Enemy of The City Faces Corruption Charges

Senator Faces Allegations of Corruption -

article from DCist
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a non-partisan watchdog organization, announced today that it has asked the Department of Justice and the Senate to look into whether Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) violated federal bribery law when she earmarked $2 million for a reading program for D.C. public schools after receiving tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the executives of the company that designed the program. According to a release, Landrieu directed the earmark to Voyager Expanded Learning a mere four days after receiving the contributions.

This is big news because it was only last month that the Post uncovered Landrieu's role in pushing the Voyager Expanded Learning literacy program on the city's public schools without their input. In her role as chairwoman of the Senate's D.C. appropriations subcommittee up until the middle of 2007, Landrieu has been closely involved in District affairs in recent years, going so far as to put a hold on Mayor Adrian Fenty's school takeover plan last year so as to extract concessions from the city.

These are still merely allegations, but they highlight a more serious point that we often bring up -- the District desperately needs budget autonomy. Whether by imposing a charter school program, proposing a flat tax for the city or forbidding city officials from funding needle-exchange programs, members of Congress all too often use their power to interfere in what are plainly local affairs.