When Elected to Congress, I Pledge...

MARIA’S PLEDGE TO RUN AN HONEST, OPEN, AND ETHICAL CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE

WHEN ELECTED, I, MARIA CHAPPELLE-NADAL, PLEDGE:

• To never hire a family member to work in my official House office.
• To never pay a single dollar of campaign contributions to any of my relatives.
• To never use unexpended funds from my House budget to pay official staff members year-end bonuses.
• To never pay a single official staff member a salary greater than the current average for that position in the House.
• To never hire any college intern whose parents have contributed to my campaign, and to pay every intern a reasonable stipend.
• To never concurrently employ a member of my official House staff as either a paid employee or unpaid volunteer on my campaign staff.
• To never request, vote on, or otherwise advocate for federal funding for any for-profit or nonprofit organization owned, operated, or managed by a close relative of mine.
• To post on my website, for every bill I introduce or cosponsor, the names of any organization and/or lobbying firm that advocated for the bill to me or a member of my staff; and, for bills I introduce, any organization and/or lobbying firm that participated in helping to draft the bill.
• To post on my website the salaries and resumes, including all relevant experience and education, of each of the individuals on my official House staff, both in Washington, DC, and in Missouri – as well as full job descriptions of what exactly each one does for the people of the First District.
• To post on my website, within 30 days of the end of each quarter, my official schedule – including my daily time of arrival and departure from the Capitol complex or district office – of all official meetings, events, and activities from the previous quarter.

WHY THIS PLEDGE MATTERS

• While it is illegal for a Member of Congress to hire an immediate family member such as a spouse or a child, a few Members use federal funds to employ other relatives. Too many times, those relatives do not have the necessary skills and background the position requires. In order to avoid such impropriety – or even the appearance of it – Maria will not hire any relatives to work in her official House office.
• Citizen watchdog groups have said that Members of Congress are “corrupt” if they transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars of campaign contributions to relatives or vote to give federal funding to organizations run by family members. To show that she will be a different kind of representative, Maria will not give any campaign contributions – in any amount – to any relative. And Maria will not submit, vote on, or otherwise advocate for any legislation that would financially benefit any of her close relatives.
• Each Member of Congress is given a specific amount of money each year in order to represent their constituents. That money is limited, and it is vital that each dollar be used to maximize services and effective representation. Some Members pay exorbitant salaries, especially to their close friends and relatives. In addition, some Members hold back using all of that money for their constituents, so that, at the end of the year, they can show “unexpended funds” – and then hand out bonuses to their staff. Both practices are considered to be egregious by good-government groups, and Maria agrees. She will use each and every dollar of her Congressional budget on providing the best representation to her constituents: she will pay each staff member no more than the Congressional average for that position, and will not pay any bonuses.
• The chance to work in a Congressional office is an important way many students who do not come from privileged backgrounds make connections and begin to build their careers. The few slots that are open in each office are too important to those students to hand out as thank-yous to the children of campaign contributors. In addition, some Members do not pay their interns, even though interns work hard and often commit to full-time schedules. Maria will select each intern based on merit, and pay each intern a reasonable stipend.
• U.S. House rules prohibit government employees from working on campaigns during business hours and using official resources. Most Members require employees who wish to work on campaigns to temporarily resign their government positions, giving up salary and benefits, for the duration of their time on the campaign. However, some Members allow their employees to work on campaigns – even as paid staffers – concurrently. This creates too many opportunities for ethical violations, and at the very least, appears to be improper. Maria will not allow anyone from her official staff to work on her campaign unless the staff member takes a leave of absence from their government position.
• Lobbyists, unions, business owners, and others often meet – in secret – with Members of Congress and their staff to ask for their support on legislation that would benefit them. While everyone deserves the chance to be heard by their representatives, constituents deserve to know who is influencing their Member, and how. When she introduces or cosponsors a bill, Maria will make public any meetings she or her staff have had with anyone in relation to that bill.
• Constituents have a right to know who exactly their representative has hired to work in their official office, what exactly makes them qualified for the position, and what it is they do all day. Some Members of Congress have several “low-show” or “no-show” positions they hand out as political favors, paying people either not to show up, or to show up to do little more than collect a paycheck. Maria will make public all information about who she hires, why, and what they do for the people of the First District.
• Constituents also have a right to know if their representative is on the job, in the office, and at work for the people. Some Members of Congress don’t even arrive at the Capitol complex for work until afternoon, and rarely put in more than a three- or four-hour day. The rest of their time is taken up with golf games, naps, social events, and dialing for dollars. Maria will make public her official schedule, noting all meetings, hearings, briefings, and other activities – including her “time sheet” – so that her employers, the people of the First District, know that what she does all day is to work hard for them.

To be a different kind of representative, you need to show that you are different – and not just claim to be. By making – and by following – this pledge, that’s exactly what Maria will do.

Please contribute to our campaign for change HERE.

PAID FOR BY CHAPPELLE-NADAL FOR CONGRESS

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Chappelle-Nadal for CongressPO Box 300254St Louis, MO 63130
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