House ethics panel investigates Rep. Maxine Waters

[Heidi]

Source: Los Angeles Times

September 16, 2009 | 7:50 p.m.

Reporting from Washington - The House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), who has come under scrutiny because of her husband's ties to a bank that received federal bailout funds.

The panel's chairwoman and ranking member announced the committee is extending by 45 days a determination on whether it will conduct a more thorough review of Waters' conduct, but they declined to say what is being investigated. Waters, one of Los Angeles' most enduring liberal politicians, also declined comment.

Word of the probe of Waters came as the committee announced that it was delaying an inquiry into whether Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) or his representatives tried to secure the Senate seat vacated by President Obama by promising to raise campaign cash for disgraced former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich. The panel cited an ongoing federal investigation in Chicago.

Both matters were referred to the committee, evenly divided between Democratic and Republican lawmakers, by the Office of Congressional Ethics, created by the House last year in response to criticism that lawmakers have been reluctant to vigorously investigate their own. The new office -- which can initiate reviews of alleged misconduct on its own or in response to allegations brought to its attention by the public -- refers matters to the committee if it determines they warrant further investigation


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-waters-ethics17-2009sep17,0,1271818.story

[BlooInBloo]

1. Because obviously something isn't kosher if black folks are getting any money. Duh.

[WriteDown]

8. It's just like they framed William Jefferson and Charlie Rangel.

:eyes:

[BonnieJW]

10. How was William Jefferson framed?

[WriteDown]

11. Cash was placed in his freezer by the MIB to eliminate him as....

a threat. :sarcasm:

[joeycola]

15. Rangel was sloppy--or at least that was his excuse.

[marshall]

23. And don't forget Marion Barry & Kwame Kilpatrick

Political frameups aren't restricted to Congress.

[Tempest]

2. Sounds like a B.S. charge

She was facilitating meetings between the Treasury and minority owned businesses, something she's done with other minority owned businesses.

She also reported her husband's association with the bank as required and apparently the Treasury Dept. didn't have a problem with it.

[strategery blunder]

3. Yet it's perfectly ethical for politicians to take campaign cash from bailout banks

No conflict of interest there. None at all. :eyes:

Oh, and just in case I forget, :sarcasm:

I wonder how many hypocrites are on that "ethics" panel.

[closeupready]

22. Exactly. Leave her alone.

n/t

[grahamhgreen]

4. After 8 years of Bush, they go after Maxine? WTF is going on up there?

[kickysnana]

5. WH told progressives to shut up. n/t

[atreides1]

6. Are they going to investigate Cantor also

His wife works for a bank that received bailout funds.

[BR_Parkway]

7. But it's perfectly ethical to accept $3M from health companies while

being the lead Senator in crafting reform legislation?

This sounds more like a "pay back" for something than actually tarnished

[Merlot]

16. bakus is so openly indebted to the health care industry.

I'm flabergasted that media, and officials take bakus health cares plan seriously. I'm amazed that this is how our system works, that someone with SO MUCH conflict of interest is allowed to be taken seriously.

If Maxine Waters had done something that financially benefits her husband and daughter, oh well. Compaired to the people who are DYING without health care, I really can't get to worked up about garden variety corruption.

[WriteDown]

9. I think she made the "Most Corrupt" list again this year.

CREW "Most Corrupt" list

Waters was included by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ("CREW") among its 2005 list of the thirteen "Most Corrupt Members of Congress" list<19> and on the 2006 list<20> for "her exercise of this power to financially benefit her daughter, husband and son." She was not included on subsequent lists.<21><22><23>

[defendandprotect]

19. Yes, picked it up on CREW . . . which has been pushing this . . .

And Stevens is still in the Senate -- !!!

[maddezmom]

20. What Stevens do you mean?

Ted Stevens?? His conviction was put aside but he's no longer in the Senate.

[defendandprotect]

21. Good . . .

I didn't catch up with it -- but read something about them welcoming him back!

I'll have to check and see what has happened with his seat -- !!???

Thanks --

[Vidar]

12. They're going after some of the very few fighters on our side.

[marshall]

13. It's merely a formality

In a couple of weeks she'll get a clean bill and it will blow over. But they can't be seen as not even investigating.

[frog92969]

14. "But they can't be seen as not even investigating."?

I hope you can see the irony of your statement.

[24601]

17. So you are saying that the Ethics Committee itself is corrupt and

has already decided to sweep all this under the rug? Not sure I buy that, especially since the ethics committee has an equal number of Dems & Repugs.

If we want good government, we need to root out the bad eggs, regardless of party affiliation.

And no, I don't believe that NSA, CIA or FBI broke into Jefferson's house and hid $100K in his freezer in order to frame him. Some folks get real comfortable with the power and start believing that they need not comply with the law. It's time for them to go home and have some fresh blood take the seat.

[defendandprotect]

18. I really like Waters and thought she tells us what is really going on --

Waters was in the spotlight earlier this year because Massachusetts-based OneUnited Bank received $12 million in bailout funds, three months after the congresswoman, a senior member of the congressional committee that oversees banking, helped arrange a meeting between officials of the bank and other minority-owned financial institutions and Treasury Department representatives.

Waters' husband, Sidney Williams, served on the bank board until early last year and held at least $350,000 in investments in the bank last year, according to the congresswoman's most recent financial disclosure report.

Waters defended her efforts as in keeping with her longtime work to promote opportunity for minority-owned businesses and lending in underserved communities. She said that OneUnited received bailout funds based on the merits of its request, not political influence, and she said that she had disclosed her husband's ties to the bank.

This is from further down in the article -- and it's pretty much what I've heard.