CREW calls Richardson ‘deadbeat congresswoman’

The Congressional watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) on Tuesday fired a shot at Rep. Laura Richardson (D-Calif.), describing her financial problems as “appalling” and calling her a “deadbeat congresswoman.”

Richardson has been the subject of media scrutiny since she lost one of her three California homes to foreclosure in May. A review of state records showed that she has a long history of defaulting — a total of eight times since 2004 — on each of her three homes in the state.

{mosads}The Hill reported last week that Richardson left off her financial disclosure statement the heavily indebted mortgage of her Sacramento home, which may be a violation of House ethics rules and federal law. Over the weekend the Long Beach Press Telegram reported that Richardson has a history of unpaid car repair bills. Since those reports were aired, Richardson apparently settled some of those debts, according to Los Angeles media outlets.

While stopping short of calling for an official ethics investigation, CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan called Richardson’s financial situation “shocking.”

“Rep. Laura Richardson’s appalling financial dealings raise serious questions about her ethics,” Sloan said in a statement. “What kind of responsible adult — much less elected public official — only pays her bills when she’s called out by journalists? How can Rep. Richardson effectively represent the same people she is cheating? We all know about ‘deadbeat dads.’ Now we have a deadbeat congresswoman.

“With a history like this, there are sure to be other unpaid bills and financial irregularities yet uncovered.”

A spokeswoman for Richardson was not immediately available for comment. Richardson’s office has repeatedly refused to respond to press inquiries from The Hill.