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Rep. Miller says he may sell his investment in toll roads

Posted by: Aqua Blog Maven on July 17, 2008 at 6:53 am

In response to this article from the OC Register yesterday, Representative Gary Miller now says he will sell his bonds if the toll road gets built:

Rep. Gary Miller says he will sell his investment in the Foothill/Eastern tollway if the Transportation Corridor Agency is ever successful in building the southern extension to the road. Miller was responding to a story published Tuesday on ocregister.com that revealed the congressman had steered taxpayer money to and lobbied for the controversial southern extension of the 241 tollway while holding $20,000 in bonds which are repaid by tolls on the Foothill/Eastern, a connected tollway.

Miller’s congressional spokesman, Scott Toussaint, said in an emailed statement that Miller wants to “make clear that he is committed to upholding the ethical responsibilities of his office.”

“If TCA ever completes Foothill-South, I will sell my bonds before completion of the project to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest,” Miller said in the statement.

But Miller’s response did not mollify critics. “The bad behaviour has already occurred,” said Mark Rauscher, assistant environmental director of Surfrider, an environmental group that opposes the southern extension because it would cut through San Onofre Beach park. “Miller knew that he owned the bonds and he already took the action to push for the Foothill South. Selling the bonds if the road gets built means absolutely nothing…he’s already made his money.”

Read the full text of this story from the O.C. Register by clicking here.

July 17, 2008 · Filed Under San Onofre Toll Road

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