Santorum: Still the Worst Person Alive

There isn't another Braffy ceremony for a few months, so Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is still enjoying his reign as Worst Man on Earth.

And it's nice to see he's not just resting on his laurels. He's out there, every day, trying to cheat and steal and bloviate and generally make the worst a less pleasant place to live.

Now, we get the rather delightful revelation that Ricky has violated Senate Ethics rules by accepting a "generous" mortgage from an exclusive bank catering to the extremely rich.

CREW based its complaint on a story by Will Bunch that first appeared in [the American Prospect] and Philadelphia Daily News on February 21, 2006. According to the article, in 2002, Sen. Santorum and his wife received a $500,000 five-year mortgage for their Leesburg, VA home from Philadelphia Trust. The bank’s web site states that “banking services are available only to investment advisory clients whose portfolios we manage, oversee or administer.” The Daily News reporter called the bank, which confirmed that it offers mortgages only to investors and not to the general public.

Sen. Santorum’s financial disclosure forms for 2001 and 2002 show no investment portfolio with Philadelphia Trust. Moreover, in 2002, the year Sen. Santorum obtained the mortgage, his financial disclosure forms indicate that his investments did not exceed $145,000.

Rule 35 of the Senate Code of Official Conduct bans Senators from accepting gifts and specifically includes “loans” within the definition of “gifts.” The Gift Rule also provides that Senators can accept loans from banks and other financial institutions on terms “generally available to the public.”

Way to go, Rick!