ITHACA"New York State Congressman Maurice Hinchey, recently under fire for “racking up a stunning $161,393 [in free travel] footed by special-interest groups,” is excusing his actions by blaming “Republican spin.” But a non-partisan group tells a different story.

Writing in the Ithaca Journal, Hinchey, claims that his trips, to such places as Rome, Shanghai and Morocco, are ethical because he does not consider the groups that footed the bills to be lobbyists:

"[A]ll of my privately funded trips abroad have been sponsored by well-known and highly regarded non-partisan, non-profit organizations that are dedicated to informing public policy.”

Therefore, Hinchey blames “Republican spin” for his reputation as “New York's king of comped travel.”

However, according to the non-partisan website, PoliticalMoneyLine, this does not, as Hinchey implies, mean that the groups are unaffiliated with lobbyists:

"There is no legal prohibition to prevent a lobbyist from serving on the board of these organizations, and in some cases lobbyists may encourage a client to contribute to the non-profit. In some cases, serving on a non-profit's board permits the lobbyist to participate in the sponsored event or travel for Members of Congress."

In defending his actions, Hinchey also fails to mention that, while all of his foreign travel is funded by “non-partisan, non-profit organizations,” his domestic travel is not.

For example, PoliticalMoneyLine reports, in December, 2003, Hinchey traveled to Naples, Florida, as guest of the American Shipbuilding Association, racking up nearly $1800, in meals and lodging in that resort community.

Hinchey closes his defense of this travel by stating he plans to travel to Ithaca soon, to hold a “community forum” and meet with Ithaca Journal editors. No word yet on which “non-partisan” group will be footing the bill.