QUOTE
Democratic Party files ethics complaint citing Romney use of jet
December 5, 2005
BOSTON --The Massachusetts Democratic Party is asking the state Ethics Commission to rule on Gov. Mitt Romney's decision to fly to California last week on a corporate jet owned by a leading pharmaceutical firm.
Also aboard the aircraft were three representatives for Pfizer Inc., owner of the $40 million Gulfstream V. Romney and state lawmakers are considering enactment of a universal health insurance law.
Romney's trip included a three-day meeting of the Republican Governors Association during which he was elected the group's chairman for the next year. The RGA arranged the transporation, Romney aides have said.
Under federal campaign finance law, a corporation such as Pfizer can provide the use of an aircraft to a political group such as the RGA, so long as it calculates the full cost of the trip, and the recipient discloses it to the Internal Revenue Service as an in-kind contribution.
The Democratic Party is asking the commission whether Romney violated the state's conflict of interest law.
"It's outrageous that this governor would fly to California on a jet provided by one of the country's leading drug companies while serious leaders back home are working to reform our health care system," Democratic Party spokeswoman Cyndi Roy said in a statement.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Romney broke no ethics law. He said Romney told the Ethics Commission that he and his aides would be receiving transportation provided by the Republican Governors Association before taking the trip.
"Gov. Romney is confident this frivolous complaint will be dismissed as political grandstanding," Fehrnstrom said in a statement. "Travel on private aircraft for attendance at party meetings is accepted practice followed by Democrat and Republican party organizations."
The commission typically does not comment on a complaint unless a ruling is made.
December 5, 2005
BOSTON --The Massachusetts Democratic Party is asking the state Ethics Commission to rule on Gov. Mitt Romney's decision to fly to California last week on a corporate jet owned by a leading pharmaceutical firm.
Also aboard the aircraft were three representatives for Pfizer Inc., owner of the $40 million Gulfstream V. Romney and state lawmakers are considering enactment of a universal health insurance law.
Romney's trip included a three-day meeting of the Republican Governors Association during which he was elected the group's chairman for the next year. The RGA arranged the transporation, Romney aides have said.
Under federal campaign finance law, a corporation such as Pfizer can provide the use of an aircraft to a political group such as the RGA, so long as it calculates the full cost of the trip, and the recipient discloses it to the Internal Revenue Service as an in-kind contribution.
The Democratic Party is asking the commission whether Romney violated the state's conflict of interest law.
"It's outrageous that this governor would fly to California on a jet provided by one of the country's leading drug companies while serious leaders back home are working to reform our health care system," Democratic Party spokeswoman Cyndi Roy said in a statement.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said Romney broke no ethics law. He said Romney told the Ethics Commission that he and his aides would be receiving transportation provided by the Republican Governors Association before taking the trip.
"Gov. Romney is confident this frivolous complaint will be dismissed as political grandstanding," Fehrnstrom said in a statement. "Travel on private aircraft for attendance at party meetings is accepted practice followed by Democrat and Republican party organizations."
The commission typically does not comment on a complaint unless a ruling is made.