Shady politicians are nothing new. We’ve all expressed skepticism at one time or another when it comes to the people who claim to care about us and our best interests. But Bob Corker, a Republican senator from Tennessee, is taking it to another level. According to The Wall Street Journal, Corker didn’t properly disclose some of his income that came from various investments, real estate, and hedge funds. We’re talking millions of dollars, not a few stray pennies.
Once this was brought to light, he called it an “oversight” and declared the situation had been fixed. Here’s what he said:
“I am extremely disappointed in the filing errors that were made in earlier financial disclosure reports. After completing a full, third-party review, we have corrected this oversight.”
It might surprise you to learn that this is not the first time he’s made a “mistake,” and he’s definitely tried to skirt around reporting income before.
According to The Wall Street Journal:
“The fully amended filings show at least $3.8 million in additional income between 2007 and 2014 from commercial real-estate holdings.”
Robert Walker, a former chief counsel for the Senate ethics panel, doesn’t think action should be taken for Corker’s deception. In fact, he thinks it should be a “teaching moment,” something that will make sure people “fully understand these requirements before filing their annual forms.” In Walker’s own words:
“This is not a situation calling for punishment or admonition by the Ethics Committee.”
Others believe something should definitely be done. Anne Weismann wants to have Corker’s finances thoroughly investigated. Weismann is Executive Director of the Campaign for Accountability.
What do you think? Will something come from the investigation? What can you take away from this? Share your thoughts in the comments.
