FEINGOLD'S GIFTS, and A FORMER PACKER'S DEBTS

FEINGOLD ONLY WISCONSIN REP TO CLAIM FOREIGN GIFTS

Special to the Readers of Milwaukeeworld.com

By Michael Horne

Sen. Russell Feingold is the only Wisconsin member of Congress to report receipt of gifts from foreign governments, according to a database unveiled today, Monday May 12^th, 2008, by LegiStorm. Even Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr., the dean of Wisconsin congressional travelers, who has taken 21 foreign trips since 2000, did not report a single gift meeting the threshold for reporting. (In the House of Representatives the 2008 threshold is inflation indexed at $335; in the Senate, which does not index for inflation, gifts above $100 in value must be reported.) Recipients are permitted to keep foreign gifts below the threshold value, and must turn the others in to the government or purchase them for their appraised values.

Feingold’s report shows the has received Algerian tiles valued at $150, a silver bowl from Pakistan valued at $100, an Afghanistan rug valued at $200, a Tunisian mosaic valued at $75 [below the threshold for reporting –Ed.], a pair of mouth-blown Thai crystal glasses worth $150 and a $160 Iraqi chess set. Feingold’s gifts were received between January 2005 and November 2006.

Feingold’s colleague Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has a pair of Afghan rugs, thank you, along with a Hermes scarf (from Luxembourg) and a Versace wallet from India along with 17 other foreign gifts.

Sen. Barack Obama has a single gift to report, a $100 Azerbaijani rug, while Sen. John McCain has two Afghani rugs and six other reported gifts.

In fact, 18 of 27 gifts reported from Afghanistan consist of rugs or carpets, which gives you the idea that the marble halls of Congress probably resemble the bazaars of Kandahar by now.

Since failure to accept a gift could be construed as a diplomatic affront, it is rare for congressmen and senators to refuse such gifts. LegiStorm finds it very unusual indeed, that “despite dozens of tangible gifts reported by the Senate and hundreds to executive branch officials, only one House official - former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) - disclosed receiving gifts in the past five years. His largest gift was a $10,000 ceremonial dagger encrusted with precious metals and gems that was bestowed upon him by Morocco. While Hastert filed, his disclosures did not meet the legal requirement that they be filed within 60 days. Instead, they were all filed when he was leaving office and often covered items received years before. The lack of other House disclosures is odd, especially given that Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other House official have made high-profile trips overseas. Yet their lack of disclosures suggests that they have not received the customary treatment accorded to others, including even some Senate aides. House officials claimed to Roll Call that they have received gifts, but no gifts other than Hastert's were worth more than minimal amounts.”

FORMER PACKER LEAVES DEBTS IN STATE

Former Green Bay Packer tackle Grady Jackson owes $6,745 to Cort Furniture Rental, (a Berkshire Hathaway company). In April, 2005, the firm garnished Jackson’s wages in Brown County Circuit Court. Alas, Jackson moved on to Atlanta before the furniture company could get its money. Jackson then moved to the Jacksonville Jaguars before being released this spring, so there are no wages to garnish any more, at least in Brown County, Wisconsin. The furniture apparently was rented from Cort’s New Orleans outlet when Jackson was with the New Orleans Saints in 2002.

Jackson also owes $48,943.40 to Associated Bank of Green Bay, according to a judgment entered in Brown County in January, 2006. Also, his license was suspended for failure to pay a traffic citations on September 1^st 2005 (Outagamie County, two instances) and on October 14^th, 2005 (Brown County, one instance).

Jackson’s driver’s privileges were finally reinstated on September 20^th, 2007, long after he split the state. Who knows what mischief he got into in Georgia and Florida that prompted him to settle his debts with Wisconsin’s courts? Anyway, he’s a free agent now, but we’ll report to the folks at Cort Furniture and Associated Bank when he gets a new high-paying job.

--Michael Horne