House Ethics Committee Not Planning Any Abramoff-Related Investigations

[JABBS]

The leader of the House ethics committee is not committing to any investigation of misconduct despite the growing revelations about the favors that lobbyist Jack Abramoff won for clients and the largesse he arranged for lawmakers.

The Associated Press asked Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), head of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, whether he would commit to investigate ethical wrongdoing if, as expected, the information Abramoff supplies in a plea agreement exposes misconduct by a number of members of Congress. He declined, through his spokesmen, to do so.

The AP also asked the top Democrat on the committee, Alan Mollohan of West Virginia. He also declined -- although, as a member of the minority party, Mollohan is not in a position to launch an official investigation without support from committee Republicans.

"There have always been questions about whether Congress can police itself," said Kathleen Clark, a law professor at Washington University in St. Louis who specializes in ethics. "The situation in the House removes all doubt. The House is not policing itself."

***

Why the lack of self-policing? Here's something to chew on:

In 2004, the House committee admonished then Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) on three separate issues. The House Republican leadership reacted by refusing to extend the term of the chairman at that time, Rep. Joel Hefley (R-CO).

The House committee launched no investigations in 2005. Instead, Hastings and Mollohan feuded over investigative rules, and then over the composition of the staff. The entire year was gone before the leaders finally chose the committee's top staff member.

It's not far-fetched to believe that Hastings, the Republican, was looking to minimize investigating members of his own party, starting with DeLay, while Mollohan sought to pursue such investigations. The result? Inaction.

Former Sen. Warren Rudman, a Republican who served on the Senate ethics committee, said, "The amount of politics that intruded into the House committee is discouraging."

***

This item first appeared in Journalists Against Bush's B.S.

[rustydog]

1. Hastings used to be my Rep. God i hate that worthless party hack

he just laid low for ages, kissing repub ass and hoping if he didn't make waves and licked up Delay's spittle he would go somewhere....Chair of the Ethics committee. and he won't investigate shit.

He needs to be tossed in the next elections. any incumbent republicans need be fired by us come 2006 and 2008.

[rodeodance]

2. This is a prime example of why Gore slashed Congress yesterday.

[JABBS]

5. of course

the conservative noise machine responded with the "gore is crazy" spin they've foisted on the american people since 2000 and the "invented the internet" canard.

[Loonman]

3. Of course not

Republicans are evil bastards and the Dems just don't care enough.

[Cults4Bush]

4. Kudos to Jabbs! K&R'd n/t

Thanks!

[Loonman]

6. Window dressing, eh?

Not surprising.

[mom cat]

7. Independant Counsel is one alternative. The other option it to let

the voters decide.

[Skidmore]

8. Hastert & Dreier earlier to day were floating they idea that

they aren't doing anything because the Dems won't let them.

[radwriter0555]

9. HEY! They investigated themselves & find themselves INNOCENT.... again..

and again, and again.

The DEMOCRATS need to grow some balls, stand up and start YELLING.

Then they need to start FIRING some people.

What you need is a REVOLUTION.

[jazzjunkysue]

10. Pardon me while I fall down dead, in shock.

:boring:

[JABBS]

11. why?