Business Blog

A Washington Post investigation called “Capitol Assets” names members of Congress who have helped direct more than $300 million in earmarks to dozens of public projects for work in close proximity to commercial and residential real estate owned by them or their family members. Mississippi’s Rep. Bennie Thompson and Rep. Roger Wicker were named in [...]

See Nov. 16 post, “Rep. Bennie Thompson noted in ‘Funds for Favors’ report Information in the new book “Throw Them All Out” by Peter Schweizer, a fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, suggests that Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson created a 2010 earmark benefiting a small California airport to appease Rep.  Nancy Pelosi, who had helped [...]

A new report called “Funds for Favors” authored by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asserts that heading a committee in the U.S. House of Representatives brings rewards beyond the chance to write important bills. The group found that as House members grow in power and seniority, the industries they are responsible for [...]

By Amy McCullough The MBJ received a prompt response from Thompson’s office. My conversation with Congressman Thompson: Do you plan to run for reelection? I do plan to run for reelection. You have been friends with Hudson’s family and her father Victor McTeer for a long time? I’ve known him ever since he came to [...]

By Amy McCullough Greenville Mayor Heather McTeer Hudson recently announced she was running for Congress in Bennie Thompson’s district. Is Thompson running? Thompson’s office returned a call to the MBJ this morning regarding an interview, but at press time none had been scheduled. For the moment at least, we’ll have to keep guessing. UPDATE (11:20 [...]