I Accept Bribes from Heritage Foundation

by Tamara Garvey

In an incredibly rare display of honesty, Vance McAllister (r-LA) let the cat out of the hat and revealed that lobbyists literally pay him and other Washington politicians for certain votes, and that he didn't receive his expected check because he had angered and embarrassed the wrong people by cheating on his wife with one of his staffers.
Yes, the situation actually is that unbelievable.
Apparently, at a Thursday event with the Northeast Chapter of Louisiana CPAs, Vance McAllister (r-LA) stated that "money controls Washington" and that national politics is a "steady cycle of voting for fundraising and money instead of voting for what is right."  He admitted to having voted against an unspecified House bill related to the Bureau of Land Management, under the impression that he would receive a political contribution.
It's astounding that McAllister would admit to this in such a blasé manner.  Public officials, such as Congresspersons, are forbidden from "directly or indirectly seeking, accepting or agreeing to receive anything of value in return for the performance of any official act such as voting," as a matter of federal law. McAllister related an anecdote in which an unnamed colleague on the House floor told him that Heritage, a conservative think tank, would send him a $1,200 contribution if he voted against the bill.  From the Ouachita Citizen:

    "I played dumb and asked him, 'How would you vote?'" McAllister said. "He told me, 'Vote no and you will get a $1,200 check from the Heritage Foundation. If you vote yes, you will get a $1,000 check from some environmental impact group.'"

    That answer was a surprise, McAllister said.
.
    "I said, 'Are you serious?' and he told me, 'Yeah, wait and see,'" McAllister said.

The story gets even more unbelievable when the married McAllister goes on to point out that he never actually received the check, which didn't really surprise him, because he got on the bad side of both Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Heritage when he was caught kissing one of his staffers. James Weidman, spokesperson for Heritage Foundation, denies that the think tank backs up its lobbying with actual payoffs:

    If he (McAllister) is wondering why he didn't receive a check from the Heritage Foundation, which does not make political expenditures of any kind, it is because we do not do it….The Heritage Foundation is a think tank and does research and education, but does not get involved with political bills at all….He was just badly misinformed.

For his part, McAllister now maintains that his words have been taken out of context in news reports, and that he personally would never sell his votes; he was just relating a story of what other politicians do.  

This republican admits to taking bribes