Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has called on U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to appoint a special counsel to investigate allegations that Westar Energy Inc. made contributions to political groups linked with four prominent House Republicans last year in return for legislative favors, as well as donations to Ashcroft.

“I believe that the appointment of a special counsel is warranted because it not only involves allegations of wrongdoing by high-ranking [House] Republican officials, but because you [Ashcroft] are directly conflicted because you have received campaign contributions for your last Senate race” from officials associated with Kansas City-based Westar Energy, wrote Conyers in a letter to Ashcroft.

The House lawmaker claims that Ashcroft, a former senator from Missouri, received an estimated $2,500 in contributions from Westar Energy lobbyists and officials before leaving the Senate for his current post in 2001.

The special counsel should have “no ties to the Republican Party or the Bush administration” in order to ensure a fair investigation of these “troubling events,” Conyers said.

Westar Energy officials are alleged to have donated $56,500 to campaign committees, including some associated with House Majority Leader Tom Delay of Texas, House Energy and Commerce Chairman W.J. “Billy” Tauzin of Louisiana, House Energy Subcommittee Chairman Joe Barton of Texas and House Banking Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama.

With the political contributions, the energy company apparently had hoped “our grandfather provision” addressing repeal of the Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA) would be inserted during consideration of broad-based energy legislation on Capitol Hill last year. Barton allegedly had put a Westar Energy-favorable amendment into the energy bill, but then withdrew it when the company became the target of an unrelated grand jury investigation.

The House leaders have denied there was any connection between Westar Energy’s donations and the positions they espoused during the debate on energy legislation last year.

Details of the contributions were revealed in a series of e-mails written by Westar Energy executives, which came to light during an internal review that was conducted by a special committee (see NGI, June 9).

Westar Energy’s board of directors formed the special panel in response to grand jury subpoenas received from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Topeka in September 2002. The subpoenas demanded the production of documents and information related to the use of Westar’s aircraft, the activities of David Witting who at the time was the company’s chairman, president and CEO; and other questionable activities at the energy company.

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