Gulen politicians and the trips keep on rolling.......

Below is just a small example of the money spent by Gulen Lobbying front groups: Council of Turkic American Associations, Istanbul Center, Maryland institute for Dialogue, Rumi Forum, Pacifica Institute and maniy many more.  This is all public record that must be reported by members of Congress.  The amount of trips, awards to these politicians is staggering, we could feed many poor families in Turkey with this.  However, as many would say it is American money they are using via taxes intended for public education siphoned off and money laundered through their various front groups.  Some politicians are very naive about the Gulen Movement and just believe they are a bunch of nice guys promoting dialogue and others are finding out every day about the dangers of the Turkish Lobbying aka the Gulen Movement.
You can find updated information on Legistorm.com

http://turkishinvitations.weebly.com/congressional-turkey-trips.html

March 19, 2011 last updated June 21, 2011
by C.A.S.I.L.I.P.S. - Citizens Against Special Interest Lobbying in Public Schools

Summary

- based on information from Legistorm website, accessed June 20, 2011
- search covered period 01/01/2000 - 06/20/2011

Sponsor of Congressional Travel	Total value	# Trips	# Dem	# Rep
Council of Turkic American Associations	$26,660	9	7	2
Institute of Interfaith Dialog for World Peace	$26,160	10	2	8
Istanbul Center	$5,171	1	1	0
Maryland Institute for Dialogue	$20,995	8	4	4
Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations (MAFTAA)	$35,513	13	13	0
Pacifica Institute	$16,840	7	4	3
Rumi Forum for Interfaith Dialogue	$76,390	24	10	14
Turkish American Federation of Midwest	$46,718	17	15	2
Turkish Confederation of Businessmen and Industrialists (TUSKON)	$30,682	9	5	3
Turkish Cultural Center New York	$29,990	11	6	5
Turquoise Council of Americans and Eurasians	$67,378	19	4	15
Total	$382,497	128	71	56

Here are details for each sponsor:

Institute of Interfaith Dialog for World Peace

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Carter, Rep. John	Rep	TX	Alsup, Christopher William (Chris)	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Carter, Rep. John	Rep	TX	Stalnaker, Ryan D.	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Conaway, Rep. Mike	Rep	TX	Balzano, Paul N.	08/07/09-08/20/09	$2,680.00
Conaway, Rep. Mike	Rep	TX	Graves, Scott C.	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Hall, Rep. Ralph	Rep	TX	Schell, Christopher R. (Chris)	08/07/09-08/21/09	$2,250.00
Heinrich, Rep. Martin	Dem	NM	Samp, Anthony Pasquale (Tony)	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Johnson, Rep. Sam	Rep	TX	Williams, Mark Ramon	08/08/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00
Johnson, Rep. Sam	Rep	TX	Ray, Lindsey	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,670.00
Oberstar, Rep. Jim	Dem	MN	Cronin, Mary C.	08/22/09-08/30/09	$2,480.00
Roskam, Rep. Peter	Rep	IL	Johnson, Brigitta A.	08/07/09-08/15/09	$2,680.00

Maryland Institute for Dialog

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Brady, Rep. Bob	Dem	PA	Barcliff, Nicole E.	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00
Baird, Rep. Brian	Dem	WA	Austin, Lisa Ann td>	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00
Cohen, Rep. Steve	Dem	TN	Cooks, Shirley W.	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,745.00
Campbell, Rep. John Bayard Taylor	Rep	CA	Kaplan, Caitlin Horton	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00
Baldwin, Rep. Tammy Green	Dem	TWi	Murat, William M. (Bill)	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,725.00
Foxx, Rep. Virginia	Rep	NC	Poole, William Todd (Todd)	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00
Whitfield, Rep. Ed	Rep	KY	Robertson, James E.	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,775.00
Bachus, Rep. Spencer	Rep	AL	Staley, Michael Christopher	08/04/07-08/11/07	$2,550.00

Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations - MAFTAA

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Butterfield, Rep. G.K.	Dem	NC	Lilley, Laurence E. (Lee)	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
Chandler, Rep. Ben	Dem	KY	Krimm, Jennifer	04/22/11-04/28/11	$2,930.00
Connolly, Rep. Gerry	Dem	VA	Walkinshaw, James R.	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
Critz, Rep. Mark	Dem	PA	Mazonkey, Matthew Stephen (Matt)	11/05/10-11/12/10	$2,679.00
Hagan, Sen. Kay	Dem	NC	Peña, Roger J.	11/05/10-11/13/10	$2,159.00
Kissell, Rep. Larry	Dem	NC	Pfister, Zachary S. (Zach)	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
McIntyre, Rep. Mike	Dem	NC	Helms, Kaitlin	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
Moran, Rep. Jim	Dem	VA	Durrer, Austin John	11/05/10-11/12/10	$2,679.00
Moran, Rep. Jim	Dem	VA	Garofalo, Thomas M. (Tom)	11/05/10-11/12/10	$2,679.00
Nye, Rep. Glenn	Dem	VA	Ross, Daniel E. (Dan)	11/05/10-11/13/10	$2,509.00
Price, Rep. David	Dem	NC	Hildebrand, Asher Deva	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,930.00
Shuler, Rep. Heath	Dem	NC	Fishman, Julie M.	11/05/10-11/13/10	$2,679.00
Webb, Sen. Jim	Dem	VA	Reagan, Paul J.	11/05/10-11/13/10	$2,549.00

Pacifica Institute / West America Turkic Council

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Coffman, Rep. Mike	Rep	CO	Mandelson, Paul Winslow	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,452.00
Young, Rep. Don	Rep	AK	Raabe, Aprille C.	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,452.00
Young, Rep. Don	Rep	AK	Suslavich, Jason R.	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,452.00
Bass, Rep. Karen	Dem	CA	Wood, Jennifer Punsalan (Jenny)	04/22/11-05/01/11	$2,452.00
Filner, Rep. Bob	Dem	CA	Filner, Rep. Bob	04/15/11-04/24/11	$3,700.00
Grijalva, Rep. Raúl	Dem	AZ	Guerrero, Bertha Alisia	04/15/11-04/24/11	$2,452.00
Filner, Rep. Bob	Dem	CA	Filner, Rep. Bob	12/22/10-12/31/10	$880.00

Rumi Forum

Congressman/Approver	Party	State	Traveler/Staffer	Dates	Cost
Berry, Rep. Marion	Dem	AR	Causey, Christopher Chad (Chad)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Boehner, Rep. John	Rep	OH	Herrle, Cynthia Anne (Cindy)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Coleman, Sen. Norm	Rep	MN	Navarro, Ana M.	08/16/05-08/23/05	$2,410.00
Davis, Rep. Susan A.	Dem	CA	Hazard, William Daniel (Daniel)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Davis, Rep. Tom	Rep	VA	Bennett, Aimee Brooke (Brooke)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Fallin, Rep. Mary	Rep	OK	Weatherford, Austin Blake	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Fallin, Rep. Mary	Rep	OK	Weintz, Alexander H. (Alex)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Grijalva, Rep. Raúl	Dem	AZ	Montano, Gloria I.	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Hensarling, Rep. Jeb	Rep	TX	Buchanan, Michael Dee (Dee)	08/16/08-08/23/08	$3,430.00
Jones, Rep. Walter B.	Rep	NC	Downs, Glen Alan	08/16/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Kind, Rep. Ron	Dem	WI	Spaziani, Kathryn J. (Kate)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
King, Rep. Pete Rep	Rep	NY	Gundersen, Kevin	08/16/08-08/23/08	$3,350.00
Lucas, Rep. Frank D.	Rep	OK	Scott, Margaret Nicole (Nicole)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
McCollum, Rep. Betty	Dem	MN	McCollum, Rep. Betty	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
McCollum, Rep. Betty	Dem	MN	Rashid, Lina Choudhry	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Meeks, Rep. Gregory	Dem	NY	Williams, Jihad Saleh (Saleh)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Rogers, Rep. Mike	Rep	MI	Keiser, Andrew Justin (Andy)	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Royce, Rep. Ed	Rep	CA	Strupp, Hunter McLane	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Schmidt, Rep. Jean	Rep	OH	Bennett, Barry Patrick	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00
Tancredo, Rep. Tom	Rep	CO	Houlton, Tyler Q.	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Thompson, Rep. Bennie	Dem	MS	Pluviose-Fenton, Veronique	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,390.00
Thompson, Rep. Bennie	Dem	MS	Salayandia-Darmanin, Marisela (Marisela)	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,390.00
Udall, Rep. Mark Emery	Dem	CO	Salazar, Alan	05/24/08-06/01/08	$3,020.00
Whitfield, Rep. Ed	Rep	KY	Sparkman, John Stephen	08/15/08-08/23/08	$3,400.00

It is baffling that while the Rumi Forum spent at least $73,980 (and the actual value of these trips may be greater than the declared value) to pay for trips of Congressional staffers and one Congresswoman in the year 2008, nevertheless it declared on its 2008 IRS Form 990 $0 in expenses for "Payments of travel or entertainment expenses for any federal, state or local public officials." Even supposing that perhaps Congressional staffers are not legally classified by the IRS as "public officials," Congresswoman Betty McCollum certainly was. The Rumi Forum also declared $0 in "lobbying" expenses.

Does the IRS truly accept that all these Congressional trips are not lobbying, but rather just "educational"? Not to mention all the other activities that politicians are invited to - seminars, conferences, dinners,...