“The nominee who lobbied herself”

By Michelle Malkin  •  February 4, 2009 11:01 AM

Hans von Spakovsky exposes how Labor Secretary nominee Hilda Solis lobbied herself and flouted House ethics rules.

A seemingly innocuous letter sent to the Clerk of the House of Representatives last Thursday by President Obama’s Secretary of Labor nominee Hilda Solis raises serious and troubling legal questions about her nomination and apparent violation of House ethics rules. Not only was she involved with a private organization that was lobbying her fellow legislators on a bill that she has cosponsored, but she apparently kept her involvement secret and failed to reveal a clear conflict of interest.

Solis was a co-sponsor in 2007 of the so-called “Employee Free Choice Act,” the card check legislation that would effectively eliminate the secret ballot and destroy the ability of employees to make an anonymous decision (without fear of retribution) on whether they want to join a union. She was also a co-sponsor of the Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act, legislation that would force states to allow public safety officers to form unions. At the same time, however, Solis was a board member of a pro-union organization, American Rights at Work, that has been lobbying Congress on both of these bills. According to a letter filed by Solis with the House Clerk on January 29, 2009, she was not just a director of the ARW, along with fellow travelers like David Bonior, Julian Bond, and John Sweeney, she was actually the treasurer. In other words, she is the official legally charged with the fiduciary duty of approving and signing off on all spending by the organization. And to make matters worse, she did not reveal to her colleagues in the House of Representatives that membership on her financial disclosure forms, which may constitute a separate ethical violation.

Read it all at The Weekly Standard.

Can this administration get anything right?

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Posted in: Barack Obama

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Comments


  1. #1
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:09 am, Craig said:

    ethics?we dont need no stinking ethics

  2. #2
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:10 am, Paul Revere said:

    When Pelosi said she’d “drain the swamp” she meant the botox swamp.

  3. #3
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:11 am, cpodug said:

    This is turning into a remake of “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.” Pass me the popcorn.

  4. #4
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:13 am, TXGator said:

    That’s probably the reason 500 million Americans lost their job today.

  5. #5
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:13 am, walterc said:

    I didn’t read the entire Obama job questionaire, but was there a question that asked “do you have any sense of ethics that may hinder your job performance”?

    And these guys didn’t think Sarah Palin had been vetted very well. Sheesh.

    This is more the kind of vetting that the McCain campaign did for Joe the Plumber before having him approached by BO.

  6. #6
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:14 am, ArizonaNeanderthal said:

    Ethical violations from Democrats is a given and always explained as a mistake, let us move on. No honest person thinks this administration gets anything right but it seems a majority just do not care.

    When part of the stimulus package contains Freezer Bags for Democrats you know you have a problem.

    Republicans distance themselves from the corrupt, Democrats embrace theirs; if that corrupt Democrat is a pervert the Dems cheer him/her as with that girly man Gary Studds.

  7. #7
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:22 am, nail49 said:

    Jus how crowded is it going to get under the bus?

  8. #8
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:24 am, nail49 said:

    Hey, Michelle!

    I sent you this link earlier this week.

    No Hat Tip?

    I am glad this is getting noticed — just when will the Lame Strea Media get the word out?

  9. #9
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:25 am, MrVIBEMAN said:

    I wonder if Obama will “Absolutely” stand by her through this.

  10. #10
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:26 am, Dexter Alarius said:

    President Obama’s Secretary of __________ nominee ____________ raises serious and troubling legal questions about his/her nomination and apparent violation of __________ ethics rules/laws/the Constitution.

    Is there anyone this doesn’t apply to?

  11. #11
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:28 am, babiesgrandma said:

    cpodug said:
    This is turning into a remake of “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.” Pass me the popcorn.

    I’m making another Costco run for more popcorn! This only gets better and better! …Should have bought stock in Orville Redenbacher….Rats!

  12. #12
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:45 am, babiesgrandma said:

    “I came down here to visit. I didn’t come down here — this is what happens. I can’t end up visiting you guys and shaking hands if I am going to grilled every time I come down here,” the president said.

    Where it all started… the question to him was about appointing former lobbyists to cabinet posts, and such.

    Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

  13. #13
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:46 am, PhredE said:

    Hilda Solis’ record at ABI (Americans for Better Immigration: F-

    (link here)

    As a the Labor Secretary, she is likely to look the other way at businesses hiring illegals – at a time when record numbers of Americans are losing their jobs.

    …No one said, the destruction of America would be easy, in fact, it might even be painful and ugly…

  14. #14
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:47 am, nail49 said:

    Wonder when The One will admit to “screwing up” again?

  15. #15
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:48 am, PhredE said:

    (Apologies for the slop in the above post – one coffee just doesn’t do the job any more…)

  16. #16
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:57 am, nail49 said:

    at a time when record numbers of Americans are losing their jobs.

    PhredE: You mean those 500 million Americans (must be a LOT of illegals counted in there somewhere) SanFranNan is referring to?

  17. #17
    On February 4th, 2009 at 11:58 am, nail49 said:

    record numbers of Americans are losing their jobs

    PhredE: That must be the 500 million SanFranNan is counting using Million-Man Math!

  18. #18
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:00 pm, nail49 said:

    Sorry for the double post — I have “lost” several submissions on other threads today and got caught when this one made it through.

    Mea Culpa

  19. #19
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:01 pm, PhredE said:

    nail49 – LOL, yeah, who really knows???
    I guess the old axiom is true: “you don’t know what you don’t know” (sadly ironic as well).

    Hey, just as an FYI – and perhaps a little off-topic (well, maybe not…) -anyway, have you seen the new cable TV ads from Coalition for the Future American worker. It’s becoming known as the ‘Elevator Ad’. It’s sponsored by FAIR, NumbersUSA, and a host of other like-minded groups. I’ve seen it aired on CNN multiple times already in the last 24 hours.

    Here ’tis:
    http://www.americanworker.org/
    (YouTube version posted there)

  20. #20
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:04 pm, Ed Mahmoud abu al-Kahoul said:

    Shouldn’t she be facing expulsion from the House and possible criminal charges?

    Jes askin’

  21. #21
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:06 pm, deadeye said:

    Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

  22. #22
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:09 pm, cpodug said:

    deadeye said: Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.

    Only if you’re a conservative, or Republican. This is not applicable to “the most ethical Congress ever” or Dems/Libs in general.

  23. #23
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:27 pm, southsideironworks said:

    Can this administration get anything right?

    I wonder many of the 52% are asking themselves that same question. I doubt they’d do it openly. LOLZ

  24. #24
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:32 pm, By Choice said:

    Who couldn’t figure out from her nomination
    that this woman would be an obamination?

    Another nominee whose ethics are non existant
    what a surprise for a demoncrap…

  25. #25
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:40 pm, shooter said:

    We all knew hussein obama was like this, a sneaky socialist with a radical, secret and checkered past.
    Now we just have to stop his friends from joining him.
    Keep the radical Alinsky/Marxist crazies OUT of his admin.

    Hilda Solis is a common thief stealing from the American worker and she needs to go away.

    No more Barry H. No more.

  26. #26
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:48 pm, DamnCat said:

    Most ethical administration never

  27. #27
    On February 4th, 2009 at 12:52 pm, Flyoverman said:

    She is perhaps the slimiest of all of Obama’s nominees. Truly evasive with a checkered past and demonstrably a pro-labor radical.

    Her nomination should be DOA!

  28. #28
    On February 4th, 2009 at 1:04 pm, J S Ragman said:

    No problem! She can just investigate herself, then declare herself innocent, after producing a copy of her high school grade transcript, or some other useless documentation.

  29. #29
    On February 4th, 2009 at 1:11 pm, FirstSkirt said:

    I checked my local papers today–no mention of this. Solis needs to get in the line behind all the other nominees. Yikes–this is getting funnier and funnier by the day, and sadder and sadder, too! Why aren’t any of these people investigated, charged, tried, and convicted? Way to go, Obamahaha.

  30. #30
    On February 4th, 2009 at 1:36 pm, HotWeaver said:

    Can this administration get anything right?

    Only when they nominate Republicans. Have any of the Democrat nominees not serious problems?

  31. #31
    On February 4th, 2009 at 2:38 pm, right_on said:

    Hilda Solis…Sun Warrior!

    No problem here…PAR FOR THE COURSE!

    More to come? Certainly! Watch for her support of Latino-specific bills in the coming months.

  32. #32
    On February 4th, 2009 at 3:43 pm, PKAmmoTroop said:

    Democrat Dictionary

    Ethics: (noun) 1. Something that happens to someone else. 2. A political horse to flog. 3. A situational thing, don’t worry about it.

  33. #33
    On February 4th, 2009 at 4:30 pm, rightisright said:

    Can this administration get anything right?

    NOPE!

  34. #34
    On February 4th, 2009 at 4:37 pm, Joy said:

    HERE is the video where b. hussein gets slobbered on by the press and 3 minutes and 29 seconds into it one of them finally asks him a REAL question and he responds with

    “I came down here to visit. I didn’t come down here… this is what happens. I can’t end up visiting you guys and shaking hands if I am going to get grilled every time I come down here.”

    Gack… At one point one of the unbiased journalists said, “Bush couldn’t handle this.” (Might be because they were hostile towards him instead of fawning and slobbering???)

    “Have you gotten to work out?” (Turns out he has his own gym!) Bet it’s not the same without the peons there to drool and gape is it?

    “Have you played Basketball?”

    UGH…

  35. #35
    On February 4th, 2009 at 4:48 pm, nail49 said:

    Ethics: (noun) 1. Something that happens to someone else. 2. A political horse to flog. 3. A situational thing, don’t worry about it.

    PKAmmoTroop: 4. Ethics? What ethics? We don’t need no steenkin’ ethics!

  36. #36
    On February 4th, 2009 at 7:45 pm, torabora said:

    If this is ALL she has done I’m not sure she is qualified. Surely there is more dirt in her background that could shed some darkness on how qualified she is?

  37. #37
    On February 4th, 2009 at 10:43 pm, TooMuchTime said:

    I wonder many of the 52% are asking themselves that same question. I doubt they’d do it openly.

    I doubt they’re doing it at all. If anyone in the mainstream press dares utter a discouraging word about The B.O., the others will just jump on him like ravenous wolves and tear him apart.

    They’re not questioning their vote because they are looking at The B.O. through rose-colored glasses. (I said “colored”, is that racist?)

    This moron we now call “president” could let L.A., S.F., N.Y., etc. disappear in nuclear fireballs by bloodthirsty jihadis and the press will look the other way.

    Remember that songs were written and sung about The B.O. Do you really believe that these brain-dead, knuckle-dragging, socialists are going to doubt their messiah?

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