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WSJ: Butterfield being investigated for misuse of travel fundsAugust 31, 2010 The Wall Street Journal is reporting is reporting that First District Congressman G. K. Butterfield is being investigated for misuse of travel funds. In March the Journal ran a story about abuse of the "per diem" expense funds but it was not clear at that point who was involved. Now we know that apparently Butterfield was one of the lawmakers pocketing funds that the rules say should be returned to the government if they are not used for legitimate travel expenses. But apparently it has been a common practice to ignore the rule. The Journal quoted Butterfield then as saying: . "I won't deny that sometimes I have a little left, but it's not much—maybe 80, 90, or 100 dollars," said Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D., N.C.). But it is apparently not "small stuff." The Journal reported: 'House lawmakers received between $375,000 and $625,000 in per diem cash over that period, according to a Wall Street Journal estimate based on per diem rates and congressional travel disclosures. There's no documentation for how those funds were spent. Estimates for Senate travel couldn't be calculated. "You are all concerned about nickels and dimes, and I'm not," said Rep. Alcee Hastings (D., Fla.). "You know, in a taxicab in Kazakhstan, I don't have time to get a receipt—I don't speak Kazakh." Now the reports are that House investigators are looking into the scandal. Butterfield's opponent in the November election issued the following statement Tuesday night: Republican First District congressional candidate Ashley Woolard called on Congressman G.K. Butterfield to resign this evening following reports in the Wall Street Journal that Butterfield had pocketed expense-related cash advances for overseas congressional junkets. During August, Woolard challenged Butterfield to return tainted political "bribes" from embattled Democratic congressman Charlie Rangel, who now faces Ethics Committee charges. Butterfield serves on the Ethics Committee and Woolard earlier demanded Butterfield step down from this post before Rangel goes to trial in September. Woolard has also called on the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation of Butterfield's involvement in the Rangel affair. "I was disappointed to learn today that Congressman Butterfield has admitted pocketing unspent cash advances from his congressional junkets and now is the subject of a federal investigation." Woolard said. "Former First District Congressman Frank Balance was convicted and sent to federal prison for laundering taxpayer monies into his pocket and we now see GK Butterfield is just more of the same." "This evening I officially call on Congressman Butterfield to resign from Congress. He has taken political bribes from disgraced congressman Charlie Rangel, yet refuses to return the money and step down from the Ethics Committee that will pass judgment on this issue in a few weeks. Now we learn he has been taking unused expense money and, instead of returning it to the taxpayer, pocketing the cash." "This is a disgrace. Citizens of the First District need honest leadership that will help our struggling economy, not another greedy politician feeding at the public trough as our economy burns," Woolard concluded. Attempts to reach Rep. Butterfield were unsuccessful by press time. Check back later for updates as more information becomes available. |
