Posted on 02/09/2012 3:56:05 PM PST by Libloather
Pelosi might have skirted House ethics rules on campaign solicitations
By Russell Berman - 02/09/12 05:06 PM ET
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) might have briefly run afoul of congressional ethics rules at a Capitol press conference on Thursday when she made a statement that could be construed as a solicitation for campaign contributions.
The Democratic leader was holding a briefing to promote a campaign finance disclosure bill when she said she was “asking people to contribute to us, if they want to elect more reformers to Congress.”
House ethics rules prohibit members of Congress from soliciting campaign donations in House office buildings, including the Capitol Visitor Center, where Pelosi was speaking. A section of the U.S. criminal code also prohibits fund-raising in federal buildings.
The former Speaker was asked about President Obama’s decision to encourage donations to a super-PAC supporting his reelection and whether super-PACs supporting both the president and House Democrats should voluntarily disclose donations.
“Absolutely. Absolutely,” Pelosi replied. “The president made a decision, which I think was a wise one, that he was not going to unilaterally leave the field to the Koch brothers to decide who would be president of the United States and who would control the Congress. And his commitment was for full disclosure.
“And that’s why — we were scheduled to do this weekend but the timing could not be better,” she continued. “Because it affords us the opportunity to say to you that the Democrats in their fundraising will be fully disclosing. And, by the way, we’re asking people to contribute to us, if they want to elect more reformers to Congress. So that we can do away with super-PACs, that we can do away with secret contributions, we can reform the system, we can amend the Constitution, to overturn the Citizens United decision.”
A Pelosi spokesman, Drew Hammill, said her statement was describing her pitch to supporters, and was not an actual solicitation for donations.
"The comment was very clearly referring to our efforts to disclose, reform and amend,” Hammill said. “Reporters have repeatedly asked [Pelosi] how to square fundraising and reform policy, so that's why she said we have to raise money to elect more reformers. That is her pitch to supporters.”
Hammill, arguing that it was not a direct solicitation, also pointed out that Pelosi later referenced "pitch" she was making to supporters.
"And, as I said, our pitch is support us if you want to elect reformers to do away with these PACs."
Craig Holman, an advocate for campaign finance reform at Public Citizen, said Pelosi’s statement approached the ethical boundary but probably did not cross it.
“It sounds to me like a policy statement rather than a fundraising pitch,” Holman said. “I would not consider that a violation of the ethics rules, but it does get a little close.”
“Skirted?”
This is like saying Willy Sutton skirted banking laws!
If this had been a republican, there would be an
investigation going back twenty years just to see
if perhaps there was another instance of UNETHICAL
behavour, cause with repubs, once just isn’t enough.
..same stuff that sent others to jail
“Move along folks!” “Nothing to see here!” *sarc*
Color me surprised.
Nail her! Fine her! Jail her! She has become SO tiresome.
Will never happen simply because the PUBs don’t have the spine to charge her with wrongdoings, afraid that the roles could be reversed in the future.
Exactly! The ole skeletons in the closet cliche would come back to haunt the pubby’s.
Campaign contributions are the Elephant in the room. No one is talking about what actually the politician does with their Campaign war chest and how many pork barrel recipients contribute to them. These campaign contributions are the force behind growing bigger government. Bigger government creates more recipients who reward bigger government with campaign contributions. It is a vicious cycle, like the life cycle of the nasty Onchocerciasis parasite which causes blindness. I think there is a blindness and there are parasites.
“asking people to contribute to us, if they want to elect more reformers to Congress.”
WHAT, she is nuts...DEMOCRATS/REFORMERS. No way, hey wait, is she asking for people to vote Republican?
I Love these Friday Silliness threads!
And, where is Pelosi? Laid back in her office throne calling lobbyists' on her government phone and on government time, demanding more PERSONAL and campaign cash (small unmarked bills, of course).
Republicans only talk....Pelosi just walks !!
And, finally, what would WAXMAN do, if the parties were switched?? .... have a committee hearing and have witnesses against Pelosi water-boarded in front of the C-Span cameras.
“Rools, Schmoolz, I’m a Democrat!”
“Rools, Schmoolz, I’m a Democrat!”
“Pelosi might have skirted House ethics rules on campaign solicitations”.
So what’s new? Nothing to see here, move along.
The entire gaggle of dirt bags in our (used to be) government have completly ignored the constitution and circumvent our laws on a daily basis and NO BODY does a damn thing about it. Why? Because they all consider themselves to be above the law.
We need someone who has a backbone to rule over those people. They all need to be removed.
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