For Immediate Release: December 2, 2005

TheRestofUs.org Calls on Congress To Eliminate Pensions for Corrupt Officials

Former representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham will continue to collect his congressional pension despite pleading to accepting bribes while in office and his subsequent resignation from Congress. Congress should take action to ensure that crooked politicians don't profit from their time in an office they neither respected nor deserved, according to campaign watchdog TheRestofUs.org.

"Any elected official whose sense of civic and constitutional responsibility is so weak that they sell their office deserves neither the respect nor hard-earned dollars of American citizens," said Ned Wigglesworth. "We call on Congress to stop giving pensions to public officials who have abused the trust of their office."

More than a dozen former members of Congress, including former Ohio rep James Traficant and former Illinois rep Dan Rostenkowski, who have been convicted of crimes against their office continue to receive pensions from the very public that they betrayed with their greed.

"Congress is responsible for the laws which allow these crooks to collect pensions from their victims; Congress needs to step up and put a stop to this now," said Derek Cressman, director of TheRestofUs.org.

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TheRestofUs.org is a nonprofit campaign watchdog working to make American democracy work for its citizens, not just wealthy interests. TheRestofUs.org is the lead reform group on an upcoming amicus brief to the Supreme Court supporting Vermont's spending limits, and supports meaningful campaign finance and redistricting reform around the country.