46 Facts About Curt Weldon

Wayne Curtis Weldon was born on July 22,1947 and is an American educator and politician.

Curt Weldon served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 2007, representing the 7th district of Pennsylvania.

Curt Weldon was defeated in November 2006 for reelection by Joe Sestak.

Curt Weldon was the co-chair of the Duma-Congress Study Group, the official inter-parliamentary relationship between the United States and Russia.

Curt Weldon grew up in a blue-collar family in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania.

At West Chester University, Curt Weldon became a brother of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

Curt Weldon served two terms as Mayor from 1977 to 1982 and was nominated for election on both the Republican and Democratic tickets.

From 1981 to 1986, Curt Weldon served as a councilman and later chair of the Delaware County Council.

Curt Weldon then ran again for Edgar's seat in 1986 and won with a comfortable margin.

In one Pentagon email, Curt Weldon's office is described as "calling everyone and his brother" in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations about Sestak.

On October 27,2006, the advocacy group Campaign for America's Future began running advertisements in Pennsylvania's 7th District questioning $233,840 in campaign contributions Curt Weldon received from drug and insurance companies, in light of his voting history.

Curt Weldon founded the Congressional Fire Services Caucus in 1987 and has consistently fought for increased funding for firefighters.

Curt Weldon was the author of a bill that implemented a federal grant program for local fire departments that evolved into the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

Curt Weldon has fought for mandatory safety sprinklers in college dormitories and training of fire departments to deal with terrorism incidents involving chemical and biological weapons.

Curt Weldon was the sole House Republican on the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, which approves funding for US wildlife refuges and wetlands preservation.

Curt Weldon is a member of Global Legislators for a Balanced Environment, where he serves as Honorary Chairman of the Oceans Protection Task Force.

Curt Weldon serves as the honorary United States Vice President on the Advisory Committee on the Protection of the Sea.

Curt Weldon co-authored the Family Medical Leave Act, pushed for the extension of unemployment benefits, has consistently supported raising the minimum wage, opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement, and voted for across-the-board tax cuts.

Curt Weldon played a key leadership role in welfare reform in the mid-1990s.

Curt Weldon made improving relations with Russia one of his key efforts in the House.

Curt Weldon has worked with Russian leaders on a variety of issues, including efforts to improve Russia's energy supply, correct environmental damage and protect both nations from ballistic missile attack.

Curt Weldon is the co-founder of the Duma-Congress Study Group, the official parliamentary exchange between the two legislative bodies.

Recently, Curt Weldon created a comprehensive framework designed to improve the state of relations between the two countries.

Curt Weldon said he drew up an outline of how relations could be improved between the two countries, which would involve the complete nuclear disarmament of North Korea.

In October 2003, Curt Weldon had planned to head a 10-member Congressional delegation to North Korea for his second visit.

Curt Weldon said he would continue his efforts to dialogue with North Korean officials whether the White House supports him or not.

In January 2005, Curt Weldon led a six-member Congressional delegation in a three-day visit to North Korea, as well as brief stops in South Korea, China, Russia and Japan.

In 2011, Curt Weldon again visited the Gaddafi-controlled Libyan capital of Tripoli as a private citizen, on the invitation of Colonel Gaddafi.

Curt Weldon is urging Colonel Gaddafi to step down due to bloodshed in the 2011 Libyan civil war.

Curt Weldon currently is waiting to meet with Gaddafi, although he has met with several high-level members of Gaddafi's government.

Curt Weldon has frequently taken contrarian positions on such subjects as Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, and pre-war Iraqi weapons of mass destruction.

Curt Weldon has been critical of several federal agencies and of Congressional committees.

In October 2005, Curt Weldon gave a speech on the House floor in which he described the Able Danger military intelligence program, stating they correctly identified Mohamed Atta's Brooklyn cell in January and February 2000, a year prior to the attacks.

Curt Weldon claimed they were repeatedly blocked by litigation from delivering their findings to the FBI in September 2000.

Mahdavi has said that the bulk of the information that he provided to Curt Weldon originally came from Iran-Contra arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar.

Curt Weldon said that Weldon made it clear he didn't want word leaked to the Pentagon, to intelligence officials, or to Democratic congressmen.

On October 19,2006, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Curt Weldon has in his possession a letter from the House Ethics Committee that he claims "closed the case" about whether he used his influence to help his daughter.

Curt Weldon said he has not decided whether or not to release the letter.

Curt Weldon was never charged in the incident, however the USA Today claimed in 2008 that the incident had cost him his re-election.

In January 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that Cecilia Grimes, 40, who calls herself a longtime family friend of Curt Weldon, was the senior partner in a two-person lobbying firm located in Media, Pennsylvania, where she is realtor.

Curt Weldon is the son of US Representative Bill Young.

Curt Weldon earned $54,659 as a fundraiser for Weldon's campaign committee, and was paid at least $90,000 by CURT PAC for fundraising and reimbursements for travel, lodging and office supplies.

Between 1998 and 2006, Curt Weldon spent about $80,000 of campaign treasury funds on restaurant meals.

Curt Weldon spent $1,698 for a personal computer, delivered to his home; $4,618 for landscaping, paid to a company owned by a campaign contributor; and $13,000 in unitemized personal reimbursements during that period.

In December 2007, a former Curt Weldon aide pleaded guilty for failing to report $19,000 in income that his wife made for doing work for a nonprofit company tied to Curt Weldon.

Additionally, Curt Weldon joined the advisory board of Novo Energies Corporation, an alternative energy company converting used tires and plastic into energy.