Gary Miller

GOP Rep: Think of My Children

Paul Kiel | February 22, 2007, 3:22PM

From the AP:

Rep. Gary Miller [R-CA] grew up poor. Even though he's now worth more than $13 million, he says he's still worried about his family's financial security.

So, while federal authorities investigate some of his real estate transactions, he says he'll keep on making deals...

"Some people are arguing I shouldn't have the opportunity to make an investment that every other American citizen has an opportunity to make," he said. "I've got kids, I've got grandkids, and it'd be nice, when I get ready to go, when they're older, if I can help them."

Miller, 58, who makes $165,200 as a congressman, is being scrutinized for the millions he made selling properties to two Southern California communities outside his district. FBI agents have interviewed officials in both towns.

Gary Miller

FBI Investigating CA GOPer

Paul Kiel | January 30, 2007, 12:11PM

Following reports and complaints of fishy land deals, the Feds have been investigating Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA), making him the 20th member of the 109th Congress to fall under federal scrutiny.

Miller, a real estate developer by trade, came to the attention of the FBI when a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group complained last summer that the congressman hadn't paid taxes on two land deals he was involved in, The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports.

An August article in the Los Angeles Times gave juicy details of the problem.

Although we're just learning of the investigation, it appears the FBI has been asking around about Miller since late last year, which means we can count him as one of the many scandalized lawmakers from the Schemin' 109th. You can see our ongoing attempts at scandal scorekeeping here and here.

A December LA Times investigation gave even more great details about Miller, including how he pushed his staff to win him favors like sweet tickets to a Rolling Stones concert, or help his son register for college classes.

For budding Miller Muck fans, we also recommend these fine articles from The Hill newspaper.

Gary Miller

LA Times Shines a Light on Stones-Loving Pol

Justin Rood | December 12, 2006, 11:50AM

You probably don't know the name of Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA), but you should.

One of the richest lawmakers in Washington (and allegedly one of the most corrupt), reporters have been digging into him for months. Today the Los Angeles Times delivers a punishing combination of allegations from former aides -- and most appear to be violations of federal law.

First, there's the possible attempted bribery (which has Miller trying to land a local pawnbroker a seat on a presitious federal panel). Then there's illegal "self-enrichment" -- in this case, Miller appears to have trumped up "rent" fees for his campaign in order to give himself a cut of his political donations.

But our favorite allegation is his apparent abuse of federal funds. Miller seems to have a habit of using his taxpayer-funded congressional staff to do personal errands for him -- like check his stock prices, help his son register for college classes -- or score him sweet tickets to a Rolling Stones concert:

Miller learned in May 2002 that the band was coming to Edison Field in Anaheim that October.

"Per his instructions, we are checking with city officials, Edison contacts, etc., to see what we can come up with," an e-mail written by an aide to Miller's chief of staff states.

A few days later, the staff was told by Miller's chief of staff to look for tickets to a Staples Center concert as well, according to e-mails. By May 29, a Miller staffer had prepared a memo outlining four options for getting tickets. The most promising was for the Edison Field show.

Gary Miller

CA Rep Invests The Easy Way

Paul Kiel | July 13, 2006, 9:56AM

Today, The Hill reports that Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA) has gone beyond the real estate schemes of his peers. That tired old scheme of buying a property and then earmarking funds for a nearby highway? Miller's moved beyond it. Not that Miller himself hasn't done that - it's just that his real estate prowess extends beyond such simple deals.

Try this on for size:

Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) took out nearly $7.5 million in promissory notes in 2004 from his top campaign contributor and business partner, Lewis Operating Corp., which he used to purchase real estate from the company....

Shaun Martin, a law professor at the University of San Diego who specializes in professional ethics, said Miller’s business arrangement with Lewis “screams out” as an abuse and is particularly troubling because the land deals were seller-financed.

“Oftentimes, those are particularly ethically troubling and particularly dangerous because oftentimes those loans are non-recourse loans. … The only thing [the lender] can go after is the property itself.”

If the land turns out to be vacant land that for some reason cannot be developed, Martin said, its fair market value could end up being less than the amount of the mortgage.

“If the property goes south, the elected official doesn’t lose money. In essence, he gets to gamble with someone else’s money — harkening back to the days in which investment banks used to let elected politicians buy stock, and if they lost money the brokerage would make it up for them.”