Hobson won't debate

I sent Hobson a registered letter on August 23, 2006 challenging him to a debate.  The card came back indicating that his office received it.  I have never received a reply to that letter.

WHIO TV CH7 in Dayton offered to host a live debate between Hobson and me.  I accepted.  He refused.  I asked that Channel 7 conduct it as an empty chair event or just an interview with me.  They said FCC rules prevented it.  In front of the Columbus Dispatch editors, I asked him to reconsider.  He said, "You run your campaign, I'll run mine."

WTVN 610 AM radio set a time and date (710PM, 1 November 2006)  and invited Hobson and me to appear on air together on the Joel Riley Show.  Hobson did not show.  I did appear.  The interview went well.  At the end, Riley said, "You certainly advanced your cause tonight."

Hobson has Violated Federal Election Laws and Covered it Up

In early October 2006, John Flemming of Springfield gave me a letter he had received from Representative Hobson.  It was sent using government printing and free postal privilege.  It was dated 9 August (exactly 90 days before the election).  John had received it in late September.  Such letters are not cancelled by the post office, so they show no postal date.  The letter was a repeat of one John had received in 1999 closing out a matter he had written Hobson about.  I asked several other people who I knew had written Hobson in the past.  All had received similar letters. 

 It is a violation of Federal election law for a Congressman to use his office to promote his election.  In particular, he is prohibited from using mailing lists from constituent correspondence, computers, printers, paper, envelopes etc.  for electioneering.  Most emphatically, he is prohibited from using his franking privilege (free Congressional postage) in his election promotion.  Further, Federal election law prohibits a Congressman from any mass mailings within 90 days of an election.

Obviously, Hobson was aware of the 90 day prohibition in Federal election law (as well as the more general prohibitions against using the materials, equipment, information, and materials of his office in his election campaign).   His solution was to cover up the 90 day violation by simply placing a false date on the letters.

Hobson was personally involved in this act, not just directing it.  He told me and the Columbus Dispatch editors on Tuesday October 3, 2006 that he had very recently gone through all of his letter files looking for any past letters from me.  (I had indeed written him.)   He was apparently seeking to avoid sending such a letter to me.

Hobson is tied to Delay, Abramoff, Muzzling of the Ethics Committee, and the Foley Cover Up
 

I have also recently received word (internet link) that Hobson has received campaign donations from Abramoff represented Indian tribes.   As assistant majority whip, he is in the inner circle of GOP leadership in the House.  Certainly, he knew about the Foley transgressions and participated, at least by his silence, in that cover up.  Hobson has taken campaign contributions from Delay and has contributed to Delay's legal defense fund.  He voted to muzzle the ethics committee to protect Delay.
 

Hobson takes Boondoggles at Government and Lobbyist Expense

The Wall Street Journal reported on 27 October 2006 that Hobson had taken two trips to Europe at government expense and was wined and dined by contractors on those trips.  He took staff and friends with him.   A 2004 trip to a groundbreaking at a new center in Normandy included a 7 day stay and lavish meals paid for by lobbyists.  The Columbus Dispatch (Jonathan Riskind) reported this story and called me for my comments. The Dispatch article was published on 28 October 2006.

Just the Tip of the Iceberg

All of this, coupled with Hobson's  taking large sums from special interests and doing their bidding (as presented in this web site), paints a picture of corruption with Hobson in the center.    As with other organized crime groups, that which we know is only the tip of the iceberg.  I have received unconfirmed reports of other breeches of ethics on his part.