Good Lord.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is the Democrat who represents the District of Columbia in the House of Representatives. She also serves on the Committee on Homeland Security, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure . So while she can’t vote in the House, she definitely swings some weight around.

Apparently Congresswoman Holmes Norton decided it was unacceptable that one lobbyist who had donated to other members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure had failed to provide a similar donation to her campaign. So she called the lobbyist’s office and left a voicemail message. Bad move.

The audio was sent to Andrew Breitbart by the lobbyist who Holmes Norton had contacted. You can listen here. In the clip you’ll hear the Congresswoman flat-out insisting on a cash contribution to her campaign from the lobbyist. She even provides the P.O. Box where the check can be sent and promises to follow-up with a letter.

See, this is a problem, because soliciting contributions with the promise of some government benefit is illegal under both United States law and House ethics rules. If she made the call from federal property, she’s in even deeper crap.

I’ve posted the transcript, courtesy of BigGovernment.com, below. The website says it has attempted to contact Holmes Norton’s office but has yet to receive a response.

This is, uh, Eleanor Norton, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton. Uh, I noticed that you have given to uh, other colleagues on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I am a, um, Senior Member, a twenty year veteran and am Chair of the Sub-committee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. I’m handling the largest economic development project in the United States now, the Homeland Security Compound of three buildings being built on the uh, old St. Elizabeth’s hospital site in the District of Columbia along with uh, fifteen other, uh, sites here for, that are part of the stimulus .

I was, frankly, uh, uh, surprised to see that we don’t have a record, so far as I can tell, of your having given to me despite my uh, long and deep uh, work. In fact, it’s been my major work, uh, on the committee and sub-committee it’s been essentially in your sector.

I am, I’m simply candidly calling to ask for a contribution. As the senior member of the um, committee and a sub-committee chair, we have (chuckles) obligations to raise, uh funds. And, I think it must have been me who hasn’t, frankly, uh, done my homework to ask for a contribution earlier. So I’m trying to make up for it by asking for one now, when we particularly, uh, need, uh contributions, particularly those of us who have the seniority and chairmanships and are in a position to raise the funds.

I’m asking you to give to Citizens for Eleanor Holmes Norton, PO Box 70626, DC, 20024. I’ll send you a follow-up note with appreciation for having heard me out. Thanks again.

Eleanor Holmes Norton was elected to Congress in 1990; she’s no freshman. She should understand both the rules and the law.