|
|
|
| One of Rep. Blunt's first acts as Majority Whip was to attempt to secretly insert a provision into the Homeland Security Bill, that would have benefitted Ms. Perlman's company, Phillip Morris. Mr. Blunt's actions were so outrageous, not even Majority Leader Tom DeLay could stomach them according to June 2003 Washington Post reported. | | Submitted by fedup | 2006-02-17 12:30:46 | Only hours after Rep. Roy Blunt was named to the House's third-highest leadership job in November, he surprised his fellow top Republicans by trying to quietly insert a provision benefiting Philip Morris USA into the 475-page bill creating a Department of Homeland Security, according to several people familiar with the effort.
The new majority whip, who has close personal and political ties to the company, instructed congressional aides to add the tobacco provision to the bill -- then within hours of a final House vote -- even though no one else in leadership supported it or knew he was trying to squeeze it in.
Once alerted to the provision, Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's chief of staff, Scott Palmer, quickly had it pulled out, said a senior GOP leader who requested anonymity. Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) also opposed what Blunt (Mo.) was trying to do, the member said, and "worked against it" when he learned of it.
This is how the Washington Post characterized Blunt's ties to Perlman at the time.
Several Republicans who learned of the November effort have privately expressed concern that Blunt pushed the provision partly because of his personal relationship with Philip Morris lobbyist Abigail Perlman. Blunt, who several Republicans said spends considerable time with Perlman, would not discuss their relationship or whether the two had talked about the provision.
|
| | Edit |
|
|
|
