties and position in Congress, and matters bearing on his reputation or fitness for office." The congressman still denied any relationship with the convicted lobbyist, but stated he was voluntarily cooperating with the federal investigation.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[9]</a> The FBI also contacted the newspaper Florida Today, asking for a video from an interview in September 2006 regarding Feeney's relationship with Abramoff. In the video, Feeney denied any connection to the lobbyist. In particular, the FBI was interested in the congressman's public statements regarding his ties to Abramoff and the golfing trip to Scotland he made with him. Feeney described the trip as a "legitimate business trip," and the FBI is checking whether or not he was aware how it was funded.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[10]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Members_of_Congress_under_investigation" title="Members of Congress under investigation" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Members of Congress under investigation</a></dd></dl><h3 style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Florida redistricting</h3>Florida gained two congressional districts after the 2000 census. According to the Associated Press (in USA Today), the 24th district "was tailor-made for Feeney by the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature, covering parts of four central Florida counties with 156,292 registered Republicans compared to 126,976 Democrats." It was an open secret that Feeney drew this district for himself <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.fairvote.org/redistricting/reports/remanual/flnews4.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[1]</a>, since it included virtually all of his state House district. (The other new district, the 25th, was drawn for fellow state representative <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Mario_Diaz-Balart" title="Mario Diaz-Balart" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Mario Diaz-Balart</a>). He was handily elected in 2002 and was unopposed in 2004.<h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Clint Curtis and vote fraud</h3>Alex Babcock at the Seminole Chronicle reported that former Yang Enterprises computer programmer Clint Curtis made sworn testimony in front of the House Judiciary Committee in December 2004. Curtis testified that in September of 2000, Tom Feeney asked him to write software that could alter vote totals on touch-screen voting machines. The Judicial Committee was "investigating allegations of voter fraud in the 2004 presidential election involving touch-screen voting in Ohio." and was not looking into issues of Florida vote fraud. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.seminolechronicle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/12/16/41c2fdb042ea1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[2]</a>Feeney and Yang Enterprises deny Curtis' testimony. Babcock wrote, "Michael O'Quinn, an attorney for Yang Enterprises, said Curtis' claims are outrageous and that Feeney never discussed such a program with the company. He said Feeney's only relationship with the company was as its legal counsel. Feeney worked at the law firm with O'Quinn until 2002, when he resigned after being elected to Congress." Feeney is also accused of helping Yang Enterprises secure government contracts. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.seminolechronicle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/12/16/41c2fdb042ea1" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[3]</a>In March 2005, Curtis passed a polygraph test regarding his tesimony, though there has been no serious investigation into the matter. Curtis' charges are largely treated as baseless consipracy theory by the St. Petersburg Times and mainstream media. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.stpetersburgtimes.com/2005/04/09/State/Blogs_spin_tale_of_co.shtml" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[4]</a>As of April 2006, the issue is still unsettled, but Curtis is running against Feeney in the fall election largely on a platform of non-corruption. The Republican-leaning Curtis states,<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">"I believe our district is currently represented by one of the most corrupt politicians in history. I have attended closed-door meetings where Congressman Tom Feeney spoke candidly about altering election results. Feeney is deeply involved with individuals like super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and has been an active participant in this unprecedented decade of corruption."<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.clintcurtis.com/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[5]</a></dd></dl><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Threats to local newspaper</h3>After the Seminole Chronicle published Alex Babcock's article on Clint Curtis' testimony (above), Feeney's lawyers threatened the paper, according to a blog that has followed the story closely, BradBlog.com.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001076.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[6]</a>"The letter from John P. Horan of "Foley and Lardner, attorneys at law", was faxed to Babcock at the Seminole Chronicle office earlier this week. It alleges the newspaper's report "constitute[d] a serious departure from accepted journalism standards and a breach of the Chronicle's fair reporting privilege."Horan goes on to accuse Babcock of reporting "in a sensational, reckless and unfair manner," and claims that "This conduct exceeds all known bounds of bias and constitutes a reckless disregard for the truth."According to the letter, Horan's charges on behalf of Feeney, stem from his claim that "These assertions were fully investigated by the State of Florida Commission on Ethics which found that 'there was no probable cause' to believe the assertions and dismissed each complaint."The Chronicle responded on 12/23 in an noon-bylined editorial: "In reporting on the charges made by Clint Curtis against Feeney, our goal was to inform you, our readers, of serious charges made in a public forum before members of Congress investigating voting irregularities...It is this role that all news organizations should play, to keep a watchful eye over the government that serves us. It's your business as voters to know what your elected representatives are doing, and what they have been accused of doing."<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.bradblog.com/archives/00001076.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[7]</a><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Defense of Tom Delay</h3>Feeney has taken $10,000 from <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tom_DeLay" title="Tom DeLay" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Tom DeLay</a>'s <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ARMPAC" title="ARMPAC" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">ARMPAC</a> and voted with DeLay 94% of the time between Jan. 1 2004 and March 31 2005. Feeney also voted to allow Tom DeLay to continue serving as Leader even if he is indicted and contributed $5000 to DeLay's legal defense fund.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.dccc.org/houseofscandal/members/TomFeeneyFL-24.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[8]</a><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Ethics complaints</h3>"Democrats filed ethics complaints that accused Feeney of using his legislative office staff to work on his congressional campaign and his influence as speaker to shield a client from an investigation. Feeney denied the allegations, but in the face of a lawsuit by three newspapers released state cell phone records that, according to a review by The Palm Beach Post, showed a legislative staffer made 150 personal and political calls. The staffer by then had left her state job and gone to work in Feeney's campaign."<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://asp.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/CandidateProfile.aspx?ci=877&oi=H" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[9]</a><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Failure to report real estate property</h3>In 2003, Feeney and a long-time acquaintance, James Fowler, purchased a condo propoerty together in Cape Canaveral, Florida for $175,000. Despite the fact that the condo was purchased 50-50, Feeney did not report the property in 2003. Rather, he waited until 2005. It is a violation of House rules to omit ownership of a asset such as this. In July 2006, a spokesman for Feeney argued that the congressman did not report the purchase because his name was not on the deed and was only recently added to the trust agreement. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://harpers.org/sb-congressman-tom-feeney-an-appreciation-1152659942.html" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[10]</a>Principally as a result of these scandals, Feeney was named in 2006 by <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Citizens_for_Responsibility_and_Ethics_in_Washington" title="Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington</a> as one of the twenty most corrupt US legislators. <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/newsrelease.php?view=156" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[11]</a><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">National security and foreign policy</h3>On June 15, 2007, Feeney was one of two representatives to vote against the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2008, which makes spending decisions for some Defense Department medical and construction expenses, VA construction, administration and medical programs and spending for a few related national and international agencies.<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dd style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: 0px;">Main article: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Military_Construction_and_Veterans_Affairs_Appropriations_Act,2008" title="Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2008" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2008</a></dd></dl><h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Biography</h2>Feeney was born on May 21, 1958 in Abington, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. He graduated from Penn State University in 1980 with a B.A. in political science and obtained a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law in 1983. Soon after, he moved to Oviedo, Florida, a suburb of Orlando where he still lives, and opened a private law practice. In 1990, he began two terms in the Florida State legislature and ran for lieutenant governor as <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jeb_Bush" title="Jeb Bush" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Jeb Bush</a>'s running mate in 1994. Bush and Feeney were narrowly defeated.In 1994 Feeney joined the board of directors of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/James_Madison_Institute" title="James Madison Institute" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">James Madison Institute</a><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.jamesmadison.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[12]</a>, a conservative free-market think tank where he ultimately became the director.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.house.gov/feeney/bio.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[13]</a> The James Madison Institute, best known for its promotion of school vouchers in Florida, is a member of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/State_Policy_Network" title="State Policy Network" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">State Policy Network</a><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.spn.org/directory/orgID.90/org_detail.asp" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[14]</a> and has received funding from <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ExxonMobil" title="ExxonMobil" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">ExxonMobil</a><a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://exxonsecrets.org/html/orgfactsheet.php?id=49" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[15]</a>.Feeney returned to the Florida House in 1996 in a special election, and was chosen as Speaker in 2000. He first came to national prominence when he led efforts to certify the state's Republican presidential electors even when it was still unclear whether <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">George W. Bush</a> or <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Al_Gore" title="Al Gore" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Al Gore</a> had won the state's electoral votes. When Gore finally conceeded the election, Feeney called him a "loser" and describe his speech as "evil."<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://asp.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/CandidateProfile.aspx?ci=877&oi=H" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[16]</a>Feeney was one of the most <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/conservative" class="extiw" title="w:conservative" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">conservative</a> members of the Florida legislature, and has been no less conservative in Congress. He drafted a "Principles Card" soon after becoming Speaker of the Florida House that allowed his fellow Republicans to check if legislation was consistent with conservative principles. He modified this card when he came to Congress, calling it the "Conservative Check Card." The six principles are less government, lower taxes, personal responsibility, individual freedom, stronger "traditional American" families, and domestic tranquility and national defense.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/People_for_the_American_Way" title="People for the American Way" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">People for the American Way</a> report that "As a state legislator, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Feeney&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Feeney (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Feeney</a> received awards from the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Legislative_Exchange_Council" title="American Legislative Exchange Council" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">American Legislative Exchange Council</a>, the<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/James_Madison_Institute" title="James Madison Institute" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">James Madison Institute</a> and several from the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Christian_Coalition" title="Christian Coalition" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Christian Coalition</a>, as well as a 100% legislative rating for his support of parental notification bills and the creation of "Choose Life" license plates. He received the endorsement of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Campaign_for_Working_Families" title="Campaign for Working Families" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Campaign for Working Families</a> and the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Eagle_Forum" title="Eagle Forum" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Eagle Forum</a>.<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=7926" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[17]</a>Feeney was a founding member of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Washington_Waste_Watchers&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Washington Waste Watchers (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Washington Waste Watchers</a>, a "working group formed to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in federal government."<a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.house.gov/feeney/bio.htm" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[18]</a><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">2006 elections</h3>In 2006, the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Democratic_Party" title="Democratic Party" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Democrats</a> nominated <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Clint_Curtis" title="Clint Curtis" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Clint Curtis</a> to face Feeney in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/U.S.congressional_elections_in_2006" title="U.S. congressional elections in 2006" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. congressional elections in 2006</a>) <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://opensecrets.org/states/election.asp?State=FL&year=2006" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">[19]</a> Feeney retained his seat.<h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Money in Politics</h2>This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. <crpcontribdata>cid=N00024851&cycle=2006</crpcontribdata><table class="prettytable" style="font-size: 12.800000190734863px; margin: 1em 1em 1em 0px; background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><tbody><tr><th colspan="3" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; background-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); text-align: center; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Links to more campaign contribution information for Tom Feeney
from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">OpenSecrets.org</a> site.</th></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Fundraising profile:</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00024851" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">2006 election cycle</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allsummary.asp?cid=N00024851" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Career totals</a></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Top contributors by organization/corporation:</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00024851" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">2006 election cycle</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?cid=N00024851" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Career totals</a></td></tr><tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Top contributors by industry:</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/indus.asp?cycle=2006&cid=N00024851" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">2006 election cycle</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allindus.asp?cid=N00024851" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Career totals</a></td></tr></tbody></table><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 12.800000190734863px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/search_result.asp?mem=Feeney%2C+Tom" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Revolving door profile for Tom Feeney</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/travel.asp?CID=N00024851" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">2006 privately funded travel profile for Tom Feeney</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/candlook.php?CID=N00024851" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Personal finance profile for Tom Feeney</a> from the Center for Responsive Politics' <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.opensecrets.org/" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">OpenSecrets.org</a> website.</li></ul>
<h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Committees and Affiliations</h2><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Committees</h3><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Committees</h3><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 12.800000190734863px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Financial_Services" title="House Committee on Financial Services" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on Financial Services</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommitee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommitee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit</li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_the_Judiciary" title="House Committee on the Judiciary" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on the Judiciary</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property</li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Science_and_Technology" title="House Committee on Science and Technology" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">House Committee on Science and Technology</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics</li></ul></li></ul><h4 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)</h4><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 12.800000190734863px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Financial_Services" title="House Committee on Financial Services" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on Financial Services</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Capital Markets Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises</li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_the_Judiciary" title="House Committee on the Judiciary" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on the Judiciary</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Task Force on Antirust</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on the Constitution</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Crime Terrorism and Homeland Security</li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/House_Committee_on_Science" title="House Committee on Science" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Committee on Science</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics</li></ul></li></ul><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; width: auto; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Boards and other Affiliations</h3><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 12.800000190734863px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Former director, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/James_Madison_Institute" title="James Madison Institute" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">James Madison Institute</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Former board member, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/James_Madison_Institute" title="James Madison Institute" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">James Madison Institute</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Founding member, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Washington_Waste_Watchers&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Washington Waste Watchers (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Washington Waste Watchers</a></li></ul><h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); width: auto; font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">More Background Data</h2><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 12.800000190734863px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=BS038957" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Background information on Tom Feeney from Project Vote Smart</a></li></ul><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 12.800000190734863px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BS038957" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Interest group scorecard ratings for Tom Feeney from Project Vote Smart</a></li></ul><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 12.800000190734863px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/f000447" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Voting record for Tom Feeney from the Washington Post database</a></li></ul><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0.5em 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANCAMAAABW4lS6AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAAZQTFRFAFKM////QIUK9QAAAAJ0Uk5T/wDltzBKAAAAGklEQVR42mJgBAEGokgGBjBGBxBxsBqAAAMACHwALd5r8ygAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 12.800000190734863px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/newmemberbio.cgi?lang=&member=FL24&site=congressmerge" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Information on Tom Feeney from Congress Merge</a></li></ul><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Wikipedia</a> also has an article on <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">Tom Feeney</a>. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GFDL" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(102, 51, 102); background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAoAAAAKCAYAAACNMs+9AAAAGXRFWHRTb2Z0d2FyZQBBZG9iZSBJbWFnZVJlYWR5ccllPAAAAFZJREFUeF59z4EJADEIQ1F36k7u5E7ZKXeUQPACJ3wK7UNokVxVk9kHnQH7bY9hbDyDhNXgjpRLqFlo4M2GgfyJHhjq8V4agfrgPQX3JtJQGbofmCHgA/nAKks+JAjFAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); padding-right: 13px; background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat;">GFDL</a>.<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">wikiThomas Charles Feeney, III, known as Tom Feeney (born May 21, 1958), is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States" title="United States" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">American</a>politician from the state of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida" title="Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Florida</a>. He represented <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida%27s_24th_congressional_district" title="Florida's 24th congressional district" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Florida's 24th congressional district</a>. He was defeated in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Florida,2008#District_24" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2008" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2008 election</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Democratic_Party" title="U.S. Democratic Party" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Democrat</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Kosmas" title="Suzanne Kosmas" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Suzanne Kosmas</a>.<div id="toc" class="toc" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background-color: rgb(249, 249, 249); padding: 7px; font-size: 12px; display: inline-block; zoom: 1; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><div id="toctitle" style="direction: ltr; text-align: center;"><h2 style="background-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; border: none; font-size: 12px; display: inline;">Contents</h2>  [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#" class="internal" id="togglelink" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">hide</a>] </div><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Early_life" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">1 Early life</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Florida_legislature" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2 Florida legislature</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#U.S.House_of_Representatives" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">3 U.S. House of Representatives</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Political_positions" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">3.1 Political positions</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Committee_assignments" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">3.2 Committee assignments</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Awards" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">4 Awards</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Controversies" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5 Controversies</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Trips" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5.1 Trips</a><ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: none;"><li class="toclevel-3 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Scotland" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5.1.1 Scotland</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Rental_property" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5.2 Rental property</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Election_fraud" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5.3 Election fraud</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Sealed_testimony" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">5.4 Sealed testimony</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-13" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#2006_re-election_campaign" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">6 2006 re-election campaign</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-14" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#2008_re-election_campaign" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">7 2008 re-election campaign</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#Electoral_history" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">8 Electoral history</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-16" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#References" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">9 References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-17" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#External_links" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">10 External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Early life<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Early life" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=1&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Early life" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h2>He was born in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abington_Township,Montgomery_County,Pennsylvania" title="Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Abington, Pennsylvania</a>, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suburb" title="Suburb" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">suburb</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia" title="Philadelphia" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Philadelphia</a>. He graduated from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_State_University" title="Penn State University" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Penn State University</a> in 1980, obtaining a law degree from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Pittsburgh_School_of_Law" title="University of Pittsburgh School of Law" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">University of Pittsburgh School of Law</a>in 1983. Soon afterwards, he moved to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oviedo,Florida" title="Oviedo, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Oviedo, Florida</a>, a suburb of Orlando where he still lives, and opened a private practice.<h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Florida legislature<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Florida legislature" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=2&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Florida legislature" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h2>In 1990, Feeney was elected to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_House_of_Representatives" title="Florida House of Representatives" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Florida House of Representatives</a> as a Republican from<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seminole_County,Florida" title="Seminole County, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Seminole County</a>. He served two terms there before running for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant_governor" title="Lieutenant governor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">lieutenant governor</a> of Florida as<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeb_Bush" title="Jeb Bush" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Jeb Bush</a>'s running mate in 1994. After the pair narrowly lost, Feeney joined the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Madison_Institute" title="James Madison Institute" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">James Madison Institute</a>, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative" title="Conservative" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">conservative</a> think tank, as a director. He returned to the Florida House in 1996 and was elected as Speaker of that body in 2000.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">citation needed</a>]Feeney first came to national prominence in 2000, shortly after his election as Speaker, when he led efforts to certify the state's Republican presidential electors even though it was still unclear whether <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">George W. Bush</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore" title="Al Gore" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Al Gore</a> had won the state's electoral votes. Feeney and his colleagues claimed that Florida's electoral votes were in imminent danger of being removed from consideration if the results of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_vote" title="Popular vote" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">popular vote</a> in the state could not be determined with legal certainty. While Article 2 of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution" title="United States Constitution" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">United States Constitution</a> places this power in the legislature, many Democrats insisted that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Recount" title="Florida Recount" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">recounts</a> needed to be completed, and that by doing so, a clear legal victor would emerge.Feeney and then State Senate president John McKay argued the state Supreme Court's verdict in favor of the Democrats' position on recounts essentially "tainted" the entire process, so that there was (as Feeney stated) "a great risk" Florida's electoral votes would be disregarded altogether in the selection of the next President.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[1]</a> The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Supreme_Court" title="U.S. Supreme Court" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">U.S. Supreme Court</a>'s verdict in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_v.Gore" title="Bush v. Gore" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Bush v. Gore</a> rejected the argument from uncertainty by a margin of 6-3, and halted the recount process on other grounds. Bush won Florida and the election.In 2001, Feeney was one of the lawmakers who opposed a demand by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Selig" title="Bud Selig" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Bud Selig</a> that the state finance a new baseball stadium for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Marlins" title="Florida Marlins" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Florida Marlins</a>. At that time, Selig had threatened that the Marlins might leave South Florida if they did not receive a tax break.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[2]</a><h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">U.S. House of Representatives<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: U.S. House of Representatives" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=3&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: U.S. House of Representatives" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h2>Florida gained two congressional districts after the 2000 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Census" title="Census" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">census</a>. One of them was the 24th District in the Orlando area. Some have argued that Feeney drew this district for himself,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[3]</a> since it included virtually all of his state House district and term limits prohibited him from running for the state House again. (The other new district, the 25th, was drawn for fellow state representative <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Diaz-Balart" title="Mario Diaz-Balart" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Mario Diaz-Balart</a>). He was handily elected in 2002, re-elected unopposed in 2004, and took 58% of the vote in 2006.<h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Political positions<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Political positions" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=4&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Political positions" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h3>Feeney was one of the most <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservatism" title="Conservatism" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">conservative</a> members of the House. He drafted a "Principles Card" soon after becoming state house speaker which allowed his fellow Republicans to check if legislation was consistent with conservative principles. He modified this card when he came to Congress, calling it the Conservative Check Card.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">citation needed</a>]Feeney is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poker" title="Poker" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">poker</a>. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[4]</a> and voted for H.R. 4411, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodlatte" title="Goodlatte" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Goodlatte</a>-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[5]</a> In 2008, he opposed H.R. 5767, the Payment Systems Protection Act (a bill that sought to place a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moratorium(law)" title="Moratorium (law)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">moratorium</a> on enforcement of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unlawful_Internet_Gambling_Enforcement_Act" title="Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act</a>while the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Treasury_Department" title="U.S. Treasury Department" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. Treasury Department</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve" title="Federal Reserve" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Federal Reserve</a> defined "unlawful Internet gambling"). Despite his ties to the Bush family, Feeney broke with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House" title="White House" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">White House</a> and opposed the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare(United_States)" title="Medicare (United States)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Medicare</a> reform package of 2003 since he felt its centerpiece, a prescription drug benefit for senior citizens, was too expensive. He was a founding member of Washington Waste Watchers, a government spending watchdog group.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">citation needed</a>]Feeney cosponsored a non-binding resolution against the use of foreign law in federal courts. When Supreme Court Justice <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonin_Scalia" title="Antonin Scalia" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Antonin Scalia</a> said (of the resolution) that "[i]t's none of your business", Feeney said that Scalia's comments were "like being told your favorite baseball player disagrees with your approach to hitting."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-6" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[6]</a><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Committee assignments<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Committee assignments" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=5&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Committee assignments" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h3><ul style="line-height: 19.200000762939453px; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=); font-size: 12.800000190734863px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Financial Services Committee<ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit</li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Judiciary Committee<ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Antitrust Task Force and Competition Policy</li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Committee on Science and Technology<ul style="line-height: 1.5em; list-style-type: disc; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAUAAAANAQMAAABb8jbLAAAABlBMVEX///8AUow5QSOjAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAABNJREFUCB1jYEABBQw/wLCAgQEAGpIDyT0IVcsAAAAASUVORK5CYII=);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee (Ranking Member)</li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Assistant Whip</li></ul><h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Awards<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Awards" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Awards" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h2>In 2006, Feeney was named a "Taxpayer Superhero" by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_Against_Government_Waste" title="Citizens Against Government Waste" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Citizens Against Government Waste</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-FeeneyPress-7" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[7]</a>He received a perfect score from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Norquist" title="Grover Norquist" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Grover Norquist</a>'s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_for_Tax_Reform" title="Americans for Tax Reform" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Americans for Tax Reform</a> (ATR). He was named "Guardian of Small Business" by the<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Federation_of_Independent_Business" title="National Federation of Independent Business" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">National Federation of Independent Business</a> (NFIB). The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Taxpayers_Union" title="National Taxpayers Union" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">National Taxpayers Union</a> presented Feeney with the "Taxpayers' Friend Award" in 2004<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-8" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[8]</a> and in 2006.<h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Controversies<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Controversies" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=7&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Controversies" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h2>In September 2006, Feeney was named one of the "20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress" in a report by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_for_Responsibility_and_Ethics_in_Washington" title="Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington</a>;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-9" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[9]</a> he was also listed in the first report by the organization in January 2006, when he was one of 13 named members. The organization said "His ethics issues arise from trips he has taken in apparent violation of House travel and gift rules and from his failure to disclosure his ownership of rental property."<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-10" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[10]</a> Feeney was subsequently listed in CREW's 2007 and 2008 reports as well.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">citation needed</a>]<h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Trips<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=8&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Trips" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=8&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Trips" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h3><h4 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 15.199999809265137px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Scotland<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=9&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Scotland" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=9&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Scotland" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h4>In August 2003, Feeney took a golfing trip to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland" title="Scotland" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Scotland</a>. The trip was paid for by former lobbyist (now convicted criminal) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Abramoff" title="Jack Abramoff" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Jack Abramoff</a>, who went with Feeney to Scotland. In March 2003, Feeney was one of 10 Republican lawmakers who wrote to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Department" title="Energy Department" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Energy Department</a> opposing changes to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Star" title="Energy Star" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Energy Star</a>, changes also being fought by an Abramoff client.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-11" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[11]</a>In January 2007, Feeney agreed to pay $5,643 to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Treasury" title="U.S. Treasury" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">U.S. Treasury</a> to cover the trip's cost, after the House ethics committee concluded that the trip did not comply with House rules.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-12" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[12]</a> In April 2007, Federal agents asked the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St.Petersburg_Times" title="St. Petersburg Times" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">St. Petersburg Times</a> for an email sent to the newspaper by Feeney's office describing the trip.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-13" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[13]</a>Feeney was named as "Representative #3" in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_Justice" title="United States Department of Justice" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Justice Department</a>'s April 23, 2007 criminal information against <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Zachares" title="Mark Zachares" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Mark Zachares</a>, a former congressional aide of Representative <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Young" title="Don Young" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Don Young</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[14]</a> Zachares plead guilty to accepting tens of thousands of dollars in gifts from Abramoff.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[15]</a>In September 2008, Feeney's campaign ran a television ad in which apologized for his "bad judgment" in taking the trip.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-WP-23Sep08-16" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[16]</a><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Rental property<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=10&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Rental property" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=10&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Rental property" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h3>In May 2006, Feeney reported on his personal financial disclosure form that he was the joint owner of a condominium at the Royal Mansions resort in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Canaveral,Florida" title="Cape Canaveral, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Cape Canaveral, Florida</a>. Feeney listed the purchase date as January 2005, but online records of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brevard_County,Florida" title="Brevard County, Florida" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Brevard County</a> Appraiser's office show that the sale actually took place in late 2003. The only listed purchaser is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Skip_Fowler&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Skip Fowler (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(165, 88, 88); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">James A. "Skip" Fowler</a>, Feeney's former law partner. Fowler said that he and Feeney purchased the condo as an investment, paying a total of $175,000.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">citation needed</a>]Two identically sized units at the resort sold earlier in 2006 for $420,000 and $450,000. According to a note in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harper%27s_Magazine" title="Harper's Magazine" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Harper's Magazine</a> weblog "Washington Babylon," while not necessarily illegal, Feeney's failure to include the purchase as part of his 2003 financial reporting is a violation of House rules.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-17" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[17]</a><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Election fraud<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=11&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Election fraud" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=11&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Election fraud" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h3>Feeney's 2006 congressional opponent, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Curtis" title="Clint Curtis" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Clint Curtis</a>, has previously provided a sworn affidavit alleging that in October 2000, Feeney asked Curtis, then a computer programmer at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yang_Enterprises&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Yang Enterprises (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Yang Enterprises</a>, to design a computer program to falsify touch-screen voting results in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Beach_County" title="Palm Beach County" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Palm Beach County</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-Morgan-18" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[18]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[19]</a> Curtis subsequently passed a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygraph" title="Polygraph" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">polygraph</a> test commissioned by a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,D.C." title="Washington, D.C." style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Washington, D.C.</a> private investigator.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-Morgan-18" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none; white-space: nowrap;">[18]</a> A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wired_News" title="Wired News" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: none;">Wired News</a> story noted that Curtis had no direct knowledge of the vote counting software having been used in a public election.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-wired-20" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[20]</a>Feeney claimed that he has no recollection of even meeting Curtis; that he could not have engaged in such a scheme because Palm Beach County did not even consider obtaining touch screen machines until after the 2000 election; and that although Curtis wrote a book in the summer of 2004 accusing Feeney of a wide variety of misconduct, Curtis did not mention the alleged scheme to commit election fraud in the edition published prior to the 2004 election.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-Morgan-18" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[18]</a><h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 16.799999237060547px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">Sealed testimony<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=12&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Sealed testimony" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=12&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: Sealed testimony" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h3>A three-judge panel of United States circuit judges for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_District_of_Columbia_Circuit" title="United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">District of Columbia Circuit</a> unanimously refused to allow federal prosecutors to subpoena Feeney's sealed testimony which he had provided to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Standards_of_Official_Conduct" title="United States House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">House Ethics Committee</a>. In July 2009, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Kavanaugh" title="Brett Kavanaugh" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Brett Kavanaugh</a>, one of the judges on the panel, called for an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/En_banc" title="En banc" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">en banc</a> review of the circuit's prior precedent by all of the judges in the D.C. Circuit.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-Blt2009-07-09-21" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[21]</a><h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">2006 re-election campaign<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=13&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2006 re-election campaign" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=13&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2006 re-election campaign" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h2>In 2006, Feeney faced Democrat <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Curtis" title="Clint Curtis" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Clint Curtis</a> in the November general election. In September, Feeney's campaign launched a website that depicts Curtis in a mental institution wearing a tinfoil hat. Curtis claimed that the attention was actually helping him.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[22]</a> The website in question was created by a political consultant, Ralph Gonzales.[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">citation needed</a>]Feeney refused to debate Curtis. He said it would be a disservice to voters to do so. He also said that to hold the debate would acknowledge there were two credible candidates in the race. Curtis countered that Feeney was ducking him.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-sentinelcurtis-23" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[23]</a>In early October, Feeney's campaign sent out flyers to 110,000 voters that showed Curtis' head superimposed on the body of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playboy" title="Playboy" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Playboy</a> publisher<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Hefner" title="Hugh Hefner" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Hugh Hefner</a>. The flyer also mentioned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Flynt" title="Larry Flynt" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Larry Flynt</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hustler" title="Hustler" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Hustler magazine</a>. Feeney said he was using such tactics to inform the voters that Flynt had endorsed Curtis. Curtis responded that he has never met Flynt or anyone at Hustler.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-Morgan-18" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[18]</a> Feeney was re-elected with 58 percent of the vote in 2006.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[24]</a><h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; overflow: hidden; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19.200000762939453px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">2008 re-election campaign<span class="mw-editsection mw-editsection-expanded" style="-webkit-user-select: none; font-size: small; margin-left: 1em; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1em; display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap; padding-right: 0.25em; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate; direction: ltr;">[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&action=edit&section=14&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2008 re-election campaign" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">edit source</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tom_Feeney&veaction=edit&section=14&editintro=Template:BLP_editintro" title="Edit section: 2008 re-election campaign" class="mw-editsection-visualeditor" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">editbeta</a>]</h2>In June 2007, Feeney's district was one of five in Florida that Democrats hoped to win from the Republicans in 2008.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[25]</a> Despite the perception that Feeney drew it for himself, it has a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Partisan_Voting_Index" title="Cook Partisan Voting Index" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Cook Partisan Voting Index</a> of R+3, making it a fairly marginal district on paper. The district gave<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush" title="George W. Bush" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">George W. Bush</a> 52% of the vote in 2000, and 56% in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.presidential_election,2004" title="U.S. presidential election, 2004" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2004</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[26]</a> It includes most of Democratic-leaning <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volusia_County" title="Volusia County" class="mw-redirect" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Volusia County</a>.Feeney faced former state representative <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Kosmas" title="Suzanne Kosmas" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Suzanne Kosmas</a> in the November election. Kosmas and Feeney served together in the State House from 1996 to 2003, representing neighboring districts. In a poll released on September 18, 2008, Kosmas had 42% of the vote, compared to 43% for Feeney, with the remaining voters undecided.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-27" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[27]</a> Filings with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Election_Commission" title="Federal Election Commission" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Federal Election Commission</a> showed that Feeney had raised $1.5 million as of August 6, compared to $1.2 million by Kosmas, and that Feeney had $804,000 on hand as of that date, compared to $836,000 for Kosmas.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-WP-23Sep08-16" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[16]</a><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Kosmas attacked Feeney's ties to Abramoff, which quickly gained her traction in this district. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orlando_Sentinel" title="Orlando Sentinel" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Orlando Sentinel</a> endorsed Kosmas, suggesting Feeney was too conservative for the district.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Feeney#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; white-space: nowrap; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[28]</a> An internal poll for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Congressional_Campaign_Committee" title="Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee</a> showed Kosmas leading Feeney by 23 points, 58% to 35%. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Quarterly" title="Congressional Quarterly" style="text-decoration: none; color: rgb(11, 0, 128); background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Congressional Quarterly</a> had rated the contest as "No Clear Favorite" for most of the campaign, but changed it to "Leans Democratic" in its closing weeks. In the November election, Feeney was defeated, taking 41% of the vote to Kosmas' 57% — the largest margin of defeat for a Republican incumbent in the 2008 cycle.<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">
<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">=<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Last week, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) told Roll Call that he “has sought to enforce <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/52_123/news/18428-1.html" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">a tougher ethical standard</a> in the 110th Congress.” In an effort to prove his new committment to “ethical standards” in the House, Boehner has even forced <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/19/doolittle-resigns-from-appropriations-commitee/" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">a prominent congressman</a> under FBI scrutiny to step down from a powerful committee seat. But despite this rhetoric of responsibility, the culture of corruption still lives on in the conservative wing of the House.<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">After demoting one member of his caucus for corruption, Boehner has chosen to promote and reward two other deeply corrupt congressmen.<blockquote style="margin: 10px 50px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); quotes: none; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22.5px;">- Doolittle out: In mid-April, the FBI <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/18/breaking-fbi-raids-doolittles-home/" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">searched the Virginia home</a> of Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) as part of “its investigation into the ties of the congressman and his wife, Julie, to disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.” Soon after, he was <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Apr19/0,4670,AbramoffDoolittle,00.html" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">forced to step down</a> from his seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee.- Calvert replaces Doolittle: The House Republican Steering Committee <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/52_123/news/18428-1.html" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">voted last week</a> to appoint Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) to Doolittle’s vacant seat. Calvert, who has a history of scandals, including <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/10/ken-calvert-background/" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">extensive profiting</a> from legislation he supported and a well-publicized <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/12/calvert-prostitute/" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">escapade with a prostitute</a>, is one of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington’s “<a href="http://www.beyonddelay.org/summaries/calvert.php" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress</a>”- Feeney replaces Calvert: Yesterday, Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL), who was<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2007/04/23/12203/fbi-questions-rep-feeney-r-fl-over-abramoff-ties/" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">recently questioned by the FBI</a> over his relationship to Abramoff, told the Orlando Sentinel that “he would <a href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orl-bk-feeney051507,0,1263329.story?coll=orl-news-headlines" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">take over as GOP leader on the space subcommittee</a>, part of the overall House science committee.” He’s replacing Calvert, who had to abandon the position in order to accept Doolittle’s appropriations seat.</blockquote><p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">In the Boehner-approved culture of corruption, the calculus is clear: one corrupt member falling down equals two corrupt members rising up.<p style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 22.5px; font-family: Calibri, 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">===<table width="85%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" align="center" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><tbody><tr align="right" valign="middle"><td><table width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" align="center" dwcopytype="CopyTableCell"><tbody><tr align="left"><td><div align="left">Published on Thursday, March 10, 2005 by CommonDreams.org</div></td></tr><tr align="left"><td><div align="left">Teresa Heinz Kerry - Hacking the "Mother Machine"?</div></td></tr><tr align="left"><td><div align="left">by Thom Hartmann</div></td></tr><tr><td height="10"> </td></tr><tr align="left" valign="top"><td>"Two brothers own 80 percent of the [voting] machines used in the United States," Teresa Heinz Kerry told a group of Seattle guests at a March 7, 2005 lunch for Representative Adam Smith, according to reporter Joel Connelly in an article in the <a href="http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/Connelly/214744_joel07.html" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">Seattle Post-Intelligencer</a>. Connelly noted Heinz Kerry added that it is "very easy to hack into the mother machines."The two brothers Mrs. Kerry is referencing are, according to voting machine expert (and founder of<a href="http://www.banvotingmachines.org/" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">www.BanVotingMachines.org)</a> Lynn Landes, in an article for the <a href="http://www.onlinejournal.com/evoting/042804Landes/042804landes.html" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">Online Journal</a>, Bob Urosevich, <a href="http://www.diebold.com/news/newsdisp.asp?id=3054" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">president</a> of Diebold Election Systems, and <a href="http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:nikG-CwF8sJ:www.essvote.com/index.php%3Fsection%3Dexec%26rightnav%3Dabout%26f_exec_id%3D3+site:www.essvote.com+urosevich&hl=en&lr=lang_en" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">Todd Urosevich</a>, who was vice president for customer support of <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0131-01.htm" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">Chuck Hagel's old company</a>, now known as ES&S.Presumably the "mother machines" Teresa was talking about are the "central tabulator" computers, like the Windows-based Diebold central tabulator PC that Howard Dean hacked into and untraceably changed an election on - in 90 seconds - live on the <a href="http://www.crocuta.net/Dean/Dean_Host_TopicA_Aug8_2004.htm" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">"Topic A With Tina Brown"</a> CNBC TV show late last year.As Dean noted while hacking the Diebold machine on national television, "In 1998, only 7% of all U.S. counties used electronic voting machines." But, Dean noted of the 2004 race, "in the next presidential election, roughly 1 in 3 of us will use one."Dean added:<blockquote>"But critics have found all sorts of flaws with these machines, from software security concerns, to the complete lack of a paper trail to verify votes. These machines cannot be recounted."In Riverside County, California, an incumbent mysteriously pulled ahead after the voting machine company employees stopped the tally to tinker with the machines."In Iowa [graphic shows 'Allamakee County, Iowa'], machines in one precinct returned 4 million votes-- when only 300 actual voters turned out."In San Diego, election officials reportedly turned to teenagers to reboot their malfunctioning machines."And in Florida, a computer crash erased the records from Miami-Dade's first widespread use of touchscreen voting machines-- all data from the 2002 gubernatorial primary is gone."There are two problems. One, there's no paper trail which means you can't verify your vote, and it can't be recounted. The other potentially serious problem: tampering and rigging of elections. We asked Diebold, one of the companies that makes these machines, and Florida Secretary of State Glenda Hood to appear on this program. They both turned us down."</blockquote>Democratic concern about electronic voting machines has floated around for several years, particularly since voting rights activist Bev Harris (of <a href="http://www.blackboxvoting.org/" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">www.blackboxvoting.org</a>) reported that she was Googling around the internet and stumbled across anFTP backdoor on Diebold's website that, just after the 2002 election, contained a folder titled "Rob Georgia." (Cleland's 2002 loss in Georgia helped hand control of the Senate back to the Republicans, who had lost it when Jim Jeffords of Vermont left the party to become an independent.)In Georgia and Florida, where paper had been totally replaced by touch-screen machines in many to most precincts during 2001 and 2002, the 2002 election produced some of the nation's most startling precursors to the alarming shift from an "exit poll win" for Kerry to the "voting-machine win" for Bush in 2004.<a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/2002-11-03-state-polls-usat_x.htm" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">USA Today</a> reported on Nov. 3, 2002, "In Georgia, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll shows Democratic Sen. Max Cleland with a 49%-to-44% lead over Republican Rep. Saxby Chambliss." Cox News Service, based in Atlanta, reported just after the election (Nov. 7) that, "Pollsters may have goofed" because "Republican Rep. Saxby Chambliss defeated incumbent Democratic Sen. Max Cleland by a margin of 53 to 46 percent. The Hotline, a political news service, recalled a series of polls Wednesday showing that Chambliss had been ahead in none of them."Just as amazing was the 2002 Georgia governor's race. "Similarly," the <a href="http://www.zogby.com/soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=4864" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">Zogby polling organization</a> reported on Nov. 7, "no polls predicted the upset victory in Georgia of Republican Sonny Perdue over incumbent Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes. Perdue won by a margin of 52 to 45 percent. The most recent Mason Dixon Poll had shown Barnes ahead 48 to 39 percent last month with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points."Almost all of the votes in Georgia were recorded on the new touch-screen computerized voting machines, which produced no paper trail whatsoever. Similarly, as the San Jose Mercury News reported in a Jan. 23, 2003 editorial titled<a href="http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/opinion/5011944.htm" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">"Gee Whiz, Voter Fraud?"</a> "In one Florida precinct last November, votes that were intended for the Democratic candidate for governor ended up for Gov. Jeb Bush, because of a misaligned touchscreen. How many votes were miscast before the mistake was found will never be known, because there was no paper audit." ("Misaligned" touchscreens also caused 18 known machines in Dallas to register Republican votes when Democratic screen-buttons were pushed in 2002: it's unknown how many others weren't noticed.)Maybe it's true that the citizens of Georgia simply decided that incumbent Democratic Senator Max Cleland, a wildly popular war veteran, was, as Republican TV ads suggested, too unpatriotic to remain in the Senate, even though his Republican challenger, Saxby Chambliss, had sat out the Vietnam war with a medical deferment.Maybe, in the final two days of the race, those voters who'd pledged themselves to Georgia's popular incumbent Governor Roy Barnes suddenly and inexplicably decided to switch to Republican challenger Sonny Perdue.Maybe George W. and Jeb Bush, Alabama's new Republican governor Bob Riley, and a small but congressionally decisive handful of other long-shot Republican candidates around the country really did win those states where conventional wisdom and straw polls showed them losing in the last few election cycles, but computer controlled voting or ballot-reading machines showed them winning.Perhaps, after a half-century of fine-tuning exit polling to such a science that it's now used to verify if elections are clean in Third World countries, it really did suddenly become inaccurate in the United States in the past few years and just won't work here anymore. Perhaps it's just a coincidence that the sudden rise of inaccurate exit polls happened around the same time corporate-programmed, computer-controlled, modem-capable voting machines began recording and tabulating ballots.As the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22188-2005Jan19.html?nav=rss_politics/elections/2004" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">Washington Post</a> noted in a January 20, 2005 article by Richard Morin and Claudia Deane ("Report Acknowledges Inaccuracies in 2004 Exit Polls"):<blockquote>"But 'there were 26 states in which the estimates produced by the exit poll data overstated the vote for John Kerry....' said Joe Lenski of Edison Media Research and Warren Mitofsky of Mitofsky International."Throughout election night, the national exit poll showed the Massachusetts senator leading President Bush by 51 percent to 48 percent. But when all the votes were counted, it was Bush who won by slightly less than three percentage points."</blockquote>Mitofsky and Edison's work also showed that Ohio was one of the states where the discrepancies between the official tabulation and the exit polls were most noticeable. The Washington Post noted: "At the request of the media sponsors, Mitofsky and Lenski are continuing to examine exit polling in Ohio and Pennsylvania, two critical battleground states where the poll results were off."When four attorneys in Ohio sued that state to discover details of how voting was conducted in that state, they report they wereslapped with a massive and expensive lawsuit engineered by the State of Ohio's Secretary of State, Ken Blackwell (also co-chair of the Ohio Bush For President campaign) and Ohio Attorney General, Republican Jim Petro. The Ohio lawyer/activists have launched a legal defense fund (information available at<a href="http://freepress.org/store.php#donate" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">http://freepress.org/store.php#donate</a>) to help them fight both for an expos� of Ohio irregularities and to defend themselves against this attack by the Republican officials who control the voting systems in that state.Oddly, though, as statistics experts Steven Freeman and Josh Mittledorf noted in an article for <a href="http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/1970/P240/" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">In These Times</a>, analyzing the data provided by exit polling companies Mitofsky and Edison, "only in precincts that used old-fashioned, hand-counted paper ballots did the official count and the exit polls fall within the normal sampling margin of error." In those places where computers were used to count the vote, oddly the exit polls showed Kerry winning but the voting machines had Bush winning.Mitofsky/Edison tried to explain this away with their "shy Republican" theory, suggesting that they'd hired young pollsters and older Republican voters were less willing to talk with them. Noted Freeman and Mittledorf:<blockquote>"But in fact, the data suggest that Bush voters were slightly more likely to complete the survey: 56 percent of voters completed the survey in the Bush strongholds, while 53 percent cooperated in Kerry strongholds."</blockquote>Thus, say these two university experts: "The exit polls themselves are a strong indicator of a corrupted election."This analysis comes just as Bev Harris' organization <a href="http://www.blackboxvoting.org/" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">www.blackboxvoting.org</a> provided testimony to the House Judiciary Committee, as reported on their website:<blockquote>"In mid-February, Black Box Voting, together with computer experts and videographers, under the supervision of appropriate officials, proved that a real Diebold system can be hacked."This was not theoretical or a 'potential' vulnerability. Votes were hacked on a real system in a real location using the actual setup used on Election Day, Nov. 2, 2004."In October, Black Box Voting published an article on this Web site about remote access into the Diebold system. After examining the Diebold software and related internal e-mails, local security professionals were able to demonstrate a hack into a simulated system."In February, we were allowed to try various hacking techniques into a real election system. To our surprise, the method used in our October simulation did not work."However, another method did work. The hack that did work was unsophisticated enough that many high school students would be able to achieve it. This hack altered the election by 100,000 votes, leaving no trace at all in the central tabulator program. It did not appear in any audit log. The hack could have been executed in the November 2004 election by just one person."This hack stunned the officials who were observing the test. It calls into question the results of as many as 40 million votes in 30 states. We are awaiting the response of the House Judiciary Committee to this new development for their investigation."In another real-world example, Black Box Voting obtained the actual files used in the Nov. 2 election in a specific county. In this situation, the local officials did not know how to run their Diebold system, so a Diebold tech ran the election in that county. Election officials remembered the Diebold tech's first name, but not his last name."The Diebold tech had gone home after the election, and no one in the county was able to access their own voting system, leading to some consternation because they could not provide our public records request."Because local officials could not access their logs, we were given permission to sit down and copy files. (We have since found that this is not an isolated problem -- many local officials are painfully unfamiliar with their own voting systems.)"Local officials did not know their password, so Bev Harris asked if they would like her to hack the password. They said 'yes' (!)"Later, to our even greater surprise, Bev Harris found that the password set by the Diebold tech on this real election file, used in the Nov. 2004 election was ... drum roll please ... the diabolically clever password: 'diebold.' (This took only two tries to guess.)"</blockquote>So what to do? Here's a five-step process that Americans interested in clean elections - regardless of party affiliation - could start immediately, so it'll in place in time for the 2006 elections.<ul><li>1. Organize and fund a national exit poll, using a non-partisan, professional organization like Zogby, or one built from the ground up.
</li><li>2. Have detailed systems in place - using the internet and email, in particular - to release the results of those exit polls within an hour of the close of the polls on election eve in November, 2006.
</li><li>3. Plan for vote fraud, and brand the plan. In the Ukraine, the slogan was "Time's up!" The logo was a ticking clock, and thousands of paper stencils were distributed so the logo could be spray-painted on sidewalks or buildings in the event evidence of vote-fraud showed up. The color was orange, and orange scarves and hats were mass purchased before election day.
</li><li>4. Develop a corps of people committed to showing up and speaking out wherever the exit polls demonstrate the clear possibility of election fraud.
</li><li>5. Have a relentless media strategy in place to keep the pressure on and bring people out into the streets.</li></ul>If you think this isn't viable, it is. It's already been done, in Ukraine, Belarus, the former Soviet state of Georgia, and Serbia. In three of those four elections, this very strategy succeeded in getting "official" vote tabulations changed and elections reversed. And, irony of ironies, it was largely <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1129-26.htm" target="new" style="text-decoration: none;">funded by the United States</a>.One would think that the United States Congress would be working for greater transparency in our elections. And, indeed, Congressman Rush Holt and Senator Hillary Clinton have introduced bills into the House and Senate that would call for that. But, inexplicably, Republicans in the House and Senate have blocked them from coming to a vote.At the same time, computer programmer Clinton Curtis charged, in a sworn affidavit before a <a href="http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/voteforumtrans121304.pdf" target="_new" style="text-decoration: none;">U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee</a> investigation in Ohio, that Republican Congressman Tom Feeney of Florida participated in hiring Curtis to write "undetectable" (when compiled) voting-machine-rigging software. Republicans in the House have also blocked efforts to investigate this and other charges made during hearing held in Ohio by Congressman John Conyers.</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

Feeny, T Rep

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