Posted on 06/17/2004 6:21:22 AM PDT by jmstein7
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) met with Secretary of the Senate Emily Reynolds Wednesday to discuss ethics complaints stemming from his prolonged absence from the legislative body while he campaigns for president. Kerry and Reynolds were spotted by Congressional staffers slipping into one of the many antechambers of the Capitol where the pair likely reviewed options for dealing with the complaints filed against both of them.
A complaint filed by Hofstra law student Jonathan Stein accuses Reynolds of willfully violating a federal statute that requires her to make deductions from Kerry's Senate paycheck for his absences. Kerry is also named in the complaint for knowingly accepting salary to which he is not entitled.
The issue was first raised in a March 2004 letter to Reynolds from American Conservative Union Chairman David Keene who requested that she enforce the statute concerning Kerry's salary. Reynolds responded to Keene's letter, refusing to enforce the statute because her predecessors had not done so in other cases.
Stein points out in his complaint that the failures of others who previously held Reynolds' position could not establish precedent since the statute clearly says that the Secretary of the Senate "shall" make the appropriate deductions. Stein contends that the language used in the rule is unequivocal and mandatory, allowing no instance for exception or discretion.
Stein also believes that Sen. Kerry, who holds a license to practice law, should be "held to a higher standard of legal conduct than the ordinary citizen, as it is [his] job and role to know, interpret, and promulgate the law."
Stein suggests that the Ethics Committee direct Kerry to return funds he was overpaid and decline to accept future illegal payments from the federal treasury.
Stein told Talon News that Robert Walker, Chief Counsel for the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, confirmed receipt of his letter of complaint. He also said that Walker did not indicate if or when the committee might take up the matter.
The Hofstra law student told Talon News that he decided to file the complaint in the interest of "preserving the rule of law."
Having recently completed coursework on constitutional law, he says that he is exercising his First Amendment right to "petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Stein says that the law in this matter is "absolutely clear" and lawmakers cannot consider themselves above it.
Kerry has voted only 14 times out of the Senate's 112 votes this year, a record Stein says is "egregious."
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who recently called on Kerry to resign his seat, citing his dismal attendance record, shares that opinion.
She said, "If any of us attended our job only 13 percent of the time, we'd be fired."
Healey went on to say, "It's not fair, it's not right, and the public is not being well served."
"I'm calling on John Kerry to resign so that we can fill that office with someone who is 100 percent devoted to the job of representing the people of Massachusetts," Healey added.
Good gosh. How many people would get paid if they were AWOL from their job for over a year?
"...it's the only logical explanation, right?"
Wrong. In your mind it's the only LOGICAL explanation, but that doesn't cover all possibilities. Your statement cannot be supported.
To democrats, they are the rulers the voters are the subjects, subjects to be manipulated, lied to, commanded, and/or generally ignored except when seeking to herd their vote.
Whatever. Easy for you to be an armchair critic, isn't it? Why don't you take all your built-up anger, aggression, cynicism, and sarcasm and do something productive?
Stir, stir, stir...
LOL!
BUMP!
jmstein7 also did an awesome job raising this on 770 WABC a couple of weeks ago on Mark Levin's show.
Hopefully, Mark will pick this up and help get this important issue out to the public.
Why is this even an issue...He hardly needs the money and maybe he should take a page out of ARNOLD's playbook.....Donate your pay to something like OUR COUNTRY!
Blah, blah , blah...
Classic!! I love it!
"Blah, blah , blah..."
A very adult response. You don't seem to want to try and defend your conclusion on why the 2 met and how you have such great insight into the matters of others' hearts and minds. I'm anxious to learn, and thirst for knowledge.
What's the point in arguing with you? You are intractable, so it doesn't matter what I say. Therefore, I won't waste my time, or yours, any further.
I'm sorry, I must have clicked on the wrong thread. I was looking for something on Abu Ghraib, but I can't seem to find anything anywhere.
/sarcasm
Great job, buddy. No doubt Kerry is cursing your name for making this an issue - a sign you're doing the right thing. Keep it up.
BUMP!
"You are intractable, so it doesn't matter what I say."
Agreement reached.
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