Tom DeLay

House Ethics: Timing On Fundraisers, Financial Reform Was Coincidence

Ryan J. Reilly and Melissa Jeltsen | January 27, 2011, 4:15PM

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)

The House Ethics Committee let three members of Congress skirt further ethics inquires on their cozy relationships with financial lobbyists because, in short, everybody does it.

But what about the timing of the fundraisers, some of which were held the day before the final Financial Reform Bill vote in December 2009? Top ethics officials in the House of Representatives say the timing of the events was just "happenstance."

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Ethics

Ethics Committee: Wall Street Fundraisers Weren't As Bad As DeLay

Ryan J. Reilly | January 26, 2011, 6:00PM

Reps. John Campbell (R-CA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Tom Price (R-GA)

Nothing to see here, folks!

That's the takeaway of the House Ethics Committee's 616-page report on fundraisers targeting financial industry lobbyists held by members of the House around the time the legislative body was voting on an overhaul of financial regulation in December of 2009.

Despite the recommendations of the more independent Office of Congressional Ethics, the House Ethics Committee wouldn't be looking into whether events geared towards financial lobbyists held by three members of Congress had the appearance of impropriety.

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Tom DeLay

Timing Is Key In Investigations Of Donations From Financial Interests

Ryan J. Reilly | September 3, 2010, 9:40AM

Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY)

When news came out this week that three members of Congress had been referred to the House ethics committee for further investigation into possible ethics violations because of fundraisers they held ahead of a vote on financial reform, observers were surprised that the Office of Congressional Ethics based the decision on the appearance of impropriety rather than solid evidence that anything was done wrong.

But according to House ethics guidelines, looks do matter.

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Office of Congressional Ethics

Is Appearance Of Impropriety Now Enough To Open An Ethics Investigation?

Ryan J. Reilly | September 2, 2010, 1:51PM

Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)

The Office of Congressional Ethics told the Ethics Committee that the conduct of three members of the House in the time leading up to the vote on the Financial Regulatory Reform warrants further investigation. But OCE also dismissed similar investigations against five other members. So what's the difference between a legal campaign contribution and a "legislation-for-contribution" scheme that violates the honest services law -- and does the OCE really believe that the three members they referred to the Committee violated it?

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Office of Congressional Ethics

OCE Recommends Three Congressmen For Further Ethics Probe

Rachel Slajda | September 1, 2010, 9:16AM

Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)

The Office of Congressional Ethics, a semi-independent body that investigates House members on ethics charges and forwards its findings to the official House ethics committee, says the conduct of three members warrants further investigation.

The OCE has been investigating Reps. John Campbell (R-CA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Tom Price (R-GA) for fundraisers they held in the days before voting on financial reform legislation last December. The office dismissed similar investigations against five other members.

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Wall Street

New Dems Met With Wall St. Execs While Pushing to Weaken Financial Reform

Zachary Roth | January 6, 2010, 12:45PM

Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY)

A group of moderate Democrats held private meetings this fall with executives from Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase, while in the midst of pushing successfully to water down landmark legislation designed to beef up regulation of the financial industry.

In mid October, members of the New Democrat Coalition (NDC), a caucus of pro-business Democrats, traveled to New York City. According to an emailed itinerary for the trip drawn up by an event planner working for the group and obtained by TPMmuckraker, members met on October 12 with executives from Goldman, and the following day with execs from JP Morgan. Sandwiched between those events was a fundraiser for the New Dems, and a meeting with CEOs from Marsh and McLellan Companies, a consulting and insurance firm.

[SEE THE ITINERARY EMAIL HERE. SEE AN INVITATION FOR THE FUNDRAISER HERE]

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