#NVSen: Berkley Named D.C.’s “Most Corrupt” Second Year in a Row

 (Las Vegas, NV) – For the second year in a row, seven-term Congresswoman Berkley has been named one of Washington D.C.’s “Most Corrupt” Members of Congress.  She is the only Senate candidate in the country under investigation and today marks the second time that the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) awarded Shelley Berkley a “dishonorable mention” for using her elected office for financial gain.

“Two years in a row, fourteen-year Congresswoman Shelley Berkley has been named one of the ‘Most Corrupt’ Members of Congress for using her office for personal gain at a time when Nevada was suffering from one of the deepest recessions in its history.  Apparently it’s not enough for Shelley Berkley to just be one of the richest Members of Congress. Even her own colleagues agree with this watchdog group, which is why ten of them unanimously decided to investigate her. It’s clear that Shelley Berkley has one priority, and that’s herself,” said Chandler Smith, Heller for Senate spokeswoman.

According to CREW’s report, “Shelley Berkley has spent a career advocating for renal care physicians, in spite of an obvious conflict of interest created by her husband’s medical practice.”

“Rep. Berkley has repeatedly intervened to stop proposed cuts in Medicare reimbursement rates for nephrologists while taking thousands in campaign contributions from the renal physicians’ main political action committee, of which her husband is a former chairman.”

Here’s what CREW’s Executive Director Melanie Sloan has to say:

• “While it is understandable why a Nevada congresswoman would fight to save the only kidney transplant center in her state, Rep. Berkley should have been clear about her husband’s position at the hospital…Unfortunately, Rep. Berkley doesn’t seem to see the conflict.”

• Shelley’s Berkley’s actions are “part of an all-too-familiar trend of legislators using their positions to benefit family members.”

• “Americans expect their elected leaders to be working for the public interest, not their own personal interests.” (Jon Ralston, “Head of ethics watchdog group lets @RepBerkley have it on ethics, “September 12, 2012)

Ethics issues have plagued Congresswoman Berkley, most recently when the five Democrats and five Republicans that comprise the House Ethics Committee unanimously decided to investigate allegations that Congresswoman Berkley used her office to advance health policies that benefited her husband.

This was the first time the House Ethics Committee created an investigative subcommittee on the basis of a non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics report since 2009.