A watchdog group says the 15 trips that Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, took in 1991-92 to sites from England to Miami were junkets financed by groups seeking influence.
Hatch counters that they were far from vacations but were usually quick, all-business trips to give speeches that he hoped would persuade those private groups to support him.Public Citizen, a group founded by consumer advocate Ralph Nader, said Hatch took the seventh highest number of privately funded trips of the 100 senators during the 102nd Congress of 1991-92.
Former Sen. Jake Garn, R-Utah, ranked 29th in trips, taking eight privately funded trips during that time.
"While lawmakers defend their outings as necessary excursions, far too many appear to be junkets designed to give special interests the edge on Capitol Hill," Joan Claybrook, president of Public Citizen, said as she released the report Thursday.
"While these kinds of trips may be considered acceptable by special interests and Washington insiders, they raise serious questions in the minds of most ordinary citizens, who are already weary of the cozy relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers," she said.
However, aides to Hatch noted that 10 of the 15 trips he took were for only one day. "He's not playing golf or vacationing like some members do. He gives speeches and comes back," said Evan Liddiard, Hatch's legislative director.
Paul Smith, Hatch's press secretary, added, "The trips he makes to give speeches is part of the information process. The group requesting to hear the speech gets to hear what his legislation is all about and, in turn, the senator is able to generate support for that bill."
Of Hatch's 15 privately funded trips, five were to Los Angeles, four were to New York and the remaining trips were to Toronto, London, Chicago, Miami and Orlando, Fla.
Six of the sponsors, such as the Pfizer and Glaxo drug companies, had interest in health issues overseen by the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, on which Hatch was then the ranking Republican.
Six other sponsors, such as MCA communications and the National Center for State Courts, had interest in matters before the Senate Judiciary Committee, on which Hatch is now ranking Republican.
In past years, private groups could not only pay for such trips to hear speeches but could also pay senators up to $2,000 cash per speech. Such honorariums have been outlawed, but senators may still have them donated to charities in their name.
"The senator does that, and sees it as a way to help Utah charities," Smith said.
Claybrook's group wants to ban all privately funded trips. She said if the trips are truly necessary, taxpayers will not object to paying.
Smith said Hatch does not make such trips. He said his speeches and question-and-answer periods help him build support for bills, and to craft them in ways to overcome opposition.
Public Citizen also attacked Garn's trips in another study, saying that two trips funded by Huntsman Chemical Corp. when he was a senator may be a sign of big companies acquiring influence on Capitol Hill by later hiring friendly senators. Garn is now vice chairman of Huntsman Chemical.
Garn scoffed at that idea, saying the Huntsman trips he took were not fun but were for work or charity. One was to help dedicate a plant in Armenia to build housing for earthquake victims; the other was to address a conference in New York City.
Garn said none of his legislative work ever hinged on gift trips.
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(Chart)
Destinations and who picked up the tabs
15 trips by Sen. Orrin Hatch in 1991-92 and the groups that paid for them
Destination length sponsor
New York City 1 day Coaltn Preserve Intgrty Amer. Trdmrks
London, Eng. 3 days Pfizer (a pharmaceutical company)
New York City 1 day The Equitable (insurance company)
Miami 1 day City of Miami
Los Angeles 5 days Pepperdine University
New York City 2 days Quantum Restaurant Group
Chicago 1 day Univ. of Chicago Law Federalist Soc.
Los Angeles 1 day Stephen Wise Temple (Jewish group)
Los Angeles 1 day Sunrider International (health foods)
New York City 1 day American Benefits Conference
Orlando, Fla. 1 day National Center for State Courts
Toronto, Canada 4 days LaFarge Corp. (a cement company)
Raleigh, N.C. 1 day Glaxo (a drug company)
Los Angeles 4 days MCA Inc. (a communications company)
Los Angeles 1 day Sunrider International