Posted on 01/02/2017 8:33:01 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
WASHINGTON — House Republicans, overriding their top leaders, voted on Monday to significantly curtail the power of an independent ethics office set up in 2008 in the aftermath of corruption scandals that sent three members of Congress to jail.
The move to effectively kill the Office of Congressional Ethics was not made public until late Monday, when Representative Robert W. Goodlatte, Republican of Virginia and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that the House Republican Conference had approved the change. There was no advance notice or debate on the measure.
The surprising vote came on the eve of the start of a new session of Congress, where emboldened Republicans are ready to push an ambitious agenda on everything from health care to infrastructure, issues that will be the subject of intense lobbying from corporate interests. The House Republicans’ move would take away both power and independence from an investigative body, and give lawmakers more control over internal inquiries.
It also came on the eve of a historic shift in power in Washington, where Republicans control both houses of Congress and where a wealthy businessman with myriad potential conflicts of interest is preparing to move into the White House.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Twitter? holy crap. Twitter is a nearly fact free environment; an intellectual wasteland.
the NYT is an instrument of the left, and always has been. But Twitter serves only itself.
If the New York Times doesn’t like it our guys made the right choice.
The “Office of Congressional Ethics” I am certain was to be used by the Democrats as their tool, or perhaps one of many tools with which to hammer the incoming Trump Administration.
Bravo Republicans for recognizing, and dismantling what can only be called a Democrat ruse.
Eggs Zactly. The NYT said as much. “... with a myriad of ‘CONFLICT OF INTERESTS’ “.
The media was pumping up for charges by Dems against every move and breath of the TRUMP administration.
The problem with the Office of Congressional Ethics was that the Democrats had no “ethics” so they had nothing to investigate.
now if it had been called the Office of a Lack of Congressional Ethics, and really did their job, the Republicans would double their funding just because of the last 4 years of the Democrats in Congress would provide enough work for the next 4 years (Conflicts of interest, leaking classified information, blatantly lying to the public, interfering with a presidential campaign (Harry Reid lying about Romney’s taxes, for one); a total disrespect and violation of national security laws and protocols re the use of private computer servers etc; interfering in foreign elections (Kerry, some members of Congress, White House, etc); aiding and abetting our enemies (The Iran Agreement and payoffs); real estate deals using insider information; etc.
You need an Office of Congressional Ethics with real teeth, not a political agenda. We don’t want crooks, crazies and commies in our Congress (i.e. the Alan Graysons of this world; the racist Congressional Black Caucus; the Marxist Progressive Congressional Caucus; and the Soros-funded gang/fronts).
If you are going to clean house, don’t just use Lysol, use Lysol-coated ExLax. It does a better job of getting the crap out than just jabbering about something.
They appear to be lying again.
It’s somebody else’s money. What do they care.
They never found ole Charlie Rangel to have any ethics violations.
Surprise!
Is this a move to end what has really been a panel to bury ethics violations?
I just don’t trust any ‘journalism’ from the NYT to be anything other than propaganda.
Yes, because letting the opposition dictate the rules is always such a good idea.
Been there, done that, now it’s our turn at bat.
Although the office does not have subpoena power, it has played a significant role in 2010 investigations concerning alleged ethics violations by Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), and former Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Congressional_Ethics
How did that work out?
Understood.
Hard to believe they can be that sophmoric.
I assure you that is what I have done.
Barkys amerika. The land of shrinking dreams. Dead ones even.
Pepsi is upset.....maybe it is a good thing
Later, in an official statement, Rangel slammed the ethics subcommittee’s “unprecedented” decision, saying his due-process rights were violated because the panel ruled without him having legal representation.
“How can anyone have confidence in the decision of the ethics subcommittee when I was deprived of due-process rights, right to counsel and was not even in the room?” Rangel said. “I can only hope that the full committee will treat me more fairly, and take into account my entire 40 years of service to the Congress before making any decisions on sanction.”
Rangel also lamented the lack of a system to appeal the House ethics panel’s decision.
” .... a wealthy businessman with myriad potential conflicts of interest is preparing to move into the White House.”
Darn tootin! We want a president who has NO resume, who’s never run a business, who is dependent on the ‘good will’ of the wealthy (or the taxpayers) to afford their luxurious lifestyle and to fund their campaigns. Not potential conflicts of interest there! That is the successful formula for the NYT.
Poor Charlie. He couldn’t afford a defense. Although he wasn’t expelled, he had to give up his valuable House Chairmanship.
“The decision comes one day after the panel rejected an emotional plea by Rangel to delay the trial because he lacked counsel. Rangel’s team of attorneys told him in mid-October that they could no longer represent him, and Rangel said he could not afford to hire a replacement right away after incurring nearly $2 million in legal fees over the past two years.”
**myriad potential conflicts of interest**
New York Times, pick up the white phone. Your bias is showing.
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