Tonight, I had the opportunity to hear Congressman Curt Weldon speak at Penn at an event sponsored by the Penn Israel Coalition (full disclosure: I am a PIC board member). The Congressman did not cancel his speaking engagement despite last night’s headlines that he is purportedly under investigation by the FBI. The source of this investigation has so-far been kept anonymous. However, when I hear the word “anonymous,” I usually become skeptical.
To my surprise, Congressman Weldon was quite open with his views as to why he is now front and center in the media only three weeks before the November elections. Weldon asserts that his sharp criticisms of the FBI, the CIA and other intelligence organizations have made them want to get back at him, namely by opening this investigation.
In my interview, Weldon alleges that the source of the news about him is Melanie Sloan, a former associate of John Conyers and Charles Schumer. She is currently the executive director of CREW. He also says that people such as Sandy Berger (former head of the NSA) and Mary McCarthy have donated to Sestak’s campaign and are working to bring him down as revenge for his criticisms.
You heard it here first on The Spin:
Weldon’s opponent in this race is Joe Sestak. When asked for comment, Ryan Rudominer, a Sestak campaign spokesman, said that “Weldon is crazy if he thinks that there is a left-wing conspiracy in association with the FBI that has created this investigation.”
Highlights from the video:
1:18- “I know who it is. It’s a woman who runs an organization called CREW. She used to work for John Conyers.”
2:24- “…Democrat operative [named] Melanie Sloan and slander a member of Congress, anonymously, three weeks before an election. It’s a gross abuse of the American electoral process.”
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October 16th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
Interesting that he didn’t actually deny hooking his daughter up with millions in consulting contracts. Perhaps that’s because he wasn’t directly asked about it, yet strangely managed to get in TWO knocks against the latest Democratic boogeyman organization. Great reporting all around.
October 16th, 2006 at 6:13 pm
Sandy Berger doesn’t look like he’s donated any money to anyone in this cycle…
http://www.opensecrets.org/
October 16th, 2006 at 6:22 pm
Congratulation on your fine interview I’m putting your blog on my favorites.
October 16th, 2006 at 7:58 pm
“You heard it here first on The Spin:”
Yes, without any response or rebuttal from the people and organizations Weldon has baselessly slandered.
If you’re considering a career as a corporate journalist, I’m sure you will go far.
October 16th, 2006 at 8:46 pm
So, are you going to get a statement from CREW? Or just let the accusation stand? How about the accusatons against Berger and McCarthy? Did you get a statement from them? I find it extremely hard to believe that the FBI would be working with these people in a conspiracy against Weldon.
Nutty and demented, in fact.
October 16th, 2006 at 8:53 pm
I live in weldon’s district, and i have been trying to figure Curt Weldon out for the past 10 years, without much luck. He is hard to pigeonhole but….
I have come to the conclusion that he represents one of the best arguements to be made for term limits.
In this election cycle I plan on voting for wiping the slate clean. To me the best part of 94’s contract with America is about to be enacted.
October 16th, 2006 at 9:04 pm
I’m a Penn alumnus (C’88), and am ashamed at the utter lack of reporting in this piece. You let Weldon assert that Melanie Sloan is some sort of Machiavellian genius behind all this without a single shred of evidence? How does he know this? The voices in his head? Mr. Morse, if you represent the level of reporting currently in evidence at the DP, then Penn is in bigger trouble than I thought.
October 16th, 2006 at 9:11 pm
How can you possibly call this journalism? The story is the investigation. Not the spin Weldon is trying to put on it, without even a hint of evidence.
October 16th, 2006 at 9:35 pm
I tried a half dozen times to call Melanie Sloan and CREW today- They put me on hold a bunch of times. They would not let me speak to Ms. Sloan so I waited for the press secretary, and ultimately, nobody called me back despite my voicemails and e-mails.
October 16th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
And for the record- this is the OPINION blog of the Daily Pennsylvanian, so Mr. Rheinard, I hope the DP editorial page contained opinions during your time at Penn, because it still does today, including mine and Curt Weldon’s.
October 16th, 2006 at 10:28 pm
“However, when I hear the word “anonymous,” I usually become skeptical.” Umm.. Care to update this now that the homes of his BFF and daughter have been raided by the DOJ? Just wondering.
October 16th, 2006 at 11:27 pm
I think we need a new FBI, because it they acted on Melanie Sloan’s letter from over two years ago, April of 2004, boy, are they slow.
http://www.citizensforethics.org/activities/campaign.php?view=38
October 17th, 2006 at 1:11 am
Curt “I’m Crazy, Ask Me How” Weldon forgot to add the UN, Barbara Streisand, and fluoridation to his list of things out to get him.
October 17th, 2006 at 9:10 am
Obviously it was Sandy Berger who got his daughter the consulting gig.
But what amazes me is that Weldon dind’t know about this before hand.
Surely there’s a picture of Berger and his daughter somewhere in the vast data bank of Operation Able Danger.
October 17th, 2006 at 11:59 am
So should he be believed about this if he lies about his endorsements…hmm? Not AFLCIO or UAW. I will give him the FOP and builder trades, goodie goodie.
http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17167623&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18171&rfi=6
October 19th, 2006 at 2:03 am
Come on, you people. You know the evil Democrats twisted poor, innocent Curt Weldon’s arm and made him accept hundreds of thousands of dollars funneled through his daughter from Serbian warlords and Russian mobsters. Don’t you people understand: when anything bad happens to Republicans, the blame always lies squarely on the Democrats. Curt Weldon is clean as pure-driven snow. So what that he spends all his time helping Serbian warlords and ignores Delaware County. Don’t buy into the evil Democrat swindle.
October 19th, 2006 at 6:02 am
Curt is nothing if not consistently paranoid. Remember the press he got for calling the police, on a young former Eagle Scout at a campaign event? We don’t need a delusional crime suspect in Congress.
November 11th, 2006 at 7:46 am
Hi all