Barack Obama’s Ongoing Ethics Troubles

Barack Obama, the popular Illinois senator and top Democratic presidential candidate, has evidently violated Congressional ethics rules by using his taxpayer-funded Capitol Hill office for campaign activities.

Obama apparently met with his chief political and media adviser, David Axelrod, in his Capitol Hill office and a popular web site has posted a color picture of the violation. Congressional rules forbid the use of federal office space for any kind of campaign or political activity.

Although Obama has made ethics a key issue in his presidential campaign, this isn’t the first time he contradicts his own motto with questionable ethics. Last month he admitted purchasing stocks in obscure companies that donated generously to his senatorial campaign and that he later helped by pushing favorable legislation.

Obama had no problem taking $10,000 from one of the company’s principal investors although the man is the target of a federal public corruption investigation involving New York’s State Senate majority leader Joseph Bruno.

Last December, the Illinois senator accepted big campaign contributions from a shady political fundraiser indicted for taking hefty kickbacks on government deals. Obama was also involved in a questionable real estate deal with the Chicago businessman who he still considers a good friend.

With this long string of questionable ethics, it’s no wonder that Obama thinks nothing of holding – and photographing–political meetings in his Capitol Hill office even if it is against Congressional rules.