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| Sheila Lee Jackson Texas Congresswoman receives $16,000 in bribes from Texas Gulen Harmony Public Schools |
A U.S. Congresswoman received a bundle of $16,000 in campaign
contributions from ten employees of a high-tech Texas charter school system
that also receives federal grants.
Rep. Sheila Lee Jackson, D-Texas, reported receiving $16,000 in campaign
contributions from Texas employees of Harmony Public Schools, which
has 15% if its employees in the United States on H1-B work visas, most from
Turkey. Yetkin Yildirim, superintendent of the charter school system, founded
the school in 2000 saying that math and science courses in the U.S. were less
rigorous than in Turkish schools. Rep. Jackson also reported $35,000 from
physicians in the Houston area.
Rep. Jackson has been a strong supporter of the visa programs,
including those for foreign medical students, physicians and high-tech workers.
Rep. Jackson sits on the House Judiciary Committee and its subcommittee on
Immigration Policy and Enforcement.
Jackson’s campaign
committee reported receiving $100,550 and spending $24,198 during the fourth
quarter of 2013. The committee has $269,783 cash on hand as of 12/31. The
campaign committee received $74,050 from individuals and $26,500 from PACs.
The ten contributions from those at Harmony Schools were all
received on 10/6, and included school administrative employees with job titles,
such as, superintendent and financial manager, director, personnel specialist,
director of purchasing, administrator, IT specialist, credit manager,
technology director, network and data analyst, and project director.
In December 2012, Rep. Jackson announced the Harmony School system
had won a $29 million “Race to the Top” grant.
Rep. Jackson received an earlier bundle of Harmony School
employee checks on November 14, 2011, when her campaign received $18,100.
Harmony School employees also gave $11,600 on other dates in 2011-2012.
To search detailed money-in-politics databases, visit Political MoneyLine.
