AP: Feds Probe Lewis Land DealIt’s been awhile since you’ve heard about Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), the famed earmarker who’s under federal investigation for his close ties to lobbyist Bill Lowery.
But today the AP reports that investigators are asking questions about a top contributor’s land deal. Jack and Laura Dangermond donated a 41-acre, $2 million plot to the city of Redlands — a plot which just happens to abut Lewis’ home. The land was donated on the condition that it not be developed, a move that the AP points out “helps ensure property values remain high.”
You know what’s coming next. The Dangermonds run a government contracting firm called Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., which has received at least $55.4 million in earmarks since 2004. The company is, of course, a client of Lewis friend Bill Lowery’s lobbying firm — a setup which won them a big fat subpoena from investigators back in June. To top off the cozy relationship, the Dangermonds have given at least $23,000 in political contributions to Lewis since 2001.
Funny thing — the Dangermonds claim not to have known that Lewis would be affected by the land deal, and Lewis says he didn’t know they had anything to do with it. Small world, huh?
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