Taxpayers footed the bill for Bush administration officials to make four election-season stops in 2006 to bolster the then-flagging political fortunes of Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, a new report from an oversight committee shows.
Musgrave was one of 99 Republicans involved in close races who benefited from a total of 303 trips arranged by the White House Office of Political Affairs, according to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
The pre-election visits by agency leaders flouted laws against executive branch employees using taxpayer dollars to support candidates, said the committee, which consists of 23 Democrats and 18 Republicans.
On her congressional Web page and in recent debates, Musgrave openly touts the visits as a sign of her clout for the 4th Congressional District, where she is running for re-election against Democrat businesswoman Betsy Markey.
On Saturday, campaign spokesman Jason Thielman declined to comment beyond a written statement.
“Whether it is an Obama administration or any other administration, Marilyn has and always will work to bring high-ranking officials (to Colorado) so they can hear directly from constituents of the 4th Congressional District,” Thielman said. “I don’t have any information on the inner-working of the White House.”
From mid-April to mid-August 2006, Musgrave received visits from then Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, then Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, then Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson and Federal Highway administrator Rick Capka, records show.
In response to accusations at a Fort Morgan debate last week that she is inaccessible to constituents, Musgrave touted Johanns’ visits to a room full of farmers and ranchers.
Documents obtained by the oversight committee suggest Musgrave and other Republicans may have received visits as early as 2002, though records for that cycle and the 2004 election were unavailable.
A political-affairs official wrote in a 2002 e-mail to a staffer of then Department of Interior Secretary Gale Norton, “Just an FYI . . . Marilyn Musgrave (a race I know the Secretary is following) has expanded her lead and is now above 50 percent. Looking very good there (thanks in part to the Secretary’s help!)”
Markey spokesman Ben Marter noted a disconnect between Musgrave’s outspokenness and her actions in 2006.
“When it’s politically convenient in an election year she turns around and is the beneficiary of taxpayer-funded visits,” Marter said.
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com
