Eddie Bernice Johnson, Democratic incumbent in the House for U.S. district 30, is in one of her most heated contests for her seat she has seen in her 18 years. Pastor Broden is her Republican rival and is making more waves in than any Republican or Independent to challenge Johnson before. If the mood of the country and weight of the economic woes hanging over any incumbent’s head wasn’t enough, Eddie Bernice Johnson is now also facing charges from watchdog groups. These watchdog groups are divided over whether an immediate investigation by an ethics committee should happen but for Johnson the biggest damage has been done.
Johnson is being accused of awarding scholarship dollars to relatives and children of top aide’s to Johnson. Johnson, as a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation, is provided with funds by the caucus to distribute how she pleases as scholarships for students in her district. Johnson not only used that money to award her family and friends with scholarships, breaking the rules set forth by the CBC, but the students she awarded the scholarships to didn’t even live within her district.
Johnson has denied any wrong doing saying that she was never finically benefited personally by any of her decisions and none of the scholarships went to her immediate family. She did acknowledge violating the rules, even though she said she did so “unknowingly” then commented about rectifying the financial situation.
No matter how this swings in the ethics committee Johnson is sure to be a little scared being a senior leader with this baggage hanging over her head. This November is the real test though, to see if her “unknowingly” breaking the rules for five years makes a difference to her constituents. This is one I’ll be watching closely.
[source: Examiner.com]
