Posted on 01/03/2007 7:35:37 PM PST by neverdem
The Republican-led House ethics committee -- in possibly its last action before Democrats take over Congress -- closed the three-year investigation of Rep. John Conyers Jr. after he agreed to stop using staffers for campaign work and personal errands.
Mr. Conyers, a Michigan Democrat, acknowledged a "lack of clarity" in his dealing with the taxpayer-financed staffers, who reportedly worked on political campaigns and performed other nonofficial jobs, including baby-sitting Mr. Conyers' children and tutoring his wife.
The case against Mr. Conyers was closed without punitive action or a letter of reproval from the Committee on Standards of Conduct, the ethics panel, which is comprised of five Democrats and five Republicans.
Some Republican lawmakers and congressional watchdogs say the "slap on the wrist" for Mr. Conyers raises doubts about new ethics rules that Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, promises for the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress that convenes tomorrow.
"It's a slap on the wrist, but the fact that they did anything is a big deal for [the ethics committee]," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
She did not expect the committee to be any tougher under Democratic control.
"It is always hard for the party in power to deal with congressional corruption," she said.
Last month, the ethics committee decided not to take action against Rep. Jim McDermott, despite finding that the Washington Democrat broke ethics rules in 1997 by giving reporters illegally taped telephone calls involving House leaders.
A Republican lawmaker familiar with both cases said Democrats on the committee blocked punitive action against their colleagues.
"It certainly brings into question the Democrats being strong on ethics," said the lawmaker, who did not want to be identified discussing ethics cases...
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Sick.
Joke.
Who are the Republicans who signed off on this whitewash??
The House Ethics Committee is a Whitewash agency. They must use buckets of the stuff.
Ethics and the House or the Senate for that matter should never be mentioned in the same story. It just dosnt exist.
If you think Doctors cover for each other,they are Pikers compared to Politicians.
Why?? because every stinking one of them should be in jail and not on the Hill.
Of course this is no surprise. Conyers being black,a member of the CBC, Pelosi needing that CBC, Conyers lined up to head a select committee. No surprise at all Just more corruption from the most corrupt organisation since the Mafia.
Probably all of them.
It cant get any better than having crooks on your jury.
What is a lack of clarity regarding taxpayer-paid staffers involved in babysitting and tutoring?
Every single one of them? I'm sure corruption is probably rampant, but I'm not cynical enough to believe that every elected official is a crook. If I did believe it, I'd probably be paralyzed by bile, so I'll keep my rose colored glasses on.
That said, the house ethics committee is a joke.
A 'lack of clarity" is it? If I ever get in trouble with the law, I might try out that excuse to see where it will get me (Hey, I now have precedent, don't I?).
I wouldnt trust a one of them to take a 10 dollar deposit to the bank for me. Thats how I feel about them.
Nobody spends the millions of dollars these guys spend to get elected so they can collect a salary of $165,000 dollars.
If they arent corrupted by money they are corrupted by perks and power.
They play along with each other because they dont want their skeletons dragged out or because they want another to vote for their pork. They make deals you vote for my brridge and I will vote for your Highway. They have corrupted the system to the point that it needs a wholesale revamping.
The ethics committee should be made up of Non-partisan citizens not fellow criminals.
Uh huh. Unbelievable.
Except for Tom Delay.
And only used 2 stitches.
Pathetic. CONgress = huge watse of money.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.