CREW FILES FEC COMPLAINT AGAINST FORMER SEN. SANTORUM STAFFERS

16 May 2006 // Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that two former staffers for Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) violated several provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA). CREW also sent a copy of the complaint to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania for possible investigation.

In late April, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that John Dick and Joseph Kuklis, who handled business outreach in Santorum’s Pittsburgh office, left the Senator to open up their own lobbying shop, GSP Consulting Corp. (GSP), in the same building where Sen. Santorum maintains his Pittsburgh office. GSP started a political action committee (PAC) and landed $35 million in appropriations by acting as middlemen between clients and the Pennsylvania congressional delegation.

GSP Consulting and the law firm of Houston Harbaugh formed a joint venture, Houston Harbaugh Legislative Services (HHLS). Both GSP and HHLS created PACs, but neither reported the affiliation in any FEC filing.