1997 Newt reprimanded by congress, fined $300,000. 1998 he stepped down. 2012 he leads in FL.
sn't that amazing? It's like the past has disappeared, and he's actually leading right now in the Florida GOP presidential primary.
From the Washington Post in 1997:
House Reprimands, Penalizes Speaker
The House voted overwhelmingly yesterday to reprimand House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and order him to pay an unprecedented $300,000 penalty, the first time in the House's 208-year history it has disciplined a speaker for ethical wrongdoing.
The ethics case and its resolution leave Gingrich with little leeway for future personal controversies, House Republicans said. Exactly one month before yesterday's vote, Gingrich admitted that he brought discredit to the House and broke its rules by failing to ensure that financing for two projects would not violate federal tax law and by giving the House ethics committee false information.
"Newt has done some things that have embarrassed House Republicans and embarrassed the House," said Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.). "If [the voters] see more of that, they will question our judgment."
House Democrats are likely to continue to press other ethics charges against Gingrich and the Internal Revenue Service is looking into matters related to the case that came to an end yesterday.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/01/25/1058551/-1997-Newt-reprimanded-by-congress,-fined-$300,000-1998-he-stepped-down-2012-he-leads-in-FL-