Pelosi faces ethics probe over potential Massa coverup

The Washington Examiner ^ | March 12, 2010 | Susan Ferrechio

[2ndDivisionVet]

House Republicans are pushing hard for an investigation into Speaker Nancy Pelosi's handling of accusations that ex-Rep. Eric Massa sexually harassed a male staffer, putting Democrats in a politically dangerous position.

The House voted 402-1 to refer to the ethics committee a demand put forward by GOP leaders that the panel ask Democratic leaders about how they responded to sexual harassment allegations against Massa.

The move came a day after the ethics panel quietly dropped its probe into Massa, a freshmen New York Democrat. Massa resigned Monday amid allegations he groped male staffers in his office. In interviews Massa said aides had misinterpreted tickling and other horseplay. The ethics panel closed the case because it has no jurisdiction over former members, but the GOP wants the 10-member, bipartisan committee to start a new investigation into the Democratic leadership's handling of the matter.

Pelosi's staff has acknowledged receiving complaints about Massa's behavior as early as October 2009. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., forced Massa to refer the complaint to the ethics committee when he heard about it in February.

"All we do know is there are a continuing stream of press reports which raise questions [about] what was known and when it was known," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va.

The vote does not compel the ethics committee to follow through with the Republican resolution, which would have required the panel to open an official investigation. Instead, it merely directs the panel to consider the resolution.

An investigation could be politically devastating if Pelosi is found to have overlooked warning signs about Massa's behavior. Democratic aides have told reporters that Massa's chief of staff informed the speaker's office in October about concerns that Massa was living with five aides in a group home on Capitol Hill and had gone to dinner alone with a junior aide to Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. Pelosi aides were made aware of the groping allegations from Hoyer's office in February. Pelosi, though, told reporters last week she only learned of any accusations against Massa on March 3.

Four years ago, the Republican majority watched its poll numbers plummet after media reports disclosed Rep. Mark Foley, a six-term lawmaker from Florida, was pursuing underage male House pages while the GOP leadership did little or nothing to intervene.

Frank said there is no comparing the two cases.

"I believe they will be shown to have done a very appropriate job, which is very different than Mark Foley," Frank said. "Mark Foley had to be broken by the press."

But Rep. Steven LaTourette, R-Ohio, a former member of the ethics committee, sees similarities to the Foley case, which resulted in an ethics committee report that accused House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and then-Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, of working to conceal the matter.

"The stories this week seem to indicate that at least those questions have been raised about the speaker and the majority leader," LaTourette said.

[Danae]

Ooooo and the CAT FIGHT IS ON!

Here we go, this is the sign we all may have been waiting for. I think Nancy is done for, she can’t get the votes on health care.

[Danae]

Oh you have got that right. The democrat party is done for. Liberals and progressivism have just recently gotten the idea that most of America is AGAINST them.

November may be an “Unmitigated disaster”.

[Danae]

So... who was the Nay vote?

[Danae]

Right on!

[Allegra]

Anything that can put Nancy’s a$$ in a sling is OK by me.

[Always Independent]

The demons will never let that happen. But the pubs can keep hammering her on it. They should be hammering her on what she knew about cia interrogation methods also. One thing she can’t stand is to be in a negative spotlight. It throws her off big time.

[MestaMachine]

The resolution introduced by Boehner would have given the ethics committee no choice about investigating what Democratic leaders knew about Massa. Instead, the House voted 402-1 to allow the ethics committee to decide its next step.

The committee has five members from each party, but a tie vote would kill any proposal to investigate Democratic leaders.

[McGavin999]

Oh but it’s different, this time it’s democrats and everyone knows that democrats are allowed to be venal, disgusting and are actually expected to be corrupt.

[kempster]

Doesn’t Nancy get to vote. One would think she would be the 1.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

“We see only the tip of the iceberg.”

How true! Quoting that. Years ago, I predicted to a bunch of democrat friends that yes, they might have some short term victories, but they would experience an exponentail growth of letdowns as the years roll by.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Filing this in ...
THUG-O-CRAT hit list [shocking links and headlines]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2464640/posts?page=4

[Anyone here want to try my once-a-day ping list? One million dollars a ping (don’t worry — just tax money). Money-back guarantee after we flee to some unnamed island with Geihtner, Rezko, Hugh Rodham, Pelosi, Cold Cash Jefferson, Rangel, and Reid. ACORN leaders and two dozen Obama tax cheats provide the prostitutes. Don’t worry about birth control; all babies that survive abortions will be killed. Goldman Sachs and Fannie/FReddie show us how to stimulate ourselves, while Gorelick and Kevin Johnson sing a duet. At the pool: Massa, Deadfish, and Barney Frank are required to wear swimming trunks. Bill Ayers provides fireworks. Soros and Petrobras bring refreshments. Rev. Jackson is kitchen supervisor — promises not to spit. Yes, it’s a ton of fun ‘ping party’, and I rarely torture you more than once a day.]

George Washington: “Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a terrible master.”

[GeronL]

The Democrat Party is operated like a 3rd world junta

[wasp69]

"I believe they will be shown to have done a very appropriate job, which is very different than Mark Foley," Frank said. "Mark Foley had to be broken by the press."

Oh, the irony! It burns!

[ohioWfan]

Because the whole Foley thing was a sham and Boehner had nothing to do with it.

THANK you!

[Jo Nuvark]

Don’t trust anyone over 30 ... years in office!!!

[Maverick68]

Guys, I see this as the Dems opening as far as taking Pelosi down.
I believe she along with Reid and hussein are pretty unpopular right now.

[Servant of the Cross]

Hate to be the cynic, but I wouldn't pop the champagne yet.

The vote does not compel the ethics committee to follow through with the Republican resolution, which would have required the panel to open an official investigation. Instead, it merely directs the panel to consider the resolution.

Come on. Stop and think which Dem is going to head this "ethics" (insert raspberry sound) panel - probably Bawney "Banking Queen" Frank himself - who has already pre-judged the consideration of the resolution ...

Frank said there is no comparing the two cases.

"I believe they will be shown to have done a very appropriate job, which is very different than Mark Foley," Frank said. "Mark Foley had to be broken by the press."

This is the fox guarding the hen house and there won't be any ethics probe of Pelosi. (okay, I WANT to be wrong but there is no reason to trust the Dems on this.).

[Spunky]

From Article: "The vote does not compel the ethics committee to follow through with the Republican resolution which would have required the panel to open an official investigation. Instead, it merely directs the panel to consider the resolution."

That says it all. This is going nowhere.

[Servant of the Cross]

Here's the key distinction IMO:

The resolution introduced by Boehner would have given the ethics committee no choice about investigating what Democratic leaders knew about Massa. Instead, the House voted 402-1 to allow the ethics committee to decide its next step.

[SparkyBass]

An “Ethics Probe” of Nancy will come up empty.
There are no Ethics to be found.