DeLay emits a lot of odors for a lot of reasons, but I'm wondering about these reports cited.
For one thing, the amount of money ($500,000) is for two staff positions, over 5 years---looks to be about $50K/year for an event planner-daughter, and a strategist/personnel manager-wife.
For another, the practice is acknowledged as pretty common.
Quote:
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Although several members of Congress employ family members as campaign managers or on their political action committees, advocacy groups seeking an overhaul of federal campaign-finance and ethics laws say that the payments to Mr. DeLay's family members were unusually generous, and should be the focus of new scrutiny of the Texas congressman.
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Is $50K really that out of line for congressional campaign staff positions? If they did absolutely no work, that would be one thing, but that's not what's being alleged.
Would be more informative for the advocacy groups to put out comparable numbers for family members employed by other members of congress.