Senator counters accusations of corruption

Delaware’s Tom Carper is running for his third term in the U.S. Senate, and it’s shaping up to be a tougher battle than in previous years.

The Wilmington Democrat has been an elected Delaware official since 1976, including two terms as governor. Carper was first elected to the Senate in 2001; he filed for reelection May 25.  “I’m grateful to the people of Delaware for giving me the chance to serve,” Carper said.

Lately, Carper’s 36 years of service have been coming back to bite him.

Smyrna Democrat Keith Spanarelli filed May 16 to run against Carper in a Tuesday, Sept. 11 primary.

In January, New Castle Republican Kevin Wade announced he would challenge Carper in his bid for reelection.  The businessman and engineer accused Carper of making a career of politics, and if elected, Wade promised to serve only two terms in office.

On May 23, Dewey Beach businessman and attorney Alex Pires announced he would also challenge Carper as an independent candidate, and he vowed to serve only one term if elected. Carper is a professional politician, Pires said.  “He’s never worked a day in his life,” he said.

But Carper said he works long hours.  “In a state this small, people know if you’re working hard,” he said.

In a phone conversation May 30, Carper said he was on hour 13.  He said the day started at 4:30 a.m., when he had to drop his wife off at the airport, and he was planning to call it quits around 8 p.m.   “I got used to working hard as a kid,” he said. “I think the people of Delaware appreciate my work ethic.”

Carper would not say whether he was in favor of term limits, but he said there is plenty of opportunity for people to challenge incumbents.  “There’s a lot of turnover these days,” he said.

As for his long political career, Carper said it’s the voters who keep him in office.  “I think one of the reasons people vote for me is my service in the military,” he said.  Carper is a former Naval Flight Officer and a retired U.S. Navy captain.

Carper said he and his staff work hard, and his ability to compromise appeals to voters. “They like the fact that I work across the aisle,” he said.

Support from big banks

Pires has accused Carper of corruption.  He said Carper takes money from big banks and in exchange, he casts votes to benefit them.  Federal Election Commission disclosure records show Carper has received hundreds of thousands in contributions from banks since 2000, including Bank of America, Citigroup, Capital One, JP Morgan Chase and MasterCard.

Carper said accusations that he is corrupt for taking contributions from banks are “hogwash.” “I receive contributions from a lot of people,” he said.

In May 2009, Carper voted to approve the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act, which restricted certain credit-card company practices to protect consumers, including restrictions on interest-rate increases and targeting college students.

“You think the credit-card banks in Delaware liked that?  Not at all,” Carper said.

In July 2010, Carper voted to approve the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.  The bill established an independent consumer bureau within the Federal Reserve to protect borrowers against abuses in mortgage and credit-card lending; it also gave the federal government authority to shut down large financial companies that were in trouble, ending taxpayer bailouts.

Before passage of the Dodd-Frank bill, Carper voted against an amendment to lower swipe fees on credit and debit card transactions.  Total swipe fees for debit cards were estimated at $20 billion annually, and according Federal Reserve estimates, accounted for far more money than it cost banks to process the transactions.

Ultimately, the amendment passed, and its supporters said the provision would put money back in the hands of consumers and benefit small businesses.  “Consumers aren’t benefiting from this,” Carper said.  “The merchants are pocketing most of the money.”

Carper said he voted against the amendment because he was trying to find a middle ground to help community banks and credit unions survive the fee reduction.

“The big banks are able to look after themselves,” Carper said. “The small banks and the credit unions are the ones who have been damaged.”

What’s a senator worth?

Carper’s net worth has also come under scrutiny.  The annual salary for members of the U.S. Senate is $174,000.

“On a civil servant’s salary, he’s amassed $7.5 million.  You might want to think about that,” Pires said in a video on his website, 36yearsisenough.com.

Carper would not say his net worth, but he said his assets are publicly available.  “I can tell you, it ain’t $7.5 million,” he said.  “If I were, my wife would be happier.”

According to the Washington Post, Carper’s net worth in 2010 was $4.6 million.  The Post based the amount on numbers collected by the Center for Responsible Politics.

Carper said he lives the lifestyle of an average Joe, in the same three-bedroom house he and his wife moved into after they were married.  “I drive a Chrysler Town and Country minivan,” he said.  “I cut my own grass, shovel my own sidewalk.”

Carper said his wife often tells him if he were paid by the hour, he wouldn’t even earn minimum wage.  But, he said, he likes to work. “We are committed to getting things done,” Carper said.  “And there’s plenty of work to do.”