Conflict of Interest

Watchdog Calls for Investigation into HHS Secretary Azar’s Relationship with Former Employer Eli Lilly Following Proposed Rule Change

On August 28, 2018, CfA called on ethics officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to open an investigation into HHS Secretary Alex Azar and his relationship with his former employer, the pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company. HHS recently proposed a new rule that would greatly benefit Eli Lilly, and Sec. Azar has championed the issue while at the helm of HHS.

New Report Adds to Conflict of Interest Concerns Surrounding BlackRock’s Advisory Role in Trudeau’s Canada Infrastructure Bank

On August 27, 2018, CfA released a new report detailing how BlackRock – the world’s largest asset manager – appears to have been intimately involved not only in advising the Trudeau government about the creation of its Canada Infrastructure Bank, a government-backed financial institution championed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but also in the government’s appointment of key Bank personnel and staff. The new revelations add to the growing conflict of interest concerns surrounding the Bank’s creation and provide new evidence for those calling for a full investigation of BlackRock’s advisory role with the Trudeau government.

$192,000 for his wife. 81 uses of a lobbyist’s home. Crapo election funds draw scrutiny

"The pattern, however, has drawn attention from a watchdog group — Campaign for Accountability, whose other recent targets include payday lenders, pregnancy crisis centers, rooftop solar providers, various Republican politicians and Google. It filed one round of complaints with the FEC about Crapo's use of the townhouse, and on Thursday asked the Senate Ethics Committee to examine a disclosure issue involving the payments to Susan Crapo."

Watchdog Files Ethics Complaint Against Senator Mike Crapo for Failing to Disclose PAC Payments to His Wife

On June 21, 2018, Campaign for Accountability (CfA), a nonpartisan, nonprofit watchdog group focused on public accountability, filed a complaint with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics against U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) for failing to disclose his wife’s income from his leadership PAC on his 2017 financial disclosure report. CfA previously filed an FEC complaint against Sen. Crapo for failing to disclose any payments for the use of a lobbyist’s Capitol Hill condo for fundraising activities.

Watchdog Files Updated FEC Complaint After Senator Mike Crapo Admits to Holding 81 Events at Lobbyist’s Condo for Free

On May 7, 2018, CfA filed a supplemental complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) against U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Vicki Hart, the lobbyist owner of a Washington, D.C. condominium, for knowingly and willfully failing to disclose improper in-kind contributions in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and FEC regulations.

CfA Files Ethics Complaints Against 14 Members of Congress Alleging Bribery by the Payday Lending Industry

On May 3, 2018, CfA asked the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate whether two senators and 12 representatives violated congressional rules and criminal law by accepting campaign contributions from the payday lending industry shortly before or after taking official actions in support of the industry’s priorities.

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