Senate Aide Linked to Abramoff Took 2 Salaries

January 30th, 2009|Editor
Senate

Copland could not be reached for comment Thursday. Cochrans spokeswoman, Margaret McPhillips, said Copland was kept on the senators staff to ensure “a seamless transition.”

“She was helping us out by training the new staff person and passing on her extensive knowledge of the issues she covered,” McPhillips said. “Thats not uncommon.”

McPhillips later said some of the seven weeks of pay was also for unused vacation time but could not specify how much.

Congressional ethics rules limit Senate staffers outside employment and income, but it wasnt immediately clear whether Coplands arrangement violated the rules. Cochrans office did not respond when asked if the work was approved by the Senate Ethics Committee.

Cochran, who has frequently used his clout to benefit Mississippi Public Broadcasting, also declined to comment on developments this week linking Copland to the corruption investigation involving former Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is in prison and cooperating with prosecutors.

On Wednesday, one of Abramoffs former deputies, Todd Boulanger, was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud involving allegations that he helped provide all-expense paid trips, concert tickets and other gifts to public officials.

Court documents say Boulanger, Abramoff and another lobbyist, Kevin Ring, tried to get gifts for a Senate legislative assistant described as “Staffer E,” who was in a position to help with legislation benefiting a Mississippi Indian tribe. That staffer is Copland, according to an attorney with knowledge of the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.

Boulanger is due in federal court in Washington for a plea hearing Friday afternoon. Theres no indication from the charging documents that Cochran is being investigated; Copland was his lead staffer on the Choctaw issues and dealt directly with the lobbyists.

Mississippi Public Broadcasting executive director Marie Antoon said she hired Copland as deputy executive director for education based on her strong background in childrens education and her record in Cochrans office. She said she was aware that Copland would take two salaries during the transition, and noted that state policy does not prohibit employees from earning outside income from the federal government.

“From our standpoint we did everything that under the law and as a state agency were supposed to do,” Antoon said.

To prevent conflicts, Senate rules say senior employees such as Copland should not continue Senate duties after they have started new jobs elsewhere. But its unclear whether Coplands work to train a new employee and transition out of her job would qualify as Senate duties.

Source: ormed