" ...Named to direct the PAC was Julia Willis-Leon, a former Las Vegas wedding planner. Willis-Leon is [Rep. Jerry]Lewis’s stepdaughter by dint of Lewis’s marriage to her mother, Arlene Willis. Arlene Willis is also Lewis’s staff director.[14]
"The PAC, Barbara Bonfiglio was PAC treasurer, raised $121,550 during the 2006 election cycle and spent $88,498 (though October 18, 2006). Less than 20 percent of the PAC’s expenditures ($15,600) were for contributions to candidates or committees, while the rest was spent on overhead and fundraising. More than 60 percent of the expenditures ($56,012) went to Willis-Leon.[15]
"...[Julia]Willis-Leon also received “$40,000 to $50,000” between mid-2005 and mid-2006 from lobbying firm Potomac Partners DC to provide strategic advice to the firm, according to Potomac Partners’ President Richard Alcade. As of mid-2006, at least six of Alcade’s 13 clients had business before Lewis’s committee.[16]..."
Marian Ilitch's casino syndication partner Michael J. Malik has history with these individuals:
- He's a donor/pal to Rep. Lewis and wants to build casinos in Barstow which is often part of Lewis' district.
- Barbara Bonfiglio signed him for lobbying representation by her firm Williams & Jensen but she was PAC treasurer for each of these members and others. She quit her firm abruptly and went into hiding. When Bonfiglio's name surfaced in various investigations Malik left her firm and went to Richard Alcalde, who had just formed Potomac Partners DC.
- As it ends up Alcalde's practices are under scrutiny as well. The Washington Post revealed Alcalde had retained Rep. Lewis step-daughter as an on-call consultant and that half of Alcalde's clients had business before House Appropriations which was chaired by Rep. Lewis at the time.
- Alcalde hired the young inexperienced son of Rep. John Doolittle's top political operative John Feliz (also a top advisor to former Rep. Richard Pombo) to help him represent Malik, Ilitch interests (MJM Enterprises and Shinnecock Indian Nation). Malik retained the young man under seperate cover to work on matters for Malik affiliate Blue Water Resorts too.
[14] Jerry Kammer, “Contractor Adds Layer to Rep. Lewis Sphere,” Copley News Service, June 24, 2006.
[15] Public Citizen analysis of Federal Election Commission records provided by the Center for Responsive Politics (available at www.opensecrets.org). See also, Jerry Kammer, “Contractor Adds Layer to Rep. Lewis Sphere,” Copley News Service, June 24, 2006.
[16] Charles R. Babcock, “Relative of Hill Panel Chairman Scrutinized,” Washington Post, June 18, 2006
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