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News from
THE MICHIGAN DEMOCRATIC
PARTY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jason Moon
December 12, 2005
517-371-5410
MDP
Condemns Knollenberg for Doing Political Favor for Big Donor
Knollenberg's political payback
just the latest in the GOP Culture of Corruption
WASHINGTON,
DC-The New York Times reported yesterday that Michigan Republican
Congressman Joe Knollenberg inserted a provision into a transportation
bill that earmarked $8.3 million dollars to Amtrak if the railroad
company dramatically increased the amount of freight it hauls. The
sole supplier of rail cars to haul such freight is ExpressTrak,
a company owned by one of Knollenberg's largest donors, Anthony
Soave.
Critics of Knollenberg's earmark argue that it clearly hurts Amtrak
financially, while providing more business to ExpressTrak and allowing
Amtrak to only have the money necessary to repay debts to ExpressTrak.
Knollenberg earlier admitted that the earmark was likely to help
ExpressTrak, but only after the Times started investigating his
earmark did he release a statement saying that he would work to
reverse the provision.
"The New
York Times caught Knollenberg in this very questionable earmark,"
said Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer. "Knollenberg
has had to own up to his role in the GOP culture of corruption.
How many times does Knollenberg expect Michigan voters to ignore
the ongoing corruption he and his Republican colleagues are practicing?"
Recently, Knollenberg
announced his intentions to give back over $10,000 connected to
Rep. Randy 'Duke' Cunningham, the GOP Congressman who recently resigned
and plead guilty to taking over $2 million in bribes.
Yesterday's
New York Times article is attached.
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