The Culture of Corruption Strikes Again

Washington, Jun 5

After shutting down the House Ethics Committee investigation of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) all year, today House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) finally appointed 10 members to serve as part of the Democrats’ ethics “pool” – more than five months after she promised to lead the most “open and ethical” Congress in history.

Following are 10 facts everyone should know about how House Democratic leaders have dragged their feet on the Jefferson matter and shut down the Ethics Committee investigation that was underway under the Republican-led, 109th Congress:

1) During the Republican-led Congress last year, the Ethics Committee announced the formation of an investigative subcommittee to examine the Jefferson matter.

2) At the end of the 109th Congress, the Jefferson inquiry expired, and action was delayed for more than five months by the new Democratic majority in the 110th Congress.

3) House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) was READY in January to appoint his 10 members to the ethics pool so the Jefferson investigation could continue.

4) As a courtesy, Leader Boehner waited on Speaker Pelosi to name her members so that both pools of members could be announced at the same time.

5) In February, the House Democratic Caucus unanimously approved Jefferson’s selection to the Homeland Security Committee, which would have given him access to highly sensitive top secret information.

6) The months of January, February, March, and April passed with no appointments from Pelosi – only stalling the ethics process and the Jefferson investigation.

7) On May 1, after waiting some four months for Speaker Pelosi to name her ethics pool members, Leader Boehner officially made his 10 appointments and they were printed in the Congressional Record.

8) Those 10 GOP appointments include Reps. Rob Bishop (R-UT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Ander Crenshaw (R-FL), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Phil English (R-PA), Tom Latham (R-IA), Frank Lucas (R-OK), Sue Myrick (R-NC), Mike Simpson (R-ID), and Greg Walden (R-OR).

9) Because Speaker Pelosi refused to name her members for more than five months -- per clause 5(a)(4)(A) of House Rule X, and per Rule 19 of the House Ethics Committee -- the Ethics Committee failed to re-establish an investigative subcommittee to review this matter further.

10) Leader Boehner’s privileged resolution requires the Ethics Committee to do its work and requires a resolution in a timely manner.

Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats have spent the past five months breaking nearly every pledge they’ve made to the American people – from ethics reform, to earmark reform, to fiscal responsibility, to fairness in operation of the House to any number of other hollow promises.

The American people have a right to ask. When will the Democrats live up to their promises?

And what does Nancy Pelosi have to say about all of this?

September 28, 2005“The criminal indictment of Majority Leader Tom DeLay is the latest example that Republicans in Congress are plagued by a culture of corruption at the expense of the American people.”

June 05, 2007
“The charges in the indictment against Congressman Jefferson are extremely serious. While Mr. Jefferson, just as any other citizen, must be considered innocent until proven guilty, if these charges are proven true, they constitute an egregious and unacceptable abuse of public trust and power.

Thanks to GOPbloggers for the info.