Texas Dem Breaks Rules, Gives Scholarships to Relatives

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Democrats ,; Congress

(Credit: Facebook)

A Democratic congresswoman from Texas has admitted to inappropriately giving thousands of dollars in college scholarships to four of her own relatives and her top aide's two children, the Dallas Morning News first reported.

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson initially denied violating any rules of the scholarship program facilitated by the the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the Morning News reports. She later acknowledged violating the rules "unknowingly" and said she would work with the foundation to "rectify the financial situation."

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation gives every member of the CBC $10,000 each year to award in scholarships to students in their districts. Members decide for themselves how to distribute the money.

From 2005 to 2008, according to the Morning News, Johnson awarded nine to 11 scholarships a year -- with three or four scholarships each year going to either her relatives or the relatives of her district director, Rod Givens. Those awards violated the scholarship program's anti-nepotism rules, as well as the requirement that recipients live or study within the member's district.

The CBC Foundation's general counsel, Amy Goldson, told the Morning News that those scholarship awards violated eligibility rules and are "of great concern."

Johnson, who is expected to win her 10th term in Congress, told the Morning News that no favoritism was involved, and she "probably wouldn't have given it" to her own relatives had there been more "very worthy applicants in my district."

Other CBC members have come under scrutiny this year, including Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), who will both stand trial on ethics charges this fall.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by purrdog September 6, 2010 9:18 AM EDT: I find it very hard to believe, but many politicians don't have much of a conscience. They do what they think they can get by with. They use the excuse, I don't think I did anything wrong, or, I didn't know there were rules concerning this behavior. Some politicians just throw the rules out the window.; Reply to this comment


by DasTruth August 31, 2010 9:24 PM EDT: I find it hard to believe that she did not know the rules. It's simple, make her pay the money back, fine her, and remove any eliblity to run next term....; Reply to this comment

by tsigili August 30, 2010 5:36 PM EDT

That's not surprising.

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by oliveorion August 30, 2010 8:12 PM EDT: Why not, Obama will cover for her....


by faceswithin August 30, 2010 3:19 PM EDT: NO! are you kidding this goes on? we all know this guys not news to us. we see it all the time. the rich help there own and the ones in the goverment think our money is there money. And the money they take from our kids they give to three friends and there family kids isn't that the new USA way? sure isn't fair is it. But some own back taxs in the govement and they get to pay what they owe and no intrested or fees they need to pay. we have the Kings and than we have the Kings friends than we have the poor they feed off. Sounds like England doesn't it?; Reply to this comment

by dadirt August 30, 2010 2:24 PM EDT

It is ok, she is black and a democrat. She wil get a slap onthe wrist, won't even have to pay the money back and will probably get a raise. If she were a republican, he would be drummed out of office and sent to the federal prison, and be under law suites until he or she were broke.

This is the domocratic way, rules only apply to the little people!

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by oliveorion August 30, 2010 8:09 PM EDT: So VERY true!!!


by yoohoo3000 August 31, 2010 10:44 AM EDT: as opposed to the republican way where you run the entire country's financial system into the ground by cheating innocent people out of their stocks and by selling off your stocks before the rest of the country finds out, and then get a government bailout. oh how quickly we forget!

by slatep August 30, 2010 1:47 PM EDT

If she cannot figure out the criteria for distributing college scholarships, how can she be expected to decipher the more complicated workings of the US government?

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by endurorob_5 August 30, 2010 2:14 PM EDT: The workings of the government are not that complicated for dem reps. They just vote as Pelosi says.


by endurorob_5 August 30, 2010 1:12 PM EDT: So she says she doesn't know th rules of the scholorship program and then she basiclly says that her family members and the family members of district director are much more deserving than others in the district. This woman is a lying, arrogant, egomaniacal B%%^&.; Reply to this comment