Doing the Juan Vargas shuffle

House freshman Democrat Juan Vargas hasn’t yet entirely escaped the shadow of his previous gig as a California state legislator, and now he’s using his clout in Congress to raise big cash to redeem his past. According to the latest campaign disclosure filing for his Juan Vargas for Senate 2010 committee, the congressman needs the money to pay down lingering debts from his days in Sacramento. Shallman Communications of Encino, which is still due $95,000, was paid $10,000 from Vargas’s state kitty. Longtime Vargas friend and associate George Bresnahan, owed $69,200, received $5000. Many other campaign creditors got nothing, according to the filing, including Sacramento political consultant Jim Anderson, who ended the first half of the year still owed a total of $53,000.

Vargas got much of that cash from those having business pending at the U.S. Capitol. The funds were collected in the Vargas congressional account and then transferred to his needy state fund, according to the filing.Donors included the Border Federal Health PAC from McAllen Texas ($2600); Humana, Inc. PAC ($1000); and the Chubb Corporation Political Action Committee, CHUBBPAC for short ($1000). And Vargas isn’t done yet. According to an invitation posted online by the website PoliticalPartyTime.Org, the congressman’s latest fundraiser was held last Friday at Johnny’s Half Shell restaurant in Washington. Contribution levels were listed as $5000 for host, $2500 for sponsors, and $1500 for mere guests.