'Pombo aide under fire for finances'

Contra Costa Times: Pombo aide under fire for finances (source)

"Rep. Richard Pombo's top aide might have violated congressional ethics rules by not correctly reporting all of his outside political work and making too much money from California campaigns and consultants, the aide said Friday.

Steven Ding regularly worked for candidates and organizations with close ties to Pombo, a Tracy Republican who is chairman of the House Resources Committee.

Ding's admission, in response to a Times investigation of his activities, raises questions about his outside work and a special arrangement under which Pombo has allowed him to spend more than $87,000 in taxpayer money on travel, meals and lodging during the past three years.

Despite being chief of staff to the Washington-based Resources Committee, and being paid more than $150,000 a year from the committee's budget, Ding works primarily from California and commutes to Capitol Hill at taxpayers' expense when the committee is in session." (more-at-source)