Congress’ Free Trips Add Up
Members of Congress and their aides took free trips worth nearly $50 million paid for by corporations, trade associations and other private groups from January 2000 to June 2005, a study released Monday shows.
Some of the 23,000 trips featured $500-a-night hotel rooms, $25,000 corporate jet rides and visits to popular spots such as Paris and Colorado ski resorts, said the study by the Center for Public Integrity, American Public Media and Northwestern University’s Medill News Service.
The study found that many of those who picked up the tabs were at the same time seeking to shape legislation on Capitol Hill or win federal contracts.
“In many instances, trip sponsors appeared to be buying access to elected officials or their advisors,” the study said.
Although most excursions seemed to be legitimate fact-finding missions, others appeared to be little more than “pricey vacations
The study’s sponsors said they found more than 1,000 violations of congressional rules, many of them involving lawmakers who inadequately filed disclosure reports.
The data emerged from a nine-month review of congressional travel disclosure forms.
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