Just two days after the blockbuster revelation of an office affair, Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL) now faces allegations that a second affair may amount to an abuse of power. ABC News reports that Mahoney, who replaced disgraced Republican Mark Foley after his sexual scandal, got millions in pork for a county while conducting a sexual affair with one of its officials:
Current and former aides for Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-FL) say he was carrying on an affair with a county official from Florida at the same time he lobbied to help her county receive a $3.4 million federal grant.
One former top campaign aide says Mahoney acknowledged the woman had spent the week at his Washington apartment but shrugged off warnings such behavior could cause him political trouble. The aides said the woman was also seen with Mahoney at restaurants and at his Washington DC apartment late at night.
Based on interviews with a number of staffers, campaign workers and top Democratic officials in Congress, it appears Mahoney ignored warnings since last year about what now appears to have been multiple extra-marital relationships.
ABC News reported Monday that one former Congressional and campaign staff member, Patricia Allen was paid $121,000 by Mahoney to keep her from filing suit and going public about their alleged affair after she had been fired by Mahoney.
Now, it appears that Mahoney helped the Martin County official win a $3.4 million reimbursement for hurricane clean-up from FEMA — appealing directly to Administrator R. David Paulison while doing little to aid other counties in his district with similar requests, the staffer say.
This would be more significant than the affair exposed on Monday. That only involved Mahoney’s own money, as far as anyone could determine. If Mahoney spent taxpayer money to boost the career of his paramour, that amounts to a flagrant abuse of power — exactly the kind of corruption that Nancy Pelosi and Tim Mahoney made their biggest issue in 2006.
The culture of corruption appears to thrive in Pelosi’s Petri dish, and it looks like Democratic leadership knew about this for some time. Did they intervene to block Mahoney’s manipulation of public funds? Apparently, no.
Most ethical Congress ever? Ha!
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