Chairman approves travel of Pombo aide

The chairman of the House Administration Committee has approved an arrangement in which Rep. Richard Pombo's top aide flies regularly between Stockton and Washington, D.C., and has amassed more than $87,000 in official travel expenses in recent years.

In a letter sent last week and released Wednesday, Chairman Vernon Ehlers, R-Mich., said the frequent travel of Steve Ding, Pombo's chief of staff, does not violate House rules.

"(Your) Chief of Staff would qualify for reimbursement of travel and travel-related expenses when he is traveling to Washington," Ehlers wrote in the letter to Pombo, R-Tracy, who is chairman of the House Resources Committee.

Ding serves as chief of staff for Pombo's congressional office and for the committee, which pays most of his salary. His travel is paid for out of Pombo's Member's Representational Allowance, which covers expenses within his congressional office.

As chief of staff in the congressional office, Ding's primary "duty station" is in Stockton, where he lives with his family. His travel to Washington, whenever the Resources Committee is in session, is considered "official business" and is reimbursed by taxpayers.

"It's the same thing that we've said every time (Democrats) have tried to raise this issue to score political points," Pombo spokesman Brian Kennedy said.

Working in California also has allowed Ding to take on additional political consulting jobs for Republican candidates and causes, earning $114,240 between 2000 and 2004, according to the Contra Costa Times, which first reported the arrangement earlier this year.

Contact reporter Nick Juliano at njuliano@tracypress.com.

First published: Thursday, March 16, 2006

Reader Feedback

valendug wrote on Mar 16, 2006 7:01 PM:

" Pombo is more interested in enriching himself and his own family than he is us constituents. He's always somewhere but in his own district. Maaybe squeezing his miles out of that family rented RV. "

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drowell wrote on Mar 16, 2006 5:29 PM:

" You are right about PomboEd. It's the only way. He has become arrogant and self serving. "

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drowell wrote on Mar 16, 2006 5:27 PM:

" There was a news article about someone who had changed his mind and was going to run for his 11th term. That's way too many no matter how well he does the job. This type of thing too easily leads to corruption. "

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Pomboland wrote on Mar 16, 2006 4:37 PM:

" I don't favor term limits for two reasons: We lose too many good people that way, along with the bad ones; By the time they learn how to do the job, they have to leave! In Pombo's case, we'll have to educate the public about how bad he is. "

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drowell wrote on Mar 16, 2006 4:08 PM:

" TERM LIMITS "

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Happy Days wrote on Mar 16, 2006 3:04 PM:

" Pombo's first term was supposed to be his last if you look up his original campaign materials. He was going to fix things and get out. Now he just 'fixes' things and we're out $$$! Nice vote for $9 trillion dollar debtceiling my 'conservative' friend. Disgusting... "

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Dan wrote on Mar 16, 2006 8:27 AM:

" No kidding, Valendug. I find no humor that it was another NeoCon (Vernon Ehlers) traveling under the banner of Republicanism that approved it. It has become the Back-Scratching Club. Pombo's got to go. "

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valendug wrote on Mar 16, 2006 7:31 AM:

" All the truths about Pombo and Abrahamoff will be used by the dems against Pombo in the November elections. Too bad there'e not a good independant available to run against him. Just another "good ole boy" that's been around too long. "

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Chairman approves travel of Pombo aide

$87,000 in expenses deemed appropriate for Tracy Republican's chief of staff

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