Conservative Edge Exposes Northup Scandal

Northup funneled federal money into her district through corp she helped control- but criticized Governor Fletcher for distributing state funds

Over the past few weeks, the Northup for Governor campaign and her cyber supporters have been loudly criticizing Governor Fletcher for distributing tax dollars to various communities around the state. Uber Northup supporter, Steve Manning of On the Right has indignantly insisited that Fletcher has been using tax payer money to win re-election.

But as CE reported exclusively yesterday, then Congress woman Anne Northup set up a charitable organization in Louisville, put herself in a controlling position on the board of the organization and then used her position on the powerful House Appropriations Committee to funnel millions of dollars to the charity. The tax payer money was distributed in Northup's congressional district.

Governor Fletcher's distribution of funds comes under his authority as Governor. The money he is distributing is state tax dollars that the various communities requested through grant applications. Under Kentucky law, it's the Governor who must decide on approval of the money.

But, Roll Call magazine called Northup's arrangement unethical on its face. The federal money that was distributed to the charity, was personally funneled by Northup. Then, Northup sat on the board of directors of the charity which made the decisions on how the tax payers money would be spent in her own congressional district.

The Conservative Edge is at a loss to explain how Fletcher's actions are unethical, but Northup's activities are. Democratic Congressman Allan Mollohan, whom Northup cited as a roll model for her arrangement, is under investigation by a federal grand jury for funneling federal money into charitable organizations in his congressional district. It's interesting to note that Mollohan was not on the board of directors for any of the charities for which he is now being investigated.

Considering that Anne Northup has made such an issue over Governor Fletcher's activities, Republican primary voters deserve an explanation from the Northup campaign on her own actions. Northup's camp has been proud of her commericals which feature supposed attack ads by Demorcats of Governor Fletcher during the fall campaign were he to win the nomination. The Conservative Edge can envision the same type of attack ads against Northup in the fall campaign on this issue. We call on Northup to offer a full explanation, provide a copy of any written ethics opinion, and release the financial records on the use of the federal dollars.

Did Northup receive a written opinion? Republicans deserve to know before the elections

As The Conservative Edge reported exclusively yesterday, the well respected capitol hill congressional watchdog magazine, Roll Call, reported in May of 2002 that then Congress woman Anne Northup set up a charitable organization, placed herself on the board of directors, and then used her seat on the "powerful" House Appropriations Committee to funnel millions of federal tax dollars to the charity. The charity in turn, funneled those funds into Northup's Congressional district. When the arrangement was exposed, Northup nixed the deal.

Roll Call called the arrangement unethical on its face. Northup defended the arrangement citing as her role model, Democratic Congressman Allan Mollohan and his work funneling federal funds to various charities in W.Va. We now know that Mollohan was forced to resign his position on the House Ethics Committee in part for funneling tax payer money to those charities. Mollohan is also under grand jury investigation and FBI scrutiny for the same actions.

However, Northup claimed in 2002 that she had received verbal approval of the arrangement. Roll Call said that the Committees doesn't give verbal approval and urged Northup to get a written opinion and make the opinion public. Considering that Northup has claimed the "ethics mantle" in the GOP primary, Republican voters deserve to know before the primary on May 22nd, if Northup ever received such a written finding and if so, what the opinion stated. The Northup campaign can forward the opinion to CE for publication. Likewise, if the Fletcher campaign wants to determine that no such written ethics opinion was ever obtained by Northup we will publish that as well.