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The Most Feared Woman on Capitol Hill

By Linda Burstyn, Ms. Magazine. Posted January 31, 2007.


Corrupt politicians like Tom DeLay have complained miserably about Melanie Sloan and her ethics watchdog group -- so she must be doing something right.
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A longer version of this article appears in Ms. Magazine.

If you paid close attention to the media lately, you would have heard many of the politicians who've been drowning in scandal pinning the blame for their problems on one woman -- as if the mere mention of her name would somehow float them to safety.

Charged with taking payoffs from Jack Abramoff's clients? Blame Melanie Sloan. Under FBI investigation for steering government business to your daughter? Blame Melanie Sloan. Indicted for accepting bribes of millions of dollars, antique furniture, cars, boats and houses? Blame Melanie Sloan.

"It's ridiculous," says 41-year-old Melanie Sloan from her modest office in Washington, D.C. "I do not control the Justice Department. If you believe the right-wing media, I'm all-powerful."

While it's true that she doesn't control the FBI, Sloan's ability to influence the mood, and even the membership, of Congress is beyond dispute. If it weren't for her and the organization she directs -- Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) -- Tom DeLay (R-Texas) might never have faced the ethics charges as Majority Leader in the House of Representatives that began his rapid decent from the heights of political power. Rep. Bob Ney (R-Ohio) might still be enjoying his meals at the Capitol dining room instead of in a prison mess hall. Various other members of Congress might not be pacing the halls at night, worried about indictments yet to come. And of course, the Democrats might still be the minority party in the House and the Senate.

"Corruption was a top issue in the midterm elections, and CREW was critical to the Democrats' success," says longtime Democratic pollster Celinda Lake. "The fact that they were bipartisan and had created this dirty-dozen list of corrupt politicians really helped people process that these politicians were acting well outside the norm."

CREW was started by Sloan in 2003 to undertake a job few seemed to be doing in Washington: using the legal system and media to expose, deter and litigate legal and ethical wrongdoing by members of Congress. In the past three years the nonprofit group has pursued legal actions against 26 members of Congress -- including a couple of Democrats -- resulting in four resignations (all Republicans). Eleven of those members who have been pursued by CREW are now under federal investigation and eight whom CREW investigated lost their seats in the midterm elections.

Ironically, it was the success of the ultraconservative Judicial Watch -- famous for its dogged pursuit of President Clinton over his alleged sexual harassment of Paula Jones -- that provided the impetus for CREW's beginning. A litigator Sloan knew, Norman Eisen, was seeking someone to start a group that would provide a balance to such right-wing legal watchdogs.

"We were looking for somebody smart enough and tough enough to single-handedly take on that mission," says Eisen. "And Melanie was the one." Judicial Watch was to be her model, with a slight, though significant, difference: She would focus on wrongdoing in the public sphere, rather than in the private lives of politicians.


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Linda Burstyn is a Los Angeles-based writer. She was awarded an Emmy for her work on ABC News' Nightline.

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Go, CREW! Go, Sloan!
Posted by: hagwind on Jan 31, 2007 7:01 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
What a great way to start the day!! Serious inspiration plus a couple of memorable lines, like

"I knew that getting rid of DeLay would improve the entire culture of the city," says Sloan.

and

"Corrupt politicians don't have a place in Congress," she says. "If they want to get rich, they need to find another job. The pay is public. People know what they're going to make when they get in that job, and if they don't like it they shouldn't take it. It's not a place to go to get rich or to live like you're rich and I think members of Congress have forgotten that."

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» RE: Go, CREW! Go, Sloan! Posted by: willymack
Thanks, Melanie
Posted by: Diego on Jan 31, 2007 7:42 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
These people need to remember that "we the people" are paying their salaries and they need to be held accountable for violating our trust. Thanks, Melanie Sloan, for mopping up the slime.

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Thank you Melanie!
Posted by: wheresarah on Jan 31, 2007 7:52 AM   
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What a great thing you've done for the country. It's rare to read about actual accountability in government. We need you!

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I first heard of Melanie
Posted by: Ellie1 on Jan 31, 2007 8:12 AM   
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on Air America Radio. I hope you continue on that network to promote our cause.

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Take on AIPAC
Posted by: gexrobert on Jan 31, 2007 9:20 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I only wish someone of Ms Sloan's stature would take on AIPAC. What about all those flights to Israel that Congress takes???? I understand that those will not be touched under the new ethics bill passed. Brainwashing of our Congress to do a foreign country's bidding is some of the worst corruption this country faces.

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Next step...
Posted by: GenErik on Jan 31, 2007 9:37 AM   
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Any chance Sloan and her CREW would be willing to take on Bush and his war profiteering buddies?

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» RE: Next step... Posted by: ALANHESTER
Results we can all aspire to...
Posted by: badkitty on Jan 31, 2007 10:36 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Melanie Sloan is one of the finest Americans we have. It's too bad the Medal of Freedom (is that what's called?) has been given to so many incompetents. She is the one who truly deserves it. Thank you, Melanie, for everything you've done so far, and everything you do in the future.

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» US Award system? Howto's Posted by: Bearzerker
patfr
Posted by: patfr on Jan 31, 2007 12:07 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
thanks for all you do. i hope this department keeps expanding
until this government is cleaned up. only then will this country
start regaining the respect and credability it once held. keep it up ,we can already see a difference. maybe you could investigate the private army bush has hired with taxpayers money. i've known about it for a couple of years, but everytime i tried to call it to politicians attention, i was ignored or told it was not a big deal. i feel like it is a big deal, and is probably illegal
since it's an illegal war to start with

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You go grrrrl!
Posted by: MartianBachelor on Jan 31, 2007 12:27 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
> Ironically, it was the success of the ultraconservative Judicial Watch -- famous for its dogged pursuit of President Clinton over his alleged sexual harassment of Paula Jones -- that provided the impetus for CREW's beginning. A litigator Sloan knew, Norman Eisen, was seeking someone to start a group that would provide a balance to such right-wing legal watchdogs.

Maybe the D's and R's will eventually succeed in annihilating each other like matter and anti-matter, and us mere citizens will be left with our government back. If we're really lucky, there might even be a country left worth having a government for.

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» RE: You go grrrrl! Posted by: ALANHESTER
KUDOS TO MELANIE
Posted by: chanceny on Jan 31, 2007 1:46 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I listened to Melanie Sloan on Air America' Franken show. She meticulously savaged the corrupt, despicible Delay with facts, not opinions. She critized Rep. Jefferson,a thieving Louisiana congressman, a democrat, and Al Franken pretended to silence her because Jefferson wasn't another crooked republican. She good-naturedly held her ground saying no matter who, I'll be up their butts if they screw up. Excellent. She's the model of integrity, an intrepid investigator as vital to unmasking corruption and hypocrisy as You Tube!! She gives me hope and, in this fascist-lite world we've been enduring these past painful 6 years, a ray of hope seems gargantuan!

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» RE: KUDOS TO MELANIE Posted by: ALANHESTER
martian and chanceny
Posted by: patfr on Jan 31, 2007 2:11 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
i agree with both of you. i have a hard time coping with how we
have installed such an incompetent and corrupt government.
never again should any one man be given the power george bush has or thinks he has

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