The House this afternoon formally cleared the late Rep. John Murtha (D., Pa.) and a half-dozen other lawmakers who were under investigation for allegedly trading earmarks for campaign cash.
The House ethics committee, formally known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, said today that no lawmakers violated House rules in their dealings with the now-defunct lobbying firm PMA Group its clients. Investigators said in a report that they examined deals involving dozens of companies and lawmakers.
In addition to Murtha, the committee cleared Reps. Norman Dicks (D., Wash.), Marcy Kaptur (D., Ohio), James Moran (D., Va.), Bill Young (R., Fla.), Todd Tiahrt (R., Kan.) and Peter Visclosky (D., Ind.). For Visclosky, however, the matter may not be over since the Justice Department has been looking into earmarks he handed out.
The move to drop the investigations into most of the lawmakers was recommended by the House’s independent ethics investigator. But that body, called the Office of Congressional Ethics, called for a full Ethics Committee investigation of Visclosky and Tiahrt. Today, the Ethics Committee rejected that recommendation and dismissed all the cases.
Outside groups that track congressional ethics were disappointed by the decision. Melanie Sloan, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said: “Apparently, in the committee’s view, no member of Congress ever earmarks as a result of a campaign contribution.”
Steve Ellis, a spokesman for Taxpayers for Common Sense, blamed the Ethics Committee for taking a “see no evil, here no evil, speak no evil approach potential earmark quid pro quo.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/02/26/ethics-panel-clears-7-on-earmark-claims/
Guess this is how Pelosi can say they have the most ethical congress in history, drop all charges so no one is ever convicted.
The House ethics committee, formally known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, said today that no lawmakers violated House rules in their dealings with the now-defunct lobbying firm PMA Group its clients. Investigators said in a report that they examined deals involving dozens of companies and lawmakers.
In addition to Murtha, the committee cleared Reps. Norman Dicks (D., Wash.), Marcy Kaptur (D., Ohio), James Moran (D., Va.), Bill Young (R., Fla.), Todd Tiahrt (R., Kan.) and Peter Visclosky (D., Ind.). For Visclosky, however, the matter may not be over since the Justice Department has been looking into earmarks he handed out.
The move to drop the investigations into most of the lawmakers was recommended by the House’s independent ethics investigator. But that body, called the Office of Congressional Ethics, called for a full Ethics Committee investigation of Visclosky and Tiahrt. Today, the Ethics Committee rejected that recommendation and dismissed all the cases.
Outside groups that track congressional ethics were disappointed by the decision. Melanie Sloan, the executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington said: “Apparently, in the committee’s view, no member of Congress ever earmarks as a result of a campaign contribution.”
Steve Ellis, a spokesman for Taxpayers for Common Sense, blamed the Ethics Committee for taking a “see no evil, here no evil, speak no evil approach potential earmark quid pro quo.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/02/26/ethics-panel-clears-7-on-earmark-claims/
Guess this is how Pelosi can say they have the most ethical congress in history, drop all charges so no one is ever convicted.