National Public Radio Calls Out Minnick "Hypocrisy"

Press Release

CENTER FOR PUBLIC INTEGRITY JOURNALIST REQUIRED TO INVOKE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT TO SECURE INCRIMINATING MINNICK DOCUMENTS

"Walt Minnick's hypocrisy is endless. He has been not been telling the truth in his campaign ads, he has not kept his promises to the people of Idaho and thanks to the Freedom of Information Act the truth about Walt Minnick has all been exposed to the voters of Idaho," says Republican Raul Labrador

National Public Radio (NPR) broadcast a damning report today slamming Democrat Walt Minnick for "hypocrisy" on his flip-flopping positions on stimulus spending. The news report detailed Minnick's campaign ads in which he claims to be against the stimulus, but which the report now exposes as inconsistent with his hidden attempts to secure pork spending.

NPR detailed a new scheme in which Minnick circumvented the congressional earmark process, which he promised Idaho voters he would take no part of, by writing several letters directly to federal departments with "backdoor requests' for stimulus funds.

"It's a practice known as lettermarking," John Solomon, an investigative journalist for the Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group, told NRP. The Center was forced to resort to using the Freedom of Information Act in order to secure Minnick documents which indict him for seeking the "lettermarks'.

"Lettermarking", according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, has been a source of controversy for years. It lists the "infamous superlobbyist" Jack Abramoff, who was convicted on charges related to fraud and bribery, as often arranging for Congressmen to send letters to federal agencies requesting funds, then rewarded lawmakers with campaign donations if they complied.

Minnick refused to be recorded for an interview by NPR to explain himself.

"Walt Minnick's hypocrisy is endless. He has not been telling the truth in his campaign ads, he has not kept promises to the people of Idaho and thanks to NPR and the Freedom of Information Act, it has all exposed to the voters of Idaho," says Republican Raul Labrador.

Phil Hardy, Labrador for Idaho Communications Director added, "It has been apparent through his campaign advertising that Walt Minnick has had a disturbing habit of doing one thing while he is in Washington and saying something else entirely to the people of Idaho. This report raises troubling questions about Walt Minnick's character and his actions while in Washington. This report and his letters are all the proof required to now know the real Minnick on stimulus spending."

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