Maxine Waters (D-CA) has been accused of funneling more than $1 million to family members through illicit deals. In September 2005, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) named Waters one of the thirteen most corrupt members of Congress. CREW's designation was largely based on the results of an investigation by the Los Angeles Times into non-competitive awards of federal contracts to businesses owned by or connected to members of Waters' family.