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href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44601">4/1/10 - CREW Complaint to OCE (C Street - ADDING Rep. Jerry Moran)</a> <span class="source">// 1.7 mb</span></li> <li class="related attachment pdf"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44582">4/1/10 - Exhibits to CREW's C Street Complaints</a> <span class="source">// 3.4 mb</span></li> <li class="related attachment pdf"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44581">4/1/10 - CREW Complaint to Senate Ethics Committee (C Street)</a> <span class="source">// 1.7 mb</span></li> <li class="related attachment pdf"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44580">4/1/10 - CREW Complaint to OCE (C Street)</a> <span class="source">// 1.7 mb</span></li> </ul> <div class="more-link"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44583/related#content_attachment">More Related Documents »</a></div> </div> <div class="content"> <h4>Related News Coverage</h4> <ul class="node_list"> <li class="related crew article"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/45257">Group Linked to C Street House Pays for Overseas Excursions</a> <span class="date">// 23 Jun 2010</span> <span class="source">Roll Call</span></li> <li class="related crew article"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/45195">Moran speaks with House ethics investigators about below-market rent</a> <span class="date">// 14 Jun 2010</span> <span class="source">Kansas City Star</span></li> <li class="related crew article"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/45159">"C Street House" under ethics investigation</a> <span class="date">// 9 Jun 2010</span> <span class="source">Salon.com</span></li> </ul> <div class="more-link"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44583/related#content_press_clip">More Related News Coverage »</a></div> </div> </div> <img src="/web/20110131185748im_/http://www.citizensforethics.org/files/images/c street.content.jpg" class="content_img" alt="C Street"/><p><span class="date">1 Apr 2010 //</span> <b>Washington, D.C.</b> - Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed complaints with the Senate Ethics Committee and the House Office of Congressional Ethics against members of Congress who reside or have resided at the C Street House, alleging they paid below market rent in violation of congressional gift rules.</p> <p>CREW’s complaints name Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS), Tom Coburn (R-OK), Jim DeMint (R-SC), and John Ensign (R-NV), as well as Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA), Heath Shuler (D-NC), Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Zach Wamp (R-TN) as members of Congress who received improper gifts from C Street Center, Inc., the entity that runs the house and is affiliated with the Fellowship, a shadowy religious organization.</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110131185748/http://www.worldmag.com/articles/15778" target="_blank"><u>Recent press accounts</u></a> indicate that members of Congress who live in the house pay $950 per month in return for lodging and housekeeping services. Meals may also be available at an unknown extra cost.</p> <p>Earlier in the week, Clergy VOICE, a group of clergy from various religious traditions, filed a complaint with the IRS asking for an investigation into the tax implications of accepting lodging at the C Street House. The group surveyed the Capitol Hill rental market and discovered that nearby hotels charge a minimum of $2,400 per month, corporate housing costs a minimum of $4,000 per month and efficiency or one bedroom apartments typically go for at least $1,700 per month. None of these rates include any meals.</p> <p>The House and Senate gift rules specifically include “lodging” as a prohibited gift. There are only two exceptions to the ban on accepting lodging: if it is provided by an individual based on personal friendship, or if it is hospitality in a personal residence owned by an individual. Here, because a corporate entity – C Street Center, Inc. – owns the property, neither exception applies. In addition, members may not accept gifts offered to members of Congress because of their official positions. As only members of Congress appear to live in the C Street House, it seems likely that it is because of their positions that they are permitted to live there and are offered below market rent.</p> <p>CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan stated, “At a time when so many Americans are losing their housing it is surprising to discover that some members of Congress are lucky enough to have a landlord that charges below market rent for fairly luxurious accommodations – and offers housekeeping and meal service to boot.” Sloan continued, “Rarely does someone – particularly a member of Congress – receive something for nothing, so you can’t help but wonder exactly what these members may be doing in return for all of this largess. Of course, this is the reason the gift ban was enacted in the first place. This situation cries out for an immediate ethics inquiry.”</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44580" target="_Blank"><u>Click here</u></a> to read CREW's complaint to the OCE.<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44581" target="_blank"><u>Click here</u></a> to read CREW's complaint to the Senate Ethics Committee.<br/> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44582" target="_blank"><u>Click here</u></a> to read the complaints' accompanying exhibits. </p> <div class="links">» <span class="print_friendly"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/44583/print" title="Display a printer friendly version of this page.">printer friendly version</a></span></div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div id="secondary"> <div class="block block-block" id="block-block-8"> <div class="content"><h3 class="title">About CREW</h3> <strong>Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington</strong> uses high-impact legal actions to target government officials who sacrifice the common good to special interests. <strong>Receive email updates:</strong></br> <form method="post" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20110131185748/http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/api/process.jsp" id="quicksign"> <div class="memberCode">Optional Member Code<input name="first_name_761" value=""/></div> <input type="hidden" name="table" value="supporter"/> <input type="hidden" name="organization_KEY" value="550"/> <input type="hidden" name="link" value="groups"> <input type="hidden" name="linkKey" value="48748"> <input type="hidden" name="redirect" value="http://www.citizensforethics.org?signup=1"/> <input type="text" value="email address" name="Email" id="email" onfocus="if(this.value=='email address')this.value='';" onblur="if(this.value=='')this.value='email address';"/><input type="text" value="zip code" onfocus="if(this.value=='zip code')this.value='';" onblur="if(this.value=='')this.value='zip code';" name="Zip" id="zip"/> <input type="image" src="/web/20110131185748im_/http://www.citizensforethics.org/themes/crew/img/signup.gif" onmousedown="this.src='/themes/crew/img/signup_hover.gif';" onmouseup="this.src='/themes/crew/img/signup.gif';" id="submit_button"/></form><div class="clear"></div> </div> </div> <div class="block block-block" id="block-block-6"> <div class="content"> <a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/about/tipline">CREW Tipline</a></div> </div> <div class="block block-crew" id="block-crew-crew_ethicsnews"> <div class="content"><h3 class="title">Ethics in the News</h3> <ul class="node_list"> <li class="related crew article"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/46187">Ethics Sets No ‘Bright Lines’ for Fundraising</a> <span class="date">// 31 Jan 2011</span> <span class="source">Roll Call</span></li> <li class="related crew article"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/46188">Life & Liberty, five other PACs, paid out just 2.1% on campaign contributions in 2010</a> <span class="date">// 30 Jan 2011</span> <span class="source">New York Daily News</span></li> <li class="related crew article"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/46186">Linda Sanchez may have conflicts of interest</a> <span class="date">// 28 Jan 2011</span> <span class="source">Politico</span></li> <li class="related crew article"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/46182">In letters to Issa, industry and policy groups target expanding reach of EPA regulators</a> <span class="date">// 28 Jan 2011</span> <span class="source">Daily Caller</span></li> <li class="related crew article"><a href="/web/20110131185748/http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/46181">Group Requests Documents Regarding Rep. 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