Copter pilot says he emailed to White House before flying

Doug Hughes, who flew his small helicopter over restricted airspace, over the US Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, was apparently expected to do so according to police in the area but they thought that he “would land on the east side of the capital,” opposite to where he landed prior to being arrested.

Right before flying his gyrocopter over Congress, Hughes announced on a website, “My flight is not a secret.”

“Before I took off, I sent an Email to info@barackobama.com. The letter is intended to persuade the guardians of the Capitol that I am not a threat and that shooting me down will be a bigger headache than letting me deliver these letters to Congress.”

His friend, Mike Shanahan who knew of Hughes plans to fly his small helicopter into the US Capitol, said that the pilot had intended about a year ago to deliver letters to US lawmakers.

In fact, they were both arrested and questioned by the US Secret Service in the state of Florida.

Hughes apparently, according to his friend, who was quoted by local US media, contacted the same agent who questioned them just shortly before takeoff.

The agent didn't reply to Hughes attempted phone call, however, stated Shanahan, but “he left message informing the agent of his intention.

“I was scared to death they were going to kill him," Shanahan said. "My thanks go out to whoever it was who decided not to pull the trigger."

Hughes, who is a mailman from the south eastern US state of Florida, wanted to protest US lawmakers’ campaign finance system in person by flying on to the vicinity of the complex that houses the US Congress.

He wanted to demand that US senators and House representatives reform the current controversial system of campaign finance, the mechanism of how presidents and lawmakers receive funding to finance their campaigns.

According to media reports, Hughes wrote in his letter to congressmen, “I'm demanding reform and declaring a voter's rebellion in a manner consistent with Jefferson's description of rights in the Declaration of Independence.”

“As a member of Congress, you have three options. 1. You may pretend corruption does not exist. 2. You may pretend to oppose corruption while you sabotage reform. 3. You may actively participate in real reform.”

Many in the US accuse their politicians of receiving large amounts of cash from huge corporations, which, in return, have too much sway over their actions, and not the citizens that voted for them.

Billions of dollars are received by those who want to run for certain political offices across the country in what is called “campaign donations”. They mostly come from corporations and wealthy donors leaving many to suspect of political corruption, as those who donate the money do it for, according to many, personal favors sometimes.

HDS/GJH

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