 The Surrender Monkey is excited, because we haven’t talked about Nance Pelosi as of late, so, I wonder what she is up to?
On July 27, 2007, 28 executives of the Thousand Oaks, Calif., pharmaceutical firm Amgen contributed more than $20,000 to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) campaign.
On Aug. 2, Pelosi (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Early Treatment for HIV Act, a bill that could boost Medicaid coverage of HIV-related drugs, including Procrit, which is manufactured by Amgen and marketed by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, a firm in which Pelosi’s husband owns at least $250,000 in stock, according to Pelosi’s disclosure forms.
The legislation has more than 50 co-sponsors, including some Republicans. However, considering Pelosi’s potential interest in the legislation, her sponsorship of the bill is questionable, said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a conservative government watchdog group.
“An ethical issue pops up as a result of her investment in Johnson & Johnson,” Fitton told Cybercast News Service. “Obviously she should explain whether or not her contributions from Amgen and its executives are influencing her position on the HIV bill in an inappropriate way.”
Culture of Corruption. Nuance.
But, it gets better!
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) dismissed any notion Thursday that her sponsorship of Medicaid legislation that would likely help her husband’s financial holdings in a pharmaceutical company presented a conflict of interest.
She also stressed there was no need to divest any stock that her husband holds in Johnson & Johnson, a company that makes and markets HIV-related drugs that could be helped by the Early Treatment of HIV Act, which Pelosi introduced last summer.
“Absolutely not,” Pelosi said Thursday when asked if she would consider divesting.
Imagine if a Republican was involved in a conflict of interest like this. Imagine if a political party spent all of 2006 railing against this type of activity by the majority party, as well as other apparent unethical activities. Now, imagine that that same party would win an election, become the majority party, and their leader would act in a way that appears unethical. That would be strange, eh?
Trackposted to Diary of the Mad Pigeon, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Allie is Wired, Woman Honor Thyself, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, The Pink Flamingo, Global American Discourse, CORSARI D’ITALIA, , Conservative Cat, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
