How Corrupt Is Tim Holden? Primary Voters In NEPA Have A Right To Know

Steny Hoyer, the Democratic face of transpartisan political corrupt in the DC Establishment, was in Easton begging voters there to support one of his endangered cronies, Tim Holden. In a lie big enough to be worthy of Mitt Romney, Hoyer referred to Holden as one of the best members of Congress. Well, he certainly has been one of the best for the lobbyists and the Big Oil and Gas interests-- and for anyone else willing to write a big check. And that's Steny Hoyer's kind of Democrat!

It isn't just progressives; many eastern Pennsylvania conservatives agree that Tim Holden doesn’t deserve the office he holds-- although not always for the same reasons. When it comes to corruption, however, progressives and conservatives are on the same page: Tim Holden has to go. One honest Republican I spoke with in the district understands that no Republican is likely to win in the new 17th CD. "Frankly," she said, "even though Mr. Cartright and I are unlikely to agree on very much, either, I’d prefer to see an honest liberal elected than a sneaky, covert, dissembling, bought-and-paid-for underperformer like Tim Holden...Holden has a dangerous personality/character flaw. Tim’s not very bright. He instinctively lashes out the way dumb high school jocks do when they think the bright kids are making fun of them."

There was a 2010 article in the Pottsville paper reporting two Ag Dept. loans for Northeast Prestressed Products, a Schuylkill County business. A prominent Centre County family owns the business among others in the construction products industry. They donated-- and generously-- exclusively to Republican candidates until 2009 when Rep. Tim Holden somehow attracted their attention. They've given tens of thousands of dollars to Republicans-- from local hack congressmen like Glenn Thompson, Mike Kelly, Bud Shuster, Phil English, Pat Toomey, Lou Barletta, Tom Marino and Rick Santorum to national GOP figures like John McCain, Steve Forbes and, of course, George Bush... and to only two Democrats, 3 times to reactionary Blue Dog Chris Carney and, since 2009, six times to Tim Holden.
 
It took only a short time to research the players and, in light of the congressman’s history, to draw a conclusion. It’s a perfect example of how small-time backbenchers like Tim Holden do business and how too many Pennsylvania Republicans tolerate Holden’s voting record for personal gain.
 
According to FEC reports and another online aggregator of campaign contribution information, the Hawbaker family, originally from Centre County, PA, have long been reliable contributors to Republican causes and candidates. They own Glen O. Hawbaker, Inc. and an acquisition, Schuylkill Products (subsequently renamed Northeast Prestressed Products), among other interests.

The family has branched out politically.

During the run up to the 2010 general election, the Hawbaker family, D. Michael, Daniel R. and Michael, plus George Litsch, the plant manager and Mark Pishock, the marketing executive of the Schuylkill County (PA) subsidiary, gave a total of $3,250 to the re-election campaign of Democratic incumbent Tim Holden (PA-17) in whose district the subsidiary business is located. The contributions began in July, 2009 and continued into August, 2010. Remember the way Jack Abramoff defined bribery-- and who would know better than him?-- in his book, Capitol Punishment:

[C]ontributions from parties with an interest in legislation are really nothing but bribes. Sure, it's legal for the most part. Sure, everyone in Washington does it. Sure it's the way the system works. It's one of Washington's dirty little secrets-- but it's bribery just the same...

And Tim Holden was one of the only Democrats-- among a sea of Republicans-- Abramoff bribed. Holden never served any prison time for accepting bribes from Abramoff or any of the other shady characters who have financed his disgraceful political career; he's never even been arrested or indicted for his transgressions.

The Hawbaker’s large family-owned business enjoys substantial revenues derived from a portfolio of construction businesses and services. The Republican & Herald, the Pottsville newspaper paper I referred to above,, reports that Northeast Prestressed Products of Cressona, PA, recently scored $300,000 in two low-interest federal loans apparently arranged by Rep. Tim Holden, the second-ranking Democrat on the House Agricultural Committee. A portion of the loan funds were “funneled through the Appalachian Regional Commission, which is overseen by the Department of Agriculture.”

Coincidence? We think not, though both parties to this apparent transaction will likely deny a quid pro quo-- Holden always does.

And, of course, this is hardly the first time Holden denied a connection between federal assistance and campaign contributions. In 2008, the Sunlight Foundation captured a priceless Holden response to a question from the Allentown, newspaper.

The House Ethics Committee is to good government what the lottery is to sound financial planning, but maybe someone should refer the quote that Rep. Tim Holden gave to the AllentownMorning Call for some scrutiny. Like many lawmakers, Holden secured an earmark for a contributor to his campaigns; thanks to the APME’s earmark project, he was also asked about it. He scoffed at the suggestion that the company’s contributions to his campaign may have led to favorable treatment in return.

”Who is going to contribute to your campaign, people you don’t help?” Holden said, before adding: ”There is no quid pro quo here.”

Quids and quos but never a pro…

In case you were wondering, Northeastern Prestressed manufactures large concrete structural products. No, we don’t get the connection to agriculture, either.

If you read the Pottsville paper article closely, you will notice that Congressman Holden wonders aloud about what will happen to rural counties like some in his district if a new Republican majority in the House outlaws earmarks, but he does so while announcing federal grants and loans in one of those counties. Asked and answered, Mr. Holden.

If a nexus between campaign contributions and federal favors from a member of Congress can be confirmed in this case, which would be worse: that Rep. Holden is for sale-- or that he can be bought so cheaply?

Yesterday Blue America began running a series of billboards exposing Holden's corruption-- specifically in regard to fracking-- in Schuylkill County, where they know him best. Those boards will be followed by others in the other counties that make up the sprawling district. Northampton and Lackawanna, where people have never heard of Holden, but have heard of fracking and of his Halliburton Loophole, are already being manufactured. And if you'd like to help us make sure the rest of the district is covered as well, you can do that at FrackingHolden.