Pay to Play at Noem Hearings

Back in July, I noted with scorn that Congresswoman Kristi Noem likes to give big campaign donors choice seats at hearings on her pet issues. Now the AP picks up on the story and finds more evidence of that pattern at her big October dust-up:

In a July hearing for the House subcommittee on national parks, forests and public lands in Hill City, S.D., on a mountain pine beetle epidemic in the Black Hills, two of three non-government witnesses each gave $1,000 or more to her congressional campaign account. The other three witnesses worked for the U.S. Forest Service or the state agriculture department.

Earlier this month, two of seven non-government witnesses at a hearing on farm dust were associated with a total of $9,000 in campaign contributions, either by themselves, the lobbying group they represented at the hearing, or through their family and employees [Henry C. Jackson, "Witnesses at Rep. Kristi Noem Congressional Hearings Also Have Donated Thousands to Campaign," AP via Aberdeen American News, 2011.10.31].

Now if I were the Democratic equivalent of Tony Post, I'd be screaming about potential violations of the law and demanding that Noem's staff come clean. Unlike Tony, I don't need to manufacture a scandal to make my point. I can recognize that there is no law prohibiting campaign donors from also exercising their free speech in testimony before Congress.

I just wish Rep. Noem really appreciated free speech, instead of favoring those who pay for the opportunity to participate in the discussion of legislation.