What Happens If Alexandria Ocasio Doesn't Replace Crowley In November

I often write that Joe Crowley-- handpicked by Pelosi and Hoyer to take over the House Democrats after they leave-- is the single most corrupt Democrat in Congress. Over the weekend I got a call from a friendly Democrat in Congress who asked me on what basis I keep making that claim. She told me she intends to vote for Crowley to lead the Democrats but was disturbed by the persistence of my assertions about him. I sent her the link above. She called back this morning and said my assertions in those posts were disturbing but they weren't enough for her to change her intentions.

Neither did a discussion we had about how Wall Street and the whole financial sector had given Crowley more money-- bribes-- than any other Democrat in the House, $7,148,700 at this point, even more than Hoyer ($6,432,164) and Himes ($6,115,602), both notorious Wall Street whores.

But what did seem to stop her in her tracks was an old story-- from before she was elected to Congress-- I found from the New York Daily News. I have a feeling very few of the freshmen and sophomores in Congress know anything about this-- nor about how Pelosi had to make a deal with the Republicans getting Crowley off the hook... by agreeing to let FOUR Republicans off the hook with the House Ethics Committee! Benjamin Lesser's 8 year old article, Queens Congressman Joe Crowley's campaign funds under investigation in ethics probe should be required reading for every Democrat before voting for their next congressional leader. It isn't a chapter Crowley is comfortable discussing.

Queens Congressman Joe Crowley is one of the most prolific campaign fund-raisers on Capitol Hill-- a trait that now has him in the middle of an ongoing ethics investigation.

Last month, the House Office of Congressional Ethics sent letters to a number of Washington lobbyists asking for documents related to fund-raising just before the Dec. 11 House vote on financial regulatory reform.

The preliminary investigation centers on a bipartisan group by eight members, including Crowley.

One of those who got a letter was Julie Domenick, a lobbyist who hosted a fund-raiser for Crowley Dec. 10 in her D.C. home. She confirmed the letter requested records related to her fund-raising.

Domenick said that the Crowley event had been scheduled on Nov. 4, weeks before the final votes of regulatory reform.

Crowley declined to discuss the Domenick event except to say through a spokesperson he "has always complied with the letter and spirit of all rules regarding fund-raising and standards of conduct."

Crowley, who represents parts of Queens and the Bronx, is the top-ranking member of New York's House delegation and vice chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's money machine.

When he was first elected to Congress, labor unions were his biggest financial backers. They've been eclipsed by financial, insurance and real estate interests, records compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics show.

By the 2008 election, half of Crowley's contributions came from those three industries.

"I think I've matured here both personally and in terms of my assignments," Crowley said. "Many people here in Washington view me as an important figure."

In October, as the House wrestled with financial regulatory reform, Crowley and several other members of the New Democrat Coalition traveled to Wall Street to meet with JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs executives.

Crowley said the financial powerhouses are "important to New York."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with listening to people who will be affected by the legislation you're going to pass," he said.

Crowley also has received tens of thousands of campaign dollars from real estate investment trusts-- companies that use investors' money to purchase and manage commercial real estate.

Since 2008, a political action committee of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts has donated $33,500 for Crowley's campaign and leadership PAC.

His donors had reason to be pleased with him. In 2008, Crowley pushed legislation that let the trusts resell properties faster without tax penalties.

"Mr. Crowley was very much central to the cause on the House side," one industry observer said.

Then on Jan. 27, Crowley sponsored the Real Estate Revitalization Act of 2010-- a bill that would lower taxes on foreigners investing in real estate trusts.

Four days later, Crowley flew to L.A. to attend the Grammy awards, at one point posing with pop star Katy Perry.

While he was there, Peter Lowy, a top executive of the Westfield Group, an Australian-based developer whose lobbyists have pushed Crowley's bill, organized a Crowley fund-raiser at a restaurant called Toscanova.

Lowy and his wife also have contributed $18,800 to Crowley since February 2008.

A spokesman for Westfield said Lowy hosted the L.A. event as an individual. Crowley insisted it was "crazy" to think campaign money had any impact on his decision to sponsor the legislation.

He said he's gone against the real estate trusts, including raising taxes on profits for investment managers. "I have never, ever, ever sold my vote," he said.

Is there an alternative to Crowley? There is, although House Democrats would have to change precedent (Democrats have always elevated their minority leader to the speakership upon reclaiming majority control of the House) and would have to re-imagine the job of Speaker. Ted Lieu isn't a senior Democrat and his career hasn't been all about raising immense amounts of money from special interests-- which seems to have become, in recent years, the primary job of speakers, a relatively recent phenomenon-- but he would make an excellent Speaker. I know Ted and I see him as a modern day Sam Rayburn, someone who has the ability to help shape bills by working across the aisle the way he did when he was a California state senator. Ted has no intention of running against Pelosi, of that I am certain. He might, however, be amenable to serving if she leaves the position. Blue America has opened an ActBlue page just for that. That's what the thermometer on the right is for.