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Weller Calls It Quits

Jerry Weller, Republican Congressman from Illinois and son-in-law of an accused criminal against humanity, Efrain Rios Montt has decided to pack it in. He says he wants to spend more time with his family [ed. note: Can't any retiring politician come up with a less cliched excuse?].

D'ya think any of it has to do with this?

His troubles began when a Chicago Tribune investigation showed Weller did not report several Nicaraguan land deals in congressional ethics statements, and that Weller reported higher purchase prices on other transactions in the U.S. than were reported in Nicaragua.

The Tribune then reported that Weller's wife, Guatemalan congresswoman Zury Rios de Weller, had set up a nonprofit corporation in Illinois whose
board also included Jerry Weller's mother, brother and business associate.

That led to questions about whether Weller should report his wife's finances to Congress. He has claimed an exemption from the rule, saying he knows nothing about her economic situation and doesn't contribute to or benefit from it.

"My husband never would do something illegal," Zury Rios de Weller told the Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre this week.

No of course he wouldn't and I'm sure that her father was a benevolent soul who just had to napalm the Mayans. She makes me sick, but I'm glad he's quitting. He has other problems as well.

Weller is among 13 congressmen who were recently served subpoenas to testify for the defense in a case against a contractor accused of bribing jailed former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, a Republican from California. None of the members served, including Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, plans to comply.

I'm sure that if things get too hot for him here, he can get his suegro to arrange for a place for him to live on Lake Atitlan.

Cross-posted at Beautiful Horizons

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