Liberal Repercussion

http://www.publicampaign.org/pressroom/pressreleases/release2003/release07-22-03.htm

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM ORGANIZATIONS
CALL ON SEN. CORNYN TO RECUSE HIMSELF
FROM WILLIAM H. PRYOR NOMINATION VOTE

Fundraising from Republican Attorneys General Association at question Cornyn and Pryor both connected to RAGA’s fundraising from corporate special interests with matters before AG offices

Washington, DC – In a letter sent today, Public Campaign, National Voting Rights Institute, and Public Citizen called on U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) to recuse himself from voting in the pending confirmation hearing for Alabama Attorney General William H. Pryor, Jr. who has been nominated by President George W. Bush to the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

“Attorney General Pryor appears to have engaged in questionable fundraising practices with companies that were under investigation by his office, and may have misled the Judiciary Committee about those practices…[You] may have participated in similar fundraising that appeared to pose a conflict of interest with your duties as Texas’ Attorney General. In light of this information, we urge you to recuse yourself from further consideration of the Pryor nomination. …

“[It] is likely that you also have raised funds from companies who either had pending regulatory matters before you as Attorney General... It is alleged in the July 17, 2003, edition of the Washington Post, that, like Attorney General Pryor, you were also involved in fund raising on RAGA’s behalf…you were asked to “collect a donation from Shell Oil Company in late 1999…” Shell was one of the oil companies that reached a settlement with you as Attorney General over unpaid royalties.

At issue are the revelations last week that Attorney General Pryor founded and solicited funds for the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) from corporations with business before the State of Alabama. Sen. Cornyn, as Texas Attorney General, played a similar role for RAGA, which has reportedly raised funds from corporations with pending litigations before state’s Attorneys General all across the country.

posted by Rei Toei @ 12:54 a.m.