CUNA Greases The LeadershipSkids

WASHINGTON - (04/20/06) – CUNA continued its efforts toprop up key congressional leaders last month with a total of$250,000 in campaign contributions to almost 100 differentcandidates. That included donations to leadership PACs tied to keylawmakers, including AMERIPAC (House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer,D-Md.) $5,000; Rely On Your Beliefs Fund (erstwhile House MajorityLeader Roy Blunt, R-Mo.) $4,000; Growth and Prosperity PAC(Financial Institutions Subcommittee Chairman Spencer Bachus,R-Ala.) $4,000; Citizens For Action(CU Champion Paul Kanjorksi,D-Pa.) $5,000 and The Badger Fund (Rep. Tom Petri, R-Wis.) $500.CUNA has contributed more than $250,000 to such leadership PACsalready in the 2005-2006 elections, and at least as much toindividual campaign PACs run for the benefit of the samecongressional leader. For example, CUNA also gave $5,000 toBlunt’s individual PAC last month. CUNA also madecontributions in March to: Rep. Richard Baker, R-La., one of thefavorites, along with Bachus, to be the next chairman of theFinancial Services Committee; Rep. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., newlynamed interim Senator from N.J. ($4,000); Ex-California Rep. BrianBilbray, R-Calif., running to succeed Duke Cunningham, who wasconvicted on corruption charges ($5,000); Reps. Steven LaTourette,R-Ohio ($4,000); Max Burns, R-Ga. ($5,000) and Todd Akin, R-Mo.($5,000).