Title Report data

2010 annual report

Building a
better Washington
 Advancing the public trust
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Collaboration
Transparency

Many Americans have given

up on our political system,
Section 6

Section 7

writing off our elected leaders

as crooks. At CREW, we
Investigations

believe politicians must be held

accountable for their actions.
Ethics
Section 5
Section 4

Day in and day out, we work to

ensure government officials—
regardless of party affiliation—
Campaign

act with honesty and integrity

Legal
Section 3
Section 2

and merit the public trust.

Vision

© Lee Lorenz/The New Yorker Collection/www.cartoonbank.com.

Section 1
 Section
1 Summary Statement
CREW accomplishes this by marrying
in-depth research and investigation
with hard-charging legal action and an
aggressive communications strategy.
We augment these efforts by building
coalitions to push for policies favoring
transparency and accountability. To
garner support for our efforts, we use all
mediums of the modern media—television,
radio, print, and social networking—to
maximize coverage of our work.
It’s always easier to tear something down
than to build it up, and building a better
Washington is no different. CREW firmly
believes, however, that a small group of
committed citizens can change the world;
it is the only thing that ever has.
Activities for the 12 Months Ended
December 31, 2009
Revenue
Total Revenue & Support $2,240,793
Expenses
Education
(Research & Communications) 1,158,697
Legal 605,926
Ethics Watch Colorado 310,258
Total Program 2,074,881
General Administrative 369,114
Development 151,496
Total Expenses 2,595,491
Change in Net Assets (354,698)
Net Assets, Beginning of Period 3,250,406
Net Assets, End of Period 2,895,708
Development 6%
General Administrative 14%
Total Program 80%
The above information should be read in conjunction with CREW’s financial statements for
the 12 months ending December 31, 2009 from which the summarized information is derived.
 Demanding action
Avoiding Judicial Review
The dysfunctional FEC is
failing to fulfill its mission
The dysfunctional Federal Election
Commission often takes years to
act on campaign finance violation
complaints. Even when it does reach
a decision, the agency frequently
fails to provide the legally required
60 days’ notice of when and why
it has dismissed a complaint. Frus-
trated by the FEC’s obvious efforts
to avoid enforcing the law, CREW
sued, alleging the commission has
a policy and practice of dismissing
complaints in order to avoid judicial
review of its decisions. In this post-
Citizens United era, the FEC’s refusal
to fulfill its mission presents an
even greater danger that it will
be considered optional to follow
campaign finance laws.
Used with the permission of Adam Zyglis and The Buffalo News .
Section
2
The Department of Justice has
launched several significant public corruption
investigations over the past few years.
Nevertheless, prosecutions of lawmakers
have been few and far between. DOJ recently
declined to prosecute former House Majority
Leader Tom DeLay, despite the luxury travel,
meals, and tickets he received from Jack
Abramoff in return for legislative favors.
Similarly, following the guilty plea of the
founder of the PMA Group, Paul Magliocchetti,
to making illegal conduit campaign
contributions, DOJ ended its investigation
into a possible pay-to-play scheme between
the lobbying firm and members of the House
Defense Appropriations Committee. CREW
wants to know why Mr. DeLay and the
members of Congress implicated in the PMA
scandal walked away clean so we filed Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) requests for records
in both cases. The American people deserve
to learn the truth about these scandals.
Jack Abramoff After Alex
Gibney, the Oscar®-winning
director of Casino Jack and the
United States of Money, revealed
to CREW that the Bureau of
Prisons blocked Jack Abramoff
from participating in the movie
about him, CREW submitted
a FOIA request for records
regarding how the Department
of Justice handled requests to
interview Mr. Abramoff. When
DOJ stonewalled, CREW sued
to discover who wanted to keep
him quiet.
Domestic Violence CREW sued
the Army for failing to produce
data of acts of domestic violence
committed by soldiers. We
learned the Depart­ment of
Defense (DOD) does not track
acts of domestic violence,
despite promising Congress
to do so. CREW is working with
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
to push the DOD to take this
problem seriously.
Honest Services CREW filed an
amicus brief before the Supreme
Court in U.S. v. Black, arguing
in favor of the constitutionality
of the honest services fraud
statute—a key prosecutorial tool
fighting public corruption. Since
the Court held most uses of the
charge unconstitutional, CREW
has worked with congressional
staff and DOJ to craft a revised
statute that would withstand
judicial scrutiny.
New Year,
New Congress,
New Website!
Seen here for the first time,
the new citizensforethics.org
will allow CREW to better
engage supporters and
reporters across all media
platforms and significantly
increase online engagement.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Corporate Secrecy CREW
filed an amicus brief before
the Supreme Court in AT&T v.
FCC, arguing that the Freedom
of Information Act does not
afford corporations privacy
rights. Finding a corporate right
to privacy under the statute
6 Number of years of DeLay Investigation
would deny the public access
to records concerning a wide
range of public health, safety,
0 number of Charges against DeLay
and welfare issues just because
corporations might be subject
to public embarrassment.
Speech or Debate CREW filed
an amicus brief on behalf of
the government in its prosecu-
tion of former Rep. Rick Renzi
(R-AZ) before the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals. CREW
argued Rep. Renzi’s expansive
view of the Speech or Debate
Clause of the Constitution,
which prohibits the government
from using legislative material
Crew Fact
Crew Fact
against a member of Congress,
would render lawmakers
immune from prosecution
for abusing their positions
for personal financial gain.
Legal
Section 2
3
 The 2010 Election
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Section

3
1,508,725,203 Total Media Impressions

From an unemployed man who lives

with his dad to an unemployed former witch
who stole money from her campaign, 2010
left Americans with some unfortunate choices
<. 1 ¢ Cost per media impression

at the ballot box, at a cost of almost $4 billion.

For the first time ever, CREW expanded
the reach of our anti-corruption campaign,
highlighting the Most Crooked Candidates in
America, in the hope these aspiring politicos
wouldn’t grow up to one day become our
Most Corrupt Members of Congress. Thankfully,
two didn’t make it past their primaries,
Crew fact

Crew fact

and seven ended up losing on Election Day.

Nevertheless, five survived, meaning it will
be up to CREW to keep an eye on them
because, as we’ve seen, members of Congress
refuse to police themselves.
Campaign
Section 3

4
 Strength
in Numbers
Using the latest in online
technology, thousands of
people came to CREW’s
website to sign a petition
calling for Ms. O’Donnell
to be prosecuted.
Fix the FEC CREW took to
the Huffington Post to demand
changes at the FEC. In his first
two years in office, President
Obama nominated only one per-
son to the commission, and he
withdrew from consideration,
unable to win Senate confirma-
tion. As a result of the inaction,
three commissioners with
expired terms continue to serve,
one of whom, Don McGahn, is
Tom DeLay’s former campaign
finance lawyer.
Tax Status Abuse CREW
called for the Internal Revenue
Service to investigate the “Pray
in Jesus Name Project,” which
was distributing so-called voter
guides to churches across the
country and encouraging clergy
to politick from the pulpit, in
violation of tax law. The guide
classified candidates as “anti-
Jesus” or “faith friendly.”
Paradoxically both Sen. John
Ensign (R-NV) and Sen. David
Vitter (R-LA) were classified
as the latter.
Demanding Oversight Almost
$4 billion was spent on political
ads this campaign, much of it by
shadowy nonprofit groups that
don’t disclose their donors.
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)
called on the IRS to investigate,
but CREW reminded Sen.
Baucus that he didn’t have to
defer: As chairman of the Senate
Finance Committee, he has the
authority to investigate these
groups himself.
Shady Campaign Finances
CREW filed a complaint with
the FEC alleging four candi-
dates in the South Carolina
Democratic primary—Senate
nomination winner Alvin
Greene, as well as Gregory
Brown, Ben Frasier, and Brian
Doyle, plus their campaign
committees—violated campaign
finance laws by failing to file
disclosure reports prior to
the election. All candidates,
even inexperienced ones,
have to f­ ollow the same rules.
Lying and Stealing
CREW breaks story on O’Donnell’s
illegal use of campaign funds
The political world was shocked when
Christine O’Donnell beat well-respected
Rep. Mike Castle in the Delaware
Repub­lican primary to become a nomi-
nee for the Senate. Shortly thereafter,
CREW revealed Ms. O’Donnell had
been illegally using campaign funds
to finance her personal life.
CREW located former O’Donnell
campaign staff member David Keegan,
who explained that Ms. O’Donnell had
used campaign funds to pay her rent
and other expenses. Consequently,
CREW filed complaints with both the
Delaware U.S. Attorney’s Office and
the Federal Election Commission,
alleging Ms. O’Donnell had stolen her
campaign funds and lied on financial
disclosure reports.
CREW’s Melanie Sloan appeared
extensively on national television
and radio, and wrote an Op-Ed in
the Wilmington News Journal about
the case. Additionally, more than
3,000 people signed CREW’s petition
to U.S. Attorney David Weiss, calling
for a criminal investigation into
Ms. O’Donnell’s financial activities.
Used with the permission of Dave Granlund.
 Exposing political corruption
Misuse of Taxpayer Resources
Law-breaking Senate staffer finally
departs after CREW reveals crimes
Keeping an eye on Sen. David Vitter
(R-LA), CREW discovered one
of Sen. Vitter’s longtime staffers,
Brent Furer, had brutally attacked
his girlfriend with a knife and
threatened to kill her. Mr. Furer,
who handled women’s issues,
resigned only after we exposed
the incident, and the senator
admitted to knowing about it.
This wasn’t Mr. Furer’s only run-in
with the law. CREW discovered
convictions for DUI and cocaine
possession and learned he had
traveled at taxpayer expense to
meet court obligations stemming
from the DUI. As a result, CREW
filed an ethics complaint against
Sen. Vitter, alleging misuse
of Senate resources. This was
CREW’s second complaint against
the senator. In 2007, we alleged
he had violated Senate rules
by soliciting for prostitution.
Section
In 2008 , the House of Representatives
created the Office of Congressional Ethics
(OCE) in response to the apathetic response
of the House Ethics Committee to scandals
involving Jack Abramoff’s undue influence over
legislators, Rep. Duke Cunningham’s symbiotic
relationship with defense contractors, and
Rep. William Jefferson’s freezer full of cash.
The OCE has taken a strong stance against
misconduct by lawmakers of both parties, yet
it is precisely because the office has been so
aggressive that members on both sides of the
aisle are eager to see it shut down. So in lieu
of a sixth annual report on the Most Corrupt
Members of Congress, CREW released its
Most Corrupt: Unfinished Business. This report
details the failures of the congressional ethics
committees and highlights the contrasting
successes of the OCE. Ethics is sure to remain
an issue in the 112th Congress. After all, it is not
about red or blue; it is about right and wrong.
 Shady Deal CREW filed a
complaint with the OCE against 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
after discovering he received a
$40,000 “loan” from a business-
Scholarship Scandal Rep.
man that he’d failed to include
Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)

426 Number of alleged violations by those members

on his financial disclosure forms.
misappropriated Congressional
The loan had no interest rate
Black Caucus Foundation
or payment schedule, and Rep.
scholarship funds intended

56 Number of Members named to Most Corrupt

Meeks repaid it only after the
for students from her district
FBI questioned it. Rep. Meeks’
or those attending school in
explanation for the money:
her district with at least a
“It’s taking care of things for my
C+ average, funneling money
family needs in the house.” (sic)
instead to her relatives and the
children of her district director.
The Family CREW filed
CREW Executive Director
complaints with the OCE and
Melanie Sloan discussed the
the Senate Ethics Committee
scandal on CNN’s AC 360, and
against members of Congress
met with foundation officials
who live at the C Street House,
to discuss revamping the
a boardinghouse run by the
scholarship program.
shadowy religious organization
referred to as “the Fellowship,”
Bad Deal CREW filed a com-
or “the Family.” CREW alleged
plaint with the OCE against
that by accepting below-market
Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA), after
rent, as well as housekeeping
discovering he used taxpayer
and meal service, members of
resources in attempting to
Congress violated House and
influence Georgia state officials
Senate gift rules.
to preserve his auto salvage
business. Rep. Deal also failed

Crew Fact

Crew Fact
Family Affair Embattled Sen.
to disclose business income on
John Ensign (R-NV) is blaming
his financial disclosure forms,
CREW for his troubles as a way
leading the Department of
to solicit money for his legal
Justice to investigate. Rep. Deal
defense fund. Sen. Ensign is
resigned from Congress to avoid
being investigated by both the
sanctions, but his legal troubles
Department of Justice and the
will follow him to the Georgia
Senate Ethics Committee for his
governor’s mansion.
reprehensible conduct related to
his efforts to cover up his affair
with his chief of staff’s wife, who
also was his campaign treasurer. Ethics
Used with the permission of Clay Bennett, the Washington Post Writers

Section 4
Group, and the Cartoonist Group. All rights reserved.

7
 Uncovering the truth
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Section

5
24  Most Corrupt members serving in the 112th congress

8 who have been subjects of federal investigation

CREW’s ongoing Pork Parade project

spotlights members of Congress who blatantly
use earmarks to benefit campaign donors and
the former staffers who lobby for them. In July,
a CREW investigation reported by Politico
revealed Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) has
steered more than $267 million in earmarks to
clients of his former staffers-turned-lobbyists.
In an amazing coincidence, those earmark
recipients have donated almost $1 million to the
senator’s campaign committee and leadership
PAC since 1999. Separately, CREW also found
Crew fact

Crew fact

Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-CA) requested tens

of millions of dollars in earmarks for his largest
campaign donors, including one for a company
founded by his uncle. Many of those benefitting
Investigations

from Rep. Hunter’s largesse had hired lobbyists

who previously worked for Rep. Hunter’s father,
former Rep. Duncan L. Hunter, maintaining
the Washington tradition of buying access.
Section 5

8
 Casino Jack
Alex Gibney’s documentary,
CASINO JACK and the United
States of Money, is about public
corruption and the influence
of money in our political system.
CREW’s executive director,
Melanie Sloan, is featured
throughout the film, which
explores the nefarious exploits
of former lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Influence Peddling CREW
published a study showing
freshmen on the House
Financial Services Committee
raised more than their peers,
by a staggering 55 percent.
Significantly, much of that
money came from the very
industry the committee should
be monitoring. Members of
Congress only have one thing
to sell—influence—and fresh-
men members on the Financial
Services Committee have found
buyers willing to pay top dollar.
Pay to Play Industries newly
facing congressional scrutiny
typically ramp up their previ-
ously nonexistent Washington
profiles. In 2010, CREW
discovered the debt settlement
industry, Facebook, and
the high-frequency trading
industry have joined the ranks
of defense contractors and
Wall Street banks by hiring
lobbyists, making strategic
campaign contributions, and
engaging in expensive PR
campaigns, all designed to
better influence lawmakers.
Whose Money Is It?
CREW exposes leaders of groups
pouring funds into our elections
After the disastrous Citizens United
decision that allowed corporations
to pour massive amounts of money
into our elections, CREW began
Worst Governors CREW
extensively investigating who is
released its first-ever Worst
funding these shadowy groups. We
Governors report, profiling 11
exposed the money behind “Revere
governors who have champi-
America,” which more accurately
oned their cronies’ and their
might be called “Revere Pataki,” as the
own bank accounts over their
former New York governor serves as
states’ best interests. The
its chairman and front man. The group
report features an index of
spent millions of dollars on races in
outrageous statistics, including
New York and New Hampshire (also
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue’s
home to the first presidential primary).
$2,400 private plane ride to a
Pulling the financial strings was Parker
NASCAR race 30 miles away
Collier, a wealthy Florida real estate
and Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons’
developer with no obvious ties to the
867 state-billed text messages
northeast, who is the group’s main
to his “alleged” mistress over
backer and whose employees serve as
a six-week period.
the group’s directors. CREW’s findings
were featured in both the Washington
Secret Holds CREW reviewed
Post and the Huffington Post and
the Senate Calendar of Business
disseminated across the blogosphere.
to reveal that several bills and at
least 80 executive branch nomi-
nations had been the subject of
secret holds, despite the alleged
ban on the practice in 2007 eth-
ics reform legislation. As a result,
CREW also asked the Senate
Ethics Committee whether law-
makers violated Senate rules by
failing to comply with the ban.
Exposing Oz CREW exposed
those behind American Prin-
ciples in Action, a nonprofit
that ran political ads in the
California Senate race. CREW
revealed the group’s ties to a
network of conservatives with
a history of creating sophis-
ticated grassroots campaigns
behind social initiatives, such
as the controversial “Marriage © The Rocky Mountain News/Distributed by
Protection Act.” United Features Syndicate, Inc.
 Open Government
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Section

6
13,153 Sets of documents obtained by the FOIA

How well is the FOIA working at

488,189 Online hits on those documents

federal agencies? CREW decided to find out

by sending a questionnaire to FOIA officials
across the federal government. The responses
shared a common thread: There is neither
enough funding nor staff to deal with all the
requests they receive. Additional problems
include political interference in the processing
of requests and a lack of training. CREW also
found some of the administration’s touted
reforms, such as creating a chief FOIA officer
at every agency, haven’t translated into
Crew fact

Crew fact

effective change. Finally, although a majority of

respondents are aware of the administration’s
pro-disclosure policies, they have not seen
any major shifts in how FOIA requests are
Transparency

handled. CREW will sponsor future roundtable

discussions, including FOIA requestors and
officials charged with responding to them,
in an effort improve the process for everyone.
Section 6

10
Preserving Our History
CREW continues to work
with the National Archives
and Records Administration
(NARA) and the White House
to push for more effective
electronic record keeping in the
federal government. Congress
must provide NARA with the
enforce­ment tools it needs to
ensure agencies comply with
existing requirements. CREW
Chief Counsel Anne Weismann
has testified before Congress
on these issues and the impor-
tance of preserving our history
in electronic records.
Broken Senate CREW has
urged the Senate to end the
use of secret holds and abuse
of the filibuster, both of which
routinely are employed to
block bills and executive
branch nominations. These
obstruc­tionist tactics have left
Americans frustrated with a
Senate often incapable of action.
CREW advocates requiring
senators to voice their objections
to or support of legislation and
nominees publicly, making them
more accountable to the voters.
The Social
Network
CREW is leading the
way in social media,
more than doubling its
followers on both Twitter
and Facebook in 2010.
Campaign Finance Reform
CREW lobbied for passage
of the DISCLOSE Act, which
would remedy some of the most
egregious aspects of the disas-
trous Supreme Court Citizens
United decision. This important
legislation would require the
people and corporations behind
the shadowy groups that pro-
duce venomous political ads
to identify themselves so voters
can put the ads into context.
Disappearing Emails Contrary
to DOJ’s Office of Professional
Responsibility finding that most
of former Bush administration
official John Yoo’s emails were
missing, CREW discovered DOJ
has a trove of emails sent to and
from Mr. Yoo during the period
he was drafting the torture
memos. Why and how did the
emails disappear in the first
place? We’ll keep digging.
Ending Business as Usual
Spearheading a coalition, CREW
pushes for earmark reform
Used with the permission of Steve Kelley and Creators Syndicate.
All rights reserved.
While earmarks have become a hot but-
ton campaign issue, workable solutions
have been in short supply. In response,
CREW has spearheaded a coalition
of government reform groups and
lobbyists across the political spectrum
to push for real earmark reform.
The coalition has been meeting with
members of Congress on both sides
of the aisle advocating adoption of
these pragmatic reforms. The coalition
created five reform principles:
1 Limit earmarks directed to
campaign contributors;
2 Ban legislative staff from
attending fundraisers;
3 Create a public, searchable,
online database of all earmarks;
4 Require the Government Account­
ability Office to conduct random
audits of earmarks; AND
5 Obligate members of Congress
to certify that those receiving
the earmarks are capable of
doing the work.
 Working together
Follow the Money
CREW collaborates to ask IRS
to investigate Chamber’s fund usage
Did the Chamber of Commerce
illegally take $18 million donated
to its 501(c)(3) by a foundation
tied to AIG and move it to its more
political 501(c)(6) arm? CREW
joined U.S. Chamber Watch and
two other groups to ask the IRS to
investigate. The coalition also asked
the IRS to examine whether Chamber
President Tom Donohue’s $3 million
a year salary violates tax rules for
nonprofits. Given that the Chamber
spent more than $30 million on the
2010 elections and is promising to
spend even more in 2012, cutting
corners to increase available funds
must be tempting. It is up to the
IRS to ensure the Chamber plays
by the same rules as everyone else.
Section
CREW regularly partners with
journalists from national, local, and online
news outlets to expose government corruption,
providing the public with the information
it needs to hold ethically challenged officials
accountable. In addition, as the go-to authority
on government corruption, on a daily basis
we provide analysis and commentary regarding
a wide variety of ethics issues. We also both
use information reported by the media to
take legal action and provide journalists
with the results of our investigations into the
nexus of money and politics. In 2010, CREW
partnered with the New York Times, Wall
Street Journal, Politico, and CNN, among
others, to highlight egregious government
and campaign misconduct. In a world where
the modern news cycle never ends, CREW
has become an invaluable resource to media
professionals across the country.

Teaming Up With Congress
CREW has worked extensively
with Congress to build a better
Washington. We collaborated
with House and Senate Judi-
ciary Committee staff to
promote legislation that would
allow prosecutors to better
prosecute public corruption
by closing the honest services
loophole created by the Skilling
v. United States decision, and
CREW Chief Counsel Anne
Weismann testified before the
House Oversight Committee
regarding federal electronic
records management.
Leading the way
CREW led efforts to brief
congressional staff on
earmark reform. Melanie
Sloan hosted and participated
in a question-and-answer
session, with lobbyists and
other good government
groups, which was broadcast
several times on C-SPAN.
© Frank Cotham/The New Yorker Collection/www.cartoonbank.com.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1.2 Average daily news stories based on CREW’s actions
4.9 Average daily news stories in which Crew appears
Open Government CREW has
worked with a number of govern-
ment reform groups to evaluate
agency open government plans
submitted under the admin-
istration’s Open Government
Directive and to push agencies
to be more open and accessible.
CREW regularly discusses gov-
ernment transparency issues with
the White House and frequently
provides guidance on legislation,
regulations, and policies.
Government Reform CREW
Crew Fact
Crew Fact
worked with and helped build
a variety of coalitions that share
our good governance mission and
participated in regular meetings
promoting the exchange of infor-
mation and expertise. Dividends
Collaboration
from these relationships include
a rapid response to loopholes
hidden in financial reform legis­
lation that would have exempted
valuable information from FOIA
disclosure requirements.
Section 7
13
About CREW Section

8
Since its inception in 2003, Citizens for
Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
has played a key role in exposing the culture
of corruption in Washington and motivating
the public and policymakers to change it.
CREW is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
dedicated to promoting ethics and accountability
in government and public life by targeting
government officials—regardless of party

ADDRESSEE
affiliation—who sacrifice the common good to
special interests. History shows us that those
who have power often abuse it. CREW serves as
a check on those in power, holding government
officials accountable for their actions.

Visit us at citizensforethics.org and then stay

up to date with all we’re doing by signing up
for our weekly emails. You can also follow
us online via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. citizensforethics.org
202 408 5565
Used with the permission of Mike Luckovich and Creators Syndicate.

1400 Eye Street NW, Suite 450

Washington, D.C. 20005
Contact
All rights reserved.