How often does a cabinet secretary collect benefits from a federal program he oversees?

ProPublica has posted letters from Obama cabinet officials to their designated agency ethics officials, among them the letter from Tom Vilsack, now secretary of agriculture. Local press and some specialty publications reported that Vilsack collected about $42,000 in USDA checks as part of a land-conservation program over six years. But it was not widely noted that Vilsack had to get a special waiver because he would be running the federal program that would be sending him future checks.

My wife and I own real property in Davis County, Iowa. This property is leased out for farming on a fixed cash basis to a tenant and is managed by Mid States Farm Management Co. of Ottumwa, Iowa. My spouse and I are not engaged in this farming operation. During my tenure as Secretary, my spouse and I will not engage in this farming operation and we will instruct our farm manager to maintain a fixed cash lease on the farm. Other than the rent from this property, the only payments I receive are Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) benefits from USDA. This program is administered by USDA through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), on which I will serve as Chairman of the Board. I will request a written waiver persuant to 18 U.S.C. 208(b)(I) regarding particular matters of general applicability affecting my financial interest in this property and CRP payments. I will not participate personally and substantially in any particular matter that will have a direct and predictable effect on my interest in the value of this property or any payments I receive from USDA programs until I obtain a waiver.

Interestingly, in December, Vilsack said that if he had to forgo the subsidies, he would do so; the letter, dated January 9, doesn’t list that option, simply stating that he is seeking a waiver.

UPDATE: The poor guy apparently can use every check he can get, with a debt ranging from $80,000 to $200,000 that represents loans he co-signed for his daughter’s college expenses.