Darrell Issa
Encyclopedia
Darrell Edward Issa is the U.S. Representative
for , and previously the 48th, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party
. He was formerly a CEO
of Directed Electronics
, the Vista, California
-based manufacturer of automobile security and convenience products. His district consists of portions of southern Riverside County
and northern San Diego County. The district was numbered as the 48th District during his first term and was renumbered the 49th after the 2000 Census. Since January 2011, he has served as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Aside from his service in Congress, Issa is also known for being a major contributor to the 2003 recall election of Governor
Gray Davis
, and a guest speaker at Republican events. His net worth has been estimated at more than $300 million, making him the richest member of Congress.
, the grandson of Lebanese immigrants. His mother was a Mormon
and his father Eastern Orthodox; he was the second of their six children. The family moved to the predominantly Jewish suburb of Cleveland Heights
later in his childhood. Many of his friends were Jewish, and Issa worked for a rabbi at one point. He became very familiar with Jewish culture.
on his 17th birthday. He served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician, defusing bombs, after having been shown a movie about soldiers in that specialty during World War II. He would later claim his unit had provided security for President Richard Nixon
, sweeping stadiums for bombs prior to games in the 1971 World Series
, and that he had always received the highest approval ratings during his service. A 1998 investigation by the San Francisco Examiner found that these claims were not true: Nixon did not attend any of that year's World Series games, and at one point Issa was transferred to a supply depot
after receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation. According to Issa, the Examiner reporter had misunderstood an anecdote he had related.
A fellow soldier, Jay Bergey, claimed that Issa stole his Dodge Charger
in 1971 while they were serving together and that, the day after he confronted Issa, the car was found abandoned on a nearby expressway. Asked about this charge in 2011, Issa denied it and suggested it was possible that other soldiers stole the car or that Bergey, who he claims had a drinking problem
, had abandoned it himself while intoxicated."
After receiving a hardship discharge in 1972 following his father's heart attack
, Issa earned his General Educational Development (GED) certificate and began taking classes at Siena Heights University
, a small Catholic college in Adrian, Michigan
. He continued his military service in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)."
Twice during that year he was arrested. In March, Issa and his brother William were charged with stealing a Maserati
from a dealer's showroom in Cleveland. Issa says it was a matter of mistaken identity
by the Cleveland Heights police; the case was later dismissed.
Before that had happened, in December 1972, police in Adrian pulled Issa over for going the wrong way on a one-way street and, as he was retrieving his registration
, saw in the car's glove compartment
what turned out to be a .25-caliber Colt
semi-automatic handgun inside an ammunition box, along with a military pouch containing 44 rounds
, a tear gas gun and two rounds for that. Issa was charged with carrying a concealed weapon; ultimately he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of possession of an unregistered firearm. He was sentenced to six months' probation
and paid a small fine. At the time Issa told police that Ohio law allowed such possession of a handgun with a justification; his was the need to protect the car and himself. Years later, he said that the car and gun were his brother's, which William Issa supported. He had been unaware of the gun's presence when inadvertently driving the car the wrong way down the alley and that, to the extent of his knowledge, there had been no ammunition present. The entire incident, he had believed, had been expunged
.
Issa later transferred to Kent State University Stark, where he completed his studies. His brother William believes this period shaped Issa's conservatism
, in contrast to the leftism that prevailed among much of the student body there. After graduating with a degree in business administration in 1976, he returned to active Army service as an officer.
He served as a tank platoon leader
and a computer research and development specialist. During this time, his performance assessments were highly positive. In 1980, while he was stationed at Fort Ord
near Monterey, California
, one of his superiors, Wesley Clark
, later a general and Democratic presidential candidate, wrote that "[t]his officer's performance far exceeded that of any other reserve officer who has worked in the battalion
." Captain Issa, he said, had "unlimited potential" and should be promoted ahead of others.
Issa decided to return to civilian life instead. A week before he was discharged, he and his brother were arrested again on theft charges. Near the end of 1979, William Issa, who by then had served federal and state prison time for theft, had sold his brother's 1976 Mercedes-Benz
sedan to a San Jose
dealership for $16,000, giving the dealer an Ohio license with Issa's name on it. Issa had soon reported the car stolen and told the police he had left the title
certificate in the trunk. Issa made conflicting statements to police about whether or not he had obtained a second license and also about his brother, whom he had recently seen at Christmas in Cleveland Heights. With the investigator suspicious that the brothers might have conspired
to commit insurance fraud
, they were indicted
. Issa said he had no knowledge of his brother's intentions; William said Issa had given him power of attorney
a few weeks beforehand and had authorized him to sell the car. Issa bought the Mercedes back from the dealership for $17,000 in February; in August, the case was dropped.
In 2011, Issa acknowledged that he had tried to cover his brother's crime, avoiding incriminating him. Both men say that William Issa planned and executed the scheme; William says Issa had "always kept the title stuff in his car". According to Issa, he remained close to his brother in spite of his brother's activities and had ridden, as a boy, with William in cars he knew must have been stolen, saying in 2011 that "I admired my brother even when he was doing wrong.... I was always the kid at his ankles."
, pooled their savings, sold their cars and borrowed $50,000 from his family to invest in Quantum Enterprises, an electronics manufacturer run by a friend from Cleveland Heights that assembled bug zapper
s, CB radio parts and other consumer products for other companies. One of those clients, car alarm
manufacturer Steal Stopper, would become the path to Issa's fortune. It was struggling badly, and he took control of it by foreclosing
a $60,000 loan he had made to it when its founder, Joey Adkins, missed a payment. Adkins remained as an employee. Issa is now worth $451 million.
with thousands of car alarms and negotiating a similar deal with Toyota. But early in the morning of September 7, 1982, the offices and factory of Quantum and Steal Stopper in the Cleveland suburb of Maple Heights
, caught fire. The fire took three hours to put out; the buildings and almost all inventory within were destroyed.
The Ohio state fire marshal
never determined a cause for the blaze. The initial theory was that it was electrical, but the insurance company came to doubt the theory when a fire analysis report it commissioned outlined evidence that the fire could be arson
. It had exhibited two distinct areas of origin, both with "suspicious burn patterns" but without any "accidental source of heating power." Investigators believed that a stack of cardboard boxes, which had burned in a manner inconsistent with an accidental fire, may have had a flammable liquid spread on them. The black smoke and blue flames generated by the fire strongly suggested the use of a hydrocarbon
-based accelerant, and the report said the same mix of four distinct hydrocarbons had been found in samples of burned material taken from different locations in the ruins. Adkins, still employed by Steal Stopper, told the insurance investigators that prior to the blaze Issa had removed not only the company's Apple II
personal computer but all hardware, software and manuals for it, as well as diskettes containing all the company's customer records and financial information. He said that silkscreens used by Steal Stopper in the production of its circuit boards had also been placed in a fireproof
box. Insurance investigators determined that a short time before the fire, Issa had more than quadrupled Steal Stopper's fire insurance coverage; they were also concerned that they could not determine the source of his initial investment in the company.
When questioned about the fire by Ryan Lizza
in a 2011 New Yorker
article, Issa dismissed some of the actions Adkins described. He had removed the computer from the building, he said, so that his lawyer could help him install new accounting software and had increased Quantum's insurance coverage on his agent
' s suggestion because Quantum was storing inventory for several of its customers. He suggested the real beneficiary was Pied Piper, a small bug-zapper maker who lost inventory in the fire and whose own facilities burned down several years later (one of the owners of that now-defunct company told Lizza he believed Issa had started the fire to destroy evidence that he had defrauded Pied Piper). According to Issa, the fire was as damaging as it had been due to the incompetence of the firefighters, who failed to discover at first that it was being fed by natural gas
from an overhead heater that had ruptured, which might have caused the blue flames attributed to arson. Had it been turned off earlier, most of what was lost could have been saved.
Quantum received $25,000 from the insurance company, but, according to Issa, Steal Stopper was refused reimbursement for inventory. A $175,000 suit against the insurance company brought by Issa was later settled for $20,000. In 2011, Issa said that the denial of inventory claims was not a result of doubt as to the cause of the fire but because the remaining inventory had been stolen by Adkins after the fire to start his own business elsewhere. Adkins acknowledged taking the inventory on the understanding that it was to have been scrapped. His brother later sold the merchandise back to Issa, who paid with a check he stopped before it could be cashed. Issa was able to get the company running again from a new location within a month.
, BMW
and General Motors
joined Ford and Toyota as customers. In 1985 Issa sold the company to a California-based maker of home alarms, and moved to the San Diego suburb of Vista
, where he has lived ever since, to work for it. Shortly afterward he left to start Directed Electronics, Inc.
(DEI).
He recorded the "Please step away from the car", warning for DEI's signature product, the Viper car alarm. Sales grew from a million dollars its first year to $14 million by 1989. DEI diversified, and eventually became one of the largest makers of aftermarket electronic automotive accessories in the U.S. As of 2004, Directed Electronics was North America's largest aftermarket
automotive electronics manufacturer. Issa divested personal interest in Directed Electronics after being elected to public office.
From his involvement in consumer-electronics trade organizations, he began to get politically active. He went to Washington to lobby Congress and became one of California's largest individual campaign contributors to Republican
candidates. In 1996 he backed the successful campaign to pass Proposition 209, a ballot initiative which prohibitted public institutions in California from considering race, sex
, or ethnicity
. He was instrumental in persuading the national Republican Party to hold its 1996 convention
in San Diego.
to run against incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer
. He backed the campaign with $10 million of his personal wealth, but lost the primary election
to California State Treasurer
Matt Fong
. Fong's campaign raised $3 million from contributions and complained that Issa's wealth made for an uneven playing field (Issa had only $400,000 in contributions). An Issa spokesman countered that the money was needed to compensate for Fong's statewide name recognition. Fong prevailed in the open primary by a margin of 22 percent to 20 percent for Issa. A San Francisco exit poll suggested that large numbers of Asian-Americans had crossed party lines to vote for Fong.
, a nine-term incumbent, announced his retirement. Issa capitalized on his name recognition from the 1998 Senate race, winning the 2000 Republican primary against State Senator Bill Morrow and the general election.
During his 2002 run for re-election, the Democrats failed to field a candidate, and his closest competition was from Libertarian
Karl Dietrich. A write-in candidate
from that election, Mike Byron, went on to become the Democratic challenger in 2004.
Issa currently serves on the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the House Judiciary Committee, and the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, of which he is the Ranking Member
.
Issa mounted an unsuccessful campaign to join the ranks of the House GOP leadership hierarchy. He finished third of the four candidates vying for the chairmanship of the House Republican Policy Committee, and was ultimately passed over in favor of Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan
.
. At the time he made the contribution, it was widely believed that Issa intended to place himself on the ballot to replace Davis. However, following the entrance of fellow Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger
into the race, two days before the filing deadline, Issa announced that he would not run. Issa later said that his mission had been accomplished since Davis was recalled and he wanted to continue representing his district in Congress and work towards Middle East
peace. When reporters raised the issue of his 1972 weapons conviction Issa responded by saying, "I don't think 30-year-old misdemeanors are fair play here."
For the recall election, Issa endorsed Schwarzenegger. At one point in the campaign he suggested that people should vote against recalling Davis unless one of the two leading Republican contenders dropped out, concerned that Schwarzenegger and fellow Republican Tom McClintock
would split votes, resulting in Democratic lieutenant governor Cruz Bustamante
taking over as Davis' successor.
and Syria
in an effort to negotiate the end of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. In 2003, he appeared at a Washington rally by Iranian groups protesting against the Islamic government in Iran
.
In 2001, Issa's district office in San Clemente was targeted in an aborted bombing plot. Jewish Defense League
leader Irving Rubin was arrested along with Earl Krugel
in connection with the plot, which reportedly had focused on other targets before shifting to Issa's office. Issa speculated that the cause of the incident may have been a column written by political commentator Debbie Schlussel
in which she charged that Issa sympathized with Hezbollah despite its being listed by the U.S. government as a terrorist
organization, charges he denied.
Issa supported the use of military force in Iraq (2002) and Afghanistan
. On 16 June 2006 he voted to reject setting timetables for withdrawal from Iraq. On 5 April 2007, Issa met with Syrian president Bashar Assad to discuss Middle East issues, one day after Assad met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
.
, Issa serves as a director of the American Task Force for Lebanon, a nonprofit organization working to advance Lebanon and its ties with the US.
In 2010, Project on Government Oversight
, a government watchdog group, awarded Issa with its Good Government Award for his contributions to government oversight and transparency. These included publicizing documents produced by the New York Federal Reserve Bank in response to a congressional subpoena, publicly exposing the New York Federal Reserve's secret "back-door bailout" of AIG
's counterparties, and cofounding a Transparency Caucus dedicated to "promoting a more open and accountable government through education, legislation, and oversight."
He is generally opposed to abortion, but has supported stem cell
research, saying that "The promise of stem cells to provide innovative treatments and cures warrants investment in more advanced research".
He voted for the authorization (and later reauthorization) of the PATRIOT Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. He voted for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act in 2005 after successfully amending it to require judicial notification, reporting requirements and facts justifying the use of roving survelliance at new facilities or places.
He voted against the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), which would prohibit employers from discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation
.
He has opposed attempts to ease restrictions on illegal immigration such as the "Blue Card" system, saying that it provides amnesty for illegal immigrants.
He claims to support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions but voted against a bill to cut them. Issa also believes that "the science community does not agree to the extent of the problem or the critical threshold of when this problem is truly catastrophic."
He has been critical of No Child Left Behind, supporting a modification that would, in his words, "give states the freedom to adopt best practices for their students by returning flexibility and control to the educators and parents who are the real experts on education".
He has signed the "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" of the Americans for Tax Reform
, an organization that opposes all tax increases.
He has endorsed Mitt Romney
's candidacy for the Republican nomination
for the 2012 presidential election
.
, published an investigation alleging that as leader of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Issa built a team that included staff members with close connections to industries that could benefit from his investigations. For instance, several had ties to big oil billionaire brothers, David and Charles Koch, whose companies could benefit from changes in regulations. The Huffington Post also published the Institute's investigation.
'that had no dirty bomb
in it, it had no chemical munitions
in it.'" He was also reported as having asked "why the firefighters who went there and everybody in the city of New York needs to come to the federal government for the dollars versus this being primarily a state consideration." In September 2009, Issa's office released a statement indicating that his comments had been misrepresented and that the questions he asked concerned unpassed bill H.R. 3543, which, according to that statement "would give U.S. taxpayer dollars to those who did not suffer physical injury and did not work at or around Ground Zero."
, Issa sent a letter to more than 150 trade associations, companies and think tanks, asking them to tell him which existing and proposed regulations would harm job growth. Liberal critics have charged that Issa was "embracing regulatory capture
." Elijah Cummings
, the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said Issa's letters were tantamount to “inviting businesses to tell us what they want us to do as opposed to protecting the American people.”
against Issa, alleging that he has repeatedly used his public office for personal financial gain. The group claimed that Issa used his position with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to intervene in dealings with Goldman Sachs
, Merrill Lynch
and others, where he had a financial interest at play. In one instance, the complaint claimed that Issa intervened in an investigation of Bank of America
's acquisition of Merrill Lynch while being a "major" customer who "bought and sold more than $200 million in Merrill Lynch mutual funds in the days after the Bank of America acquisition." Issa's office rejected the allegations and the Office of Congressional Ethics has not responded publicly to the complaint.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , and previously the 48th, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. He was formerly a CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of Directed Electronics
Directed Electronics, Inc.
Directed Electronics, Inc. , often abbreviated DEI, is a producer of car security and audio products, including Viper car alarms and accessories. It is a subsidiary of DEI Holdings.-History:...
, the Vista, California
Vista, California
Vista is a city in north San Diego County, California. It was incorporated January 28, 1963 and became a charter city on June 13, 2007. Located just seven miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County, the City of Vista has a Mediterranean climate...
-based manufacturer of automobile security and convenience products. His district consists of portions of southern Riverside County
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
and northern San Diego County. The district was numbered as the 48th District during his first term and was renumbered the 49th after the 2000 Census. Since January 2011, he has served as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.
Aside from his service in Congress, Issa is also known for being a major contributor to the 2003 recall election of Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
, and a guest speaker at Republican events. His net worth has been estimated at more than $300 million, making him the richest member of Congress.
Early life
Issa was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, the grandson of Lebanese immigrants. His mother was a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
and his father Eastern Orthodox; he was the second of their six children. The family moved to the predominantly Jewish suburb of Cleveland Heights
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The city's population was 46,121 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cleveland Heights is located at ....
later in his childhood. Many of his friends were Jewish, and Issa worked for a rabbi at one point. He became very familiar with Jewish culture.
Military career, education, and legal problems
Issa dropped out of high school and enlisted for a three-year tour in the ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
on his 17th birthday. He served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician, defusing bombs, after having been shown a movie about soldiers in that specialty during World War II. He would later claim his unit had provided security for President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, sweeping stadiums for bombs prior to games in the 1971 World Series
1971 World Series
The 1971 World Series matched the defending champion Baltimore Orioles against the Pittsburgh Pirates, with the Pirates winning in seven games. Game 4, played in Pittsburgh, was the first-ever World Series game scheduled to be played at night....
, and that he had always received the highest approval ratings during his service. A 1998 investigation by the San Francisco Examiner found that these claims were not true: Nixon did not attend any of that year's World Series games, and at one point Issa was transferred to a supply depot
Supply depot
Supply depots are a type of military installation used by armies to store battlefield supplies temporarily on or near the front lines until they can be distributed to army units....
after receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation. According to Issa, the Examiner reporter had misunderstood an anecdote he had related.
A fellow soldier, Jay Bergey, claimed that Issa stole his Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
in 1971 while they were serving together and that, the day after he confronted Issa, the car was found abandoned on a nearby expressway. Asked about this charge in 2011, Issa denied it and suggested it was possible that other soldiers stole the car or that Bergey, who he claims had a drinking problem
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, had abandoned it himself while intoxicated."
After receiving a hardship discharge in 1972 following his father's heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
, Issa earned his General Educational Development (GED) certificate and began taking classes at Siena Heights University
Siena Heights University
Siena Heights University is a Roman Catholic postsecondary institution in Adrian, Michigan. It is affiliated with the St. Joseph Academy and Montessori Children’s House.-History:...
, a small Catholic college in Adrian, Michigan
Adrian, Michigan
As of the 2010 census Adrian had a population of 21,133. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 84.1% white, 4.4% black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 5.9% from some other race and 4.0% from two or more races...
. He continued his military service in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)."
Twice during that year he was arrested. In March, Issa and his brother William were charged with stealing a Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
from a dealer's showroom in Cleveland. Issa says it was a matter of mistaken identity
Mistaken identity
Mistaken identity is a defense in criminal law which claims the actual innocence of the criminal defendant, and attempts to undermine evidence of guilt by asserting that any eyewitness to the crime incorrectly thought that they saw the defendant, when in fact the person seen by the witness was...
by the Cleveland Heights police; the case was later dismissed.
Before that had happened, in December 1972, police in Adrian pulled Issa over for going the wrong way on a one-way street and, as he was retrieving his registration
Vehicle registration
Vehicle registration is the compulsory registration of a vehicle with a government authority. Vehicle registration's purpose is to establish clear ownership and to tax motorists or vehicle owners....
, saw in the car's glove compartment
Glove compartment
A glove compartment or glovebox, also known as a little cupboard, is a compartment built into the dashboard, located over the front-seat passenger's footwell in an automobile, often used for miscellaneous storage. The name derives from the original purpose of the compartment, to store gloves...
what turned out to be a .25-caliber Colt
Colt's Manufacturing Company
Colt's Manufacturing Company is a United States firearms manufacturer, whose first predecessor corporation was founded in 1836 by Sam Colt. Colt is best known for the engineering, production, and marketing of firearms over the later half of the 19th and the 20th century...
semi-automatic handgun inside an ammunition box, along with a military pouch containing 44 rounds
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
, a tear gas gun and two rounds for that. Issa was charged with carrying a concealed weapon; ultimately he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of possession of an unregistered firearm. He was sentenced to six months' probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
and paid a small fine. At the time Issa told police that Ohio law allowed such possession of a handgun with a justification; his was the need to protect the car and himself. Years later, he said that the car and gun were his brother's, which William Issa supported. He had been unaware of the gun's presence when inadvertently driving the car the wrong way down the alley and that, to the extent of his knowledge, there had been no ammunition present. The entire incident, he had believed, had been expunged
Expungement
In the common law legal system, an expungement proceeding is a type of lawsuit in which a first time offender of a prior criminal conviction seeks that the records of that earlier process be sealed, thereby making the records unavailable through the state or Federal repositories. If successful, the...
.
Issa later transferred to Kent State University Stark, where he completed his studies. His brother William believes this period shaped Issa's conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, in contrast to the leftism that prevailed among much of the student body there. After graduating with a degree in business administration in 1976, he returned to active Army service as an officer.
He served as a tank platoon leader
Platoon leader
A platoon leader or platoon commander is the officer in command of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer — a second or first lieutenant, or an equivalent rank. The officer is usually assisted by a platoon sergeant...
and a computer research and development specialist. During this time, his performance assessments were highly positive. In 1980, while he was stationed at Fort Ord
Fort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
near Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
, one of his superiors, Wesley Clark
Wesley Clark
Wesley Kanne Clark, Sr., is a retired general of the United States Army. Graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he obtained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and later graduated from the...
, later a general and Democratic presidential candidate, wrote that "[t]his officer's performance far exceeded that of any other reserve officer who has worked in the battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
." Captain Issa, he said, had "unlimited potential" and should be promoted ahead of others.
Issa decided to return to civilian life instead. A week before he was discharged, he and his brother were arrested again on theft charges. Near the end of 1979, William Issa, who by then had served federal and state prison time for theft, had sold his brother's 1976 Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
sedan to a San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
dealership for $16,000, giving the dealer an Ohio license with Issa's name on it. Issa had soon reported the car stolen and told the police he had left the title
Title (property)
Title is a legal term for a bundle of rights in a piece of property in which a party may own either a legal interest or an equitable interest. The rights in the bundle may be separated and held by different parties. It may also refer to a formal document that serves as evidence of ownership...
certificate in the trunk. Issa made conflicting statements to police about whether or not he had obtained a second license and also about his brother, whom he had recently seen at Christmas in Cleveland Heights. With the investigator suspicious that the brothers might have conspired
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
to commit insurance fraud
Insurance fraud
Insurance fraud is any act committed with the intent to fraudulently obtain payment from an insurer.Insurance fraud has existed ever since the beginning of insurance as a commercial enterprise. Fraudulent claims account for a significant portion of all claims received by insurers, and cost billions...
, they were indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
. Issa said he had no knowledge of his brother's intentions; William said Issa had given him power of attorney
Power of attorney
A power of attorney or letter of attorney is a written authorization to represent or act on another's behalf in private affairs, business, or some other legal matter...
a few weeks beforehand and had authorized him to sell the car. Issa bought the Mercedes back from the dealership for $17,000 in February; in August, the case was dropped.
In 2011, Issa acknowledged that he had tried to cover his brother's crime, avoiding incriminating him. Both men say that William Issa planned and executed the scheme; William says Issa had "always kept the title stuff in his car". According to Issa, he remained close to his brother in spite of his brother's activities and had ridden, as a boy, with William in cars he knew must have been stolen, saying in 2011 that "I admired my brother even when he was doing wrong.... I was always the kid at his ankles."
Business career
After leaving the military, Issa and his second wife, Kathy Stanton, moved back to the Cleveland areaGreater Cleveland
Greater Cleveland is a nickname for the metropolitan area surrounding Cleveland, Ohio and is part of what used to be the Connecticut Western Reserve.Northeast Ohio refers to a similar but substantially larger area as described below...
, pooled their savings, sold their cars and borrowed $50,000 from his family to invest in Quantum Enterprises, an electronics manufacturer run by a friend from Cleveland Heights that assembled bug zapper
Bug zapper
A bug zapper, or more formally an electrical discharge insect control system is a device that attracts and kills flying insects that are attracted by light. A light source attracts insects to an electrical grid, where they are electrocuted by touching two wires with a high voltage between them...
s, CB radio parts and other consumer products for other companies. One of those clients, car alarm
Car alarm
A car alarm is an electronic device installed in a vehicle in an attempt to discourage theft of the vehicle itself, its contents, or both. Car alarms work by emitting high-volume sound when the conditions necessary for triggering are met, as well as by flashing some of the vehicle's...
manufacturer Steal Stopper, would become the path to Issa's fortune. It was struggling badly, and he took control of it by foreclosing
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
a $60,000 loan he had made to it when its founder, Joey Adkins, missed a payment. Adkins remained as an employee. Issa is now worth $451 million.
1982 factory fire
Issa soon turned Steal Stopper around, to the point that it was supplying FordFord Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
with thousands of car alarms and negotiating a similar deal with Toyota. But early in the morning of September 7, 1982, the offices and factory of Quantum and Steal Stopper in the Cleveland suburb of Maple Heights
Maple Heights, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 26,156 people, 10,489 households, and 6,964 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,039.1 people per square mile . There were 10,935 housing units at an average density of 2,106.7 per square mile...
, caught fire. The fire took three hours to put out; the buildings and almost all inventory within were destroyed.
The Ohio state fire marshal
Fire Marshal
A fire marshal, in the United States and Canada, is often a member of a fire department but may be part of a building department or a separate department altogether. Fire marshals' duties vary but usually include fire code enforcement and/or investigating fires for origin and cause...
never determined a cause for the blaze. The initial theory was that it was electrical, but the insurance company came to doubt the theory when a fire analysis report it commissioned outlined evidence that the fire could be arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. It had exhibited two distinct areas of origin, both with "suspicious burn patterns" but without any "accidental source of heating power." Investigators believed that a stack of cardboard boxes, which had burned in a manner inconsistent with an accidental fire, may have had a flammable liquid spread on them. The black smoke and blue flames generated by the fire strongly suggested the use of a hydrocarbon
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
-based accelerant, and the report said the same mix of four distinct hydrocarbons had been found in samples of burned material taken from different locations in the ruins. Adkins, still employed by Steal Stopper, told the insurance investigators that prior to the blaze Issa had removed not only the company's Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
personal computer but all hardware, software and manuals for it, as well as diskettes containing all the company's customer records and financial information. He said that silkscreens used by Steal Stopper in the production of its circuit boards had also been placed in a fireproof
Fireproofing
Fireproofing, a passive fire protection measure, refers to the act of making materials or structures more resistant to fire, or to those materials themselves, or the act of applying such materials. Applying a certification listed fireproofing system to certain structures allows these to have a...
box. Insurance investigators determined that a short time before the fire, Issa had more than quadrupled Steal Stopper's fire insurance coverage; they were also concerned that they could not determine the source of his initial investment in the company.
When questioned about the fire by Ryan Lizza
Ryan Lizza
Ryan Lizza is the Washington Correspondent for The New Yorker magazine, where he covers the White House and national politics and writes the magazine's "Letter From Washington" column...
in a 2011 New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
article, Issa dismissed some of the actions Adkins described. He had removed the computer from the building, he said, so that his lawyer could help him install new accounting software and had increased Quantum's insurance coverage on his agent
Law of agency
The law of agency is an area of commercial law dealing with a contractual or quasi-contractual, or non-contractual set of relationships when a person, called the agent, is authorized to act on behalf of another to create a legal relationship with a third party...
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
from an overhead heater that had ruptured, which might have caused the blue flames attributed to arson. Had it been turned off earlier, most of what was lost could have been saved.
Quantum received $25,000 from the insurance company, but, according to Issa, Steal Stopper was refused reimbursement for inventory. A $175,000 suit against the insurance company brought by Issa was later settled for $20,000. In 2011, Issa said that the denial of inventory claims was not a result of doubt as to the cause of the fire but because the remaining inventory had been stolen by Adkins after the fire to start his own business elsewhere. Adkins acknowledged taking the inventory on the understanding that it was to have been scrapped. His brother later sold the merchandise back to Issa, who paid with a check he stopped before it could be cashed. Issa was able to get the company running again from a new location within a month.
Move to California
Steal Stopper soon regained its previous prosperity. Car theft rose in the United States during the 1980s, and with it the demand for security devices. Rolls RoyceRolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a British manufacturer of luxury automobiles based at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England. It is the current producer of Rolls-Royce branded automobiles, whose historical production dates back to 1904. The factory is located across from the historic Goodwood Circuit...
, BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
and General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
joined Ford and Toyota as customers. In 1985 Issa sold the company to a California-based maker of home alarms, and moved to the San Diego suburb of Vista
Vista, California
Vista is a city in north San Diego County, California. It was incorporated January 28, 1963 and became a charter city on June 13, 2007. Located just seven miles inland from the Pacific Ocean in northern San Diego County, the City of Vista has a Mediterranean climate...
, where he has lived ever since, to work for it. Shortly afterward he left to start Directed Electronics, Inc.
Directed Electronics, Inc.
Directed Electronics, Inc. , often abbreviated DEI, is a producer of car security and audio products, including Viper car alarms and accessories. It is a subsidiary of DEI Holdings.-History:...
(DEI).
He recorded the "Please step away from the car", warning for DEI's signature product, the Viper car alarm. Sales grew from a million dollars its first year to $14 million by 1989. DEI diversified, and eventually became one of the largest makers of aftermarket electronic automotive accessories in the U.S. As of 2004, Directed Electronics was North America's largest aftermarket
Aftermarket (automotive)
The automotive aftermarket is the secondary market of the automotive industry, concerned with the manufacturing, remanufacturing, distribution, retailing, and installation of all vehicle parts, chemicals, tools, equipment and accessories for light and heavy vehicles, after the sale of the...
automotive electronics manufacturer. Issa divested personal interest in Directed Electronics after being elected to public office.
From his involvement in consumer-electronics trade organizations, he began to get politically active. He went to Washington to lobby Congress and became one of California's largest individual campaign contributors to Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidates. In 1996 he backed the successful campaign to pass Proposition 209, a ballot initiative which prohibitted public institutions in California from considering race, sex
Sex
In biology, sex is a process of combining and mixing genetic traits, often resulting in the specialization of organisms into a male or female variety . Sexual reproduction involves combining specialized cells to form offspring that inherit traits from both parents...
, or ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
. He was instrumental in persuading the national Republican Party to hold its 1996 convention
1996 Republican National Convention
The 1996 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, from August 12 to August 15, 1996...
in San Diego.
1998 U.S. Senate campaign
Issa's first campaign for elected office came in 1998, when he sought the Republican nomination for United States SenateUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
to run against incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer
Barbara Boxer
Barbara Levy Boxer is the junior United States Senator from California . A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
. He backed the campaign with $10 million of his personal wealth, but lost the primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
to California State Treasurer
California State Treasurer
The California State Treasurer is responsible for the state's investment and finance. The post has more narrow responsibilities and authority than the California State Controller...
Matt Fong
Matt Fong
Matthew Kipling Fong was a Republican who served as the 30th California State Treasurer and was also the adopted son of Democrat March Fong Eu, the 25th California Secretary of State....
. Fong's campaign raised $3 million from contributions and complained that Issa's wealth made for an uneven playing field (Issa had only $400,000 in contributions). An Issa spokesman countered that the money was needed to compensate for Fong's statewide name recognition. Fong prevailed in the open primary by a margin of 22 percent to 20 percent for Issa. A San Francisco exit poll suggested that large numbers of Asian-Americans had crossed party lines to vote for Fong.
U.S. House of Representatives
Two years after Issa's failed Senate bid, Congressman Ron PackardRon Packard
Packard was only the third person to be elected to Congress as a write-in candidate. The two previously successful congressional write-in candidates were U.S. Rep. Joe Skeen in 1980 and Sen. Strom Thurmond in 1954. Upon being sworn in, Packard joined the Republican caucus...
, a nine-term incumbent, announced his retirement. Issa capitalized on his name recognition from the 1998 Senate race, winning the 2000 Republican primary against State Senator Bill Morrow and the general election.
During his 2002 run for re-election, the Democrats failed to field a candidate, and his closest competition was from Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
Karl Dietrich. A write-in candidate
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...
from that election, Mike Byron, went on to become the Democratic challenger in 2004.
Issa currently serves on the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the House Judiciary Committee, and the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, of which he is the Ranking Member
Ranking member
In United States politics, a ranking member is the second-most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the majority party. Another usage refers to the most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party. This second usage, often...
.
Issa mounted an unsuccessful campaign to join the ranks of the House GOP leadership hierarchy. He finished third of the four candidates vying for the chairmanship of the House Republican Policy Committee, and was ultimately passed over in favor of Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Gubernatorial recall
Issa came to national prominence when he contributed over $1.6 million to help fund a signature-gathering drive for the petition to recall Gray DavisGray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
. At the time he made the contribution, it was widely believed that Issa intended to place himself on the ballot to replace Davis. However, following the entrance of fellow Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
into the race, two days before the filing deadline, Issa announced that he would not run. Issa later said that his mission had been accomplished since Davis was recalled and he wanted to continue representing his district in Congress and work towards Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
peace. When reporters raised the issue of his 1972 weapons conviction Issa responded by saying, "I don't think 30-year-old misdemeanors are fair play here."
For the recall election, Issa endorsed Schwarzenegger. At one point in the campaign he suggested that people should vote against recalling Davis unless one of the two leading Republican contenders dropped out, concerned that Schwarzenegger and fellow Republican Tom McClintock
Tom McClintock
Thomas Miller McClintock II is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former Assemblyman and state Senator...
would split votes, resulting in Democratic lieutenant governor Cruz Bustamante
Cruz Bustamante
Cruz Miguel Bustamante is an American politician. He was the 45th Lieutenant Governor of California, a former Speaker of the State Assembly and a member of the Democratic Party...
taking over as Davis' successor.
Middle East involvement
As one of the few Lebanese-Americans in Congress, Issa has had a significant but sometimes controversial role in U.S. peace initiatives in the Middle East. He traveled to LebanonLebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in an effort to negotiate the end of the Syrian occupation of Lebanon. In 2003, he appeared at a Washington rally by Iranian groups protesting against the Islamic government in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
In 2001, Issa's district office in San Clemente was targeted in an aborted bombing plot. Jewish Defense League
Jewish Defense League
The Jewish Defense League is a Jewish organization whose stated goal is to "protect Jews from antisemitism by whatever means necessary"...
leader Irving Rubin was arrested along with Earl Krugel
Earl Krugel
Earl Leslie Krugel was the West Coast coordinator of the Jewish Defense League. In 2005, he was sentenced to prison on charges of terrorism after he confessed plotting, with the group's leader Irv Rubin, to blow up the office of Arab-American congressman Darrell Issa and the King Fahd mosque in...
in connection with the plot, which reportedly had focused on other targets before shifting to Issa's office. Issa speculated that the cause of the incident may have been a column written by political commentator Debbie Schlussel
Debbie Schlussel
Debbie Schlussel is an American attorney, film critic, political commentator, and a conservative blogger who focuses particularly on Islam and American Muslims. Her writing frequently targets the largely Muslim population of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, which she refers to as "Dearbornistan"...
in which she charged that Issa sympathized with Hezbollah despite its being listed by the U.S. government as a terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
organization, charges he denied.
Issa supported the use of military force in Iraq (2002) and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. On 16 June 2006 he voted to reject setting timetables for withdrawal from Iraq. On 5 April 2007, Issa met with Syrian president Bashar Assad to discuss Middle East issues, one day after Assad met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
.
, Issa serves as a director of the American Task Force for Lebanon, a nonprofit organization working to advance Lebanon and its ties with the US.
2008 House election
In 2008, Issa defeated Democratic candidate Robert Hamilton, prevailing by a 20 point margin.In 2010, Project on Government Oversight
Project on Government Oversight
The Project On Government Oversight , founded in 1981, is an independent non-profit organization in the United States which investigates and seeks to expose corruption and other misconduct. POGO assists whistleblowers and investigates federal agencies, Congress, and government contractors...
, a government watchdog group, awarded Issa with its Good Government Award for his contributions to government oversight and transparency. These included publicizing documents produced by the New York Federal Reserve Bank in response to a congressional subpoena, publicly exposing the New York Federal Reserve's secret "back-door bailout" of AIG
AIG
AIG is American International Group, a major American insurance corporation.AIG may also refer to:* And-inverter graph, a concept in computer theory* Answers in Genesis, a creationist organization in the U.S.* Arta Industrial Group in Iran...
's counterparties, and cofounding a Transparency Caucus dedicated to "promoting a more open and accountable government through education, legislation, and oversight."
Political views
Issa has voted with the majority of House Republicans 94.7 percent of the time during the 111th Congress. He has generally conservative political views.He is generally opposed to abortion, but has supported stem cell
Stem cell
This article is about the cell type. For the medical therapy, see Stem Cell TreatmentsStem cells are biological cells found in all multicellular organisms, that can divide and differentiate into diverse specialized cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells...
research, saying that "The promise of stem cells to provide innovative treatments and cures warrants investment in more advanced research".
He voted for the authorization (and later reauthorization) of the PATRIOT Act and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. He voted for the reauthorization of the Patriot Act in 2005 after successfully amending it to require judicial notification, reporting requirements and facts justifying the use of roving survelliance at new facilities or places.
He voted against the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA), which would prohibit employers from discriminating on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation
Sexual orientation
Sexual orientation describes a pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to the opposite sex, the same sex, both, or neither, and the genders that accompany them. By the convention of organized researchers, these attractions are subsumed under heterosexuality, homosexuality,...
.
He has opposed attempts to ease restrictions on illegal immigration such as the "Blue Card" system, saying that it provides amnesty for illegal immigrants.
He claims to support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gas
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...
emissions but voted against a bill to cut them. Issa also believes that "the science community does not agree to the extent of the problem or the critical threshold of when this problem is truly catastrophic."
He has been critical of No Child Left Behind, supporting a modification that would, in his words, "give states the freedom to adopt best practices for their students by returning flexibility and control to the educators and parents who are the real experts on education".
He has signed the "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" of the Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform
Americans for Tax Reform is an advocacy group and taxpayer group whose stated goal is "a system in which taxes are simpler, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government's power to control one's life derives from its power to tax...
, an organization that opposes all tax increases.
He has endorsed Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
's candidacy for the Republican nomination
Republican Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2012
The 2012 Republican presidential primaries are the selection processes in which voters of the Republican Party will choose their nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election. The primary contest began with a fairly wide field, and is the first presidential primary...
for the 2012 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2012
The United States presidential election of 2012 is the next United States presidential election, to be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. It will be the 57th quadrennial presidential election in which presidential electors, who will actually elect the President and the Vice President of the United...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Chairman)
- As Chairman of the full committee, Rep. Issa may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees
- Committee on the JudiciaryUnited States House Committee on the JudiciaryThe U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
- Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative LawUnited States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative LawThe Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law is a former subcommittees of the United States House Committee on the Judiciary. It was incorporated into the Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law during the 112th Congress....
- Subcommittee on Courts and Competition Policy
- Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
Obama administration
After becoming Chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Issa has become a vocal advocate for investigations into the Obama administration, including the TARP and Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, corruption in Afghanistan, Wikileaks, and the FDA, among other issues. On March 22, 2011, it was reported that he accused the administration of retaliating against Catherine Papoi, who complained the administration was blocking public access to records.Industry insiders on his oversight team
In February 2011, the Watchdog Institute, an independent nonprofit reporting center based at San Diego State UniversitySan Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
, published an investigation alleging that as leader of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Issa built a team that included staff members with close connections to industries that could benefit from his investigations. For instance, several had ties to big oil billionaire brothers, David and Charles Koch, whose companies could benefit from changes in regulations. The Huffington Post also published the Institute's investigation.
9/11
In April 2008, the Daily News reported that Issa had said that the federal government "'just threw' buckets of cash at New York for an attackSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
'that had no dirty bomb
Dirty bomb
A dirty bomb is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the explosion with radioactive material, hence the attribute "dirty"....
in it, it had no chemical munitions
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
in it.'" He was also reported as having asked "why the firefighters who went there and everybody in the city of New York needs to come to the federal government for the dollars versus this being primarily a state consideration." In September 2009, Issa's office released a statement indicating that his comments had been misrepresented and that the questions he asked concerned unpassed bill H.R. 3543, which, according to that statement "would give U.S. taxpayer dollars to those who did not suffer physical injury and did not work at or around Ground Zero."
Letter to businesses
Following the 2010 electionsUnited States elections, 2010
The 2010 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. During this midterm election year, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 37 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate were contested in this election along with 38 state and territorial...
, Issa sent a letter to more than 150 trade associations, companies and think tanks, asking them to tell him which existing and proposed regulations would harm job growth. Liberal critics have charged that Issa was "embracing regulatory capture
Regulatory capture
In economics, regulatory capture occurs when a state regulatory agency created to act in the public interest instead advances the commercial or special interests that dominate the industry or sector it is charged with regulating. Regulatory capture is a form of government failure, as it can act as...
." Elijah Cummings
Elijah Cummings
Elijah Eugene Cummings is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes just over half of Baltimore City, as well as most of Howard County...
, the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said Issa's letters were tantamount to “inviting businesses to tell us what they want us to do as opposed to protecting the American people.”
Office of Congressional Ethics complaint
In September 2011, the group American Family Voices filed an ethics complaint with the Office of Congressional EthicsOffice of Congressional Ethics
The Office of Congressional Ethics , established by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2008, is an independent, non-partisan entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against members of the House of Representatives and their staff and, when appropriate, referring matters to...
against Issa, alleging that he has repeatedly used his public office for personal financial gain. The group claimed that Issa used his position with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to intervene in dealings with Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
, Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
and others, where he had a financial interest at play. In one instance, the complaint claimed that Issa intervened in an investigation of Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
's acquisition of Merrill Lynch while being a "major" customer who "bought and sold more than $200 million in Merrill Lynch mutual funds in the days after the Bank of America acquisition." Issa's office rejected the allegations and the Office of Congressional Ethics has not responded publicly to the complaint.
External links
- U.S. Congressman Darrell Issa official U.S. House site
- Darrell Issa for U.S. Congressman official campaign site
- Directed Electronics
- Darrell Issa: Enter Stage Right, profile in Mother Jones magazine
- Williams, Lance. Issa's Army record in doubt: Candidate's account can't be verified. San Francisco Chronicle. 29 May 1998.