Private Bill - "For the Relief of Michael Anthony Hurley"

Michael Hurley, a British citizen with a four-decade-old drug arrest on his record, couldn't persuade the U.S. immigration service to let him stay in the country, so he asked Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., to write a bill for him.

In 2006 and again in 2007, Landrieu introduced bills titled "For the Relief of Michael Anthony Hurley" designed to grant him legal status so he could remain with his new bride in Louisiana.

Thousands of people are barred from the United States every year because of drug convictions, but only a handful get personalized legislation. Unlike many immigrants, Hurley had political connections. His brother-in-law, Lafayette attorney James "Kirk" Piccione, is a Landrieu supporter, having given $4,250 to her campaigns over the years including a $1,000 contribution six weeks after the first bill was filed, according to a review of the data by the Center for Responsible Politics.