Democrats set ethics trials for Charlie Rangel, Maxine Waters after Election Day

[The Northerner]

Ethics trials for two veteran Democrats will be held after midterm elections for Congress, the House ethics committee has just announced.

The hearing for Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY., accused of 13 violations of House rules, will be held on Nov. 15. The trial of Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., is slated for Nov. 29.

The announcement by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., who chairs the ethics panel, rejects a request by Republicans on the panel, who last week called for the public trials to be held before Nov. 2.

In her statement, Lofgren said the Republican request -- rare for a committee that operates in secret and typically issues bipartisan statements -- stood in contrast to "numerous" private negotiations between Republicans and Democrats to "reach consensus on how and when to proceed."

The accusations against Rangel include allegations he used his office to solicit nonprofit donations from companies with business before his tax-writing committee. Waters faces charges that she improperly intervened with federal officials on behalf of a bank in which her husband has a financial interest.

Both have maintained their innocence.

Read more: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2010/10/charles-rangel-maxine-waters-/1

[Bitwit1234]

1. So quick anyway. Where in the hell is the trial against

Ensign. He is supposed to have broken the ethics rule AND the law about two years ago. Oh dear, I shouldn't have said anything tho, I forgot he is a republican and the "lax" or "none at all" rule applies to them.