CREW Files FEC Complaint Over Illegal Contributions to Sen. David Vitter`s Campaign Committee

WASHINGTON--(Business Wire)--
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) and Louisiana
citizen Wayne Jerry Phillips today filed a complaint with the Federal Election
Commission (FEC) against the U.S. Dry Cleaning Corporation, Sen. David Vitter
(R-LA) and the senator`s campaign committee. CREW`s complaint alleges that the
company reimbursed four of its employees and their spouses for $38,400 in
illegal campaign contributions to David Vitter for U.S. Senate in order to
obtain Sen. Vitter's assistance in obtaining federal stimulus funds. One of the
four employees, Jamal Ogbe, had admitted to the New Orleans Times-Picayunethat
the corporation had reimbursed him for his $4,800 contribution to Sen. Vitter's
campaign.

Campaign finance law prohibits both corporations from making contributions to
federal candidates and conduit contributions, where someone is reimbursed for
making a campaign contribution. Candidates are also prohibited from accepting
illegal contributions.

CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan said, "Corporate conduit contribution
schemes like the one described by Mr. Ogbe rarely involve a single employee.
Investigations of such schemes often show that a corporation has used its
employees as straw donors to funnel tens of thousands of dollars in illegal
campaign contributions to members of Congress in an effort to obtain an unfair
advantage over competitors seeking federal funds." Sloan continued, "The FEC
should investigate to determine the extent of U.S. Dry Cleaning`s campaign
finance law violations as well as whether Sen. Vitter knowingly participated in
this illegal scheme."

Click here to read CREW`s complaint to the FEC.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit
legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their
actions. For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact
Peter Bjork at 202.408.5565 or pbjork@citizensforethics.org.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Peter Bjork, 202-408-5565
pbjork@citizensforethics.org

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