Congressman William Jefferson's (D-LA) indictment has had two strange effects: 1) it sparked debate over which party is more corrupt; and 2) it reminded us of former Congressman Billy Tauzin (R-LA), a man who attracted coincidence like dogs attract fleas.
Tauzin is reportedly not under investigation. Why the mention in Jefferson's indictment? According to The Hill, Jefferson allegedly solicited bribes:
"in order to wield influence on several companies’ behalf, including iGate Inc.... As part of his suspected influence-peddling, Jefferson convinced a previously unnamed lawmaker [Tauzin] to write an October 2002 letter to iGate’s chief executive, Vernon Jackson, and tout his company’s technology.... Tauzin possessed substantial clout on Capitol Hill; his signature on a letter praising iGate was significant for the influence it could wield."
In 2003, while chairman of the congressional committee that regulates the drug industry, Tauzin pushed a bill that banned importation of prescription drugs from Canada and prevented Medicare from negotiating prices with drug companies (USA Today).
During the 2002 election cycle, Tauzin received $119,000 in campaign donations from the pharmaceutical/health products industry (Center for Responsive Politics). About a year after Tauzin helped pass the pharma-friendly bill, the drug industry's chief lobby (PhRMA) reportedly offered Tauzin $2 million a year to become its CEO and president, a position he still has today.
Isn't coincidence fascinating?
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