FinalSolution
06-10-2005, 02:51 PM
A protest organized June 1 by MoveOn, a liberal political action committee, drew about 20 people to the Michigan Avenue office of U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton. Demonstrators protested Rogers’ ties to embattled House Majority Leader Tom Delay. There was only one problem: They had the wrong Mike Rogers.
Whoops.
The group came armed with financial records from a Web site that detailed various financial contributions between the two Republicans, including a $20,000 campaign contribution from DeLay to Rogers as well as a $5,000 contribution by Rogers to DeLay’s legal defense fund. However, the Mike Rogers involved was not the Michigan congressman, but rather Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala. Federal Election Commission filings show that Michigan’s Rogers did receive $15,000 from DeLay’s PAC, but not the $20,000 that the other Mike Rogers received. Michigan’s Rogers has not contributed to DeLay’s legal defense fund, according to Conor Kenny of Public Citizen, a non-profit watchdog group.
The Web site houseofscandal.org, where the information was gathered, apparently posted inaccurate information. "It’s unfortunate that they made an error," said Bill Rittenberg, a protest organizer. Democrat Bob Alexander, who ran against Michigan’s Rogers in 2004, also participated in the event.
"It’s unfortunate that we had this inaccuracy," Alexander said. "We didn’t attempt to mislead anyone."Sylvia Warner, press secretary for Michigan’s Rogers, said her boss and the Alabama congressman are frequently confused with each other. "We get each other’s mail and each other’s calls from reporters," Warner said, adding people should be more careful not to confuse the two lawmakers. The protesters delivered a petition signed by 1,166 voters in Rogers’ Michigan district asking him and other Republicans to disassociate themselves from DeLay. DeLay, R-Tex, has been the center of several recent ethics scandals. The House Ethics Committee has admonished him three times, and questions concerning trips financed by special interest groups continue to hound him. The discrepancy between the numbers has not affected Rittenberg and Alexander’s opinion on the petition, however.
"Tom DeLay is the core of it," Rittenberg said. "I think it’s a sound petition."
Alexander, meanwhile, said the overall effect of "a few dollars here and a few dollars there" was not relevant to Rogers of Michigan’s ties to DeLay.
Warner would not comment on the actual protest.
Whoops.
The group came armed with financial records from a Web site that detailed various financial contributions between the two Republicans, including a $20,000 campaign contribution from DeLay to Rogers as well as a $5,000 contribution by Rogers to DeLay’s legal defense fund. However, the Mike Rogers involved was not the Michigan congressman, but rather Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala. Federal Election Commission filings show that Michigan’s Rogers did receive $15,000 from DeLay’s PAC, but not the $20,000 that the other Mike Rogers received. Michigan’s Rogers has not contributed to DeLay’s legal defense fund, according to Conor Kenny of Public Citizen, a non-profit watchdog group.
The Web site houseofscandal.org, where the information was gathered, apparently posted inaccurate information. "It’s unfortunate that they made an error," said Bill Rittenberg, a protest organizer. Democrat Bob Alexander, who ran against Michigan’s Rogers in 2004, also participated in the event.
"It’s unfortunate that we had this inaccuracy," Alexander said. "We didn’t attempt to mislead anyone."Sylvia Warner, press secretary for Michigan’s Rogers, said her boss and the Alabama congressman are frequently confused with each other. "We get each other’s mail and each other’s calls from reporters," Warner said, adding people should be more careful not to confuse the two lawmakers. The protesters delivered a petition signed by 1,166 voters in Rogers’ Michigan district asking him and other Republicans to disassociate themselves from DeLay. DeLay, R-Tex, has been the center of several recent ethics scandals. The House Ethics Committee has admonished him three times, and questions concerning trips financed by special interest groups continue to hound him. The discrepancy between the numbers has not affected Rittenberg and Alexander’s opinion on the petition, however.
"Tom DeLay is the core of it," Rittenberg said. "I think it’s a sound petition."
Alexander, meanwhile, said the overall effect of "a few dollars here and a few dollars there" was not relevant to Rogers of Michigan’s ties to DeLay.
Warner would not comment on the actual protest.