Didn’t he have to pay a big fat ethics fine for doing that as a Congressman?
“Didn’t he have to pay a big fat ethics fine for doing that as a Congressman??”
No. On January 21, 1997, the House voted 395 to 28 to reprimand Gingrich, including a $300,000 “cost assessment” to recoup money spent on the investigation. The full committee panel did not agree whether tax law had been violated. In 1999, the IRS agreed. Basically, there was no fine, but cost of bogus investigations charged. VERY different.
Actually no (and thanks for asking).
When he was speaker, Democrats filed 84 ethics violations against him. Eighty three were thrown out (sound familiar, Sarah Palin fans?). The last charge had to do with a class he taught at a tax exempt foundation. I assume that's what you are referring to. The complaint accused Gingrich of two tax improprieties: "Failure to seek legal advice" and "providing the committee (that was investigating him)with information which he knew or should have known was inaccurate." The full committee panel did not agree whether tax law had been violated. A settlement was negotiated requiring him to reimburse the committee $300k for the cost of the investigation. Two years later, the IRS cleared him of all charges, but the damage had been done.
Newt Gingrich Cleared! Now How About a Refund?
link, http://www.rightgrrl.com/carolyn/newt.html
Ethics Committee Drops Last of 84 Charges Against Gingrich, link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/govt/leadership/stories/101198.htm
Two very fact-based articles. The same things dems did to Sarah in Alaska. Newt was the first repub to be Palinized.