Ethics Panel

Conflicted Out? Bonner To Control $500K For Waters Special Prosecutor

Susan Crabtree | July 20, 2011, 4:47PM

Watchdogs are busy extolling the Ethics Committee decision earlier Wednesday to hire an outside counsel to investigate the case against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), as well as allegations that its own staff and members engaged in a pattern of prosecutorial abuse.

But a review of the special prosecutor's contract, obtained by TPM, raises new conflict-of-interest questions for the beleaguered ethics panel.

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Ethics, Ethics Panel, House Ethics Committee, Jo Bonner, Linda Sanchez, Maxine Waters

Maxine Waters

Ethics Hires Special Prosecutor For Waters' Case Amid Turmoil

Susan Crabtree | July 20, 2011, 1:09PM

The House Ethics Committee has hired a special prosecutor to handle the case against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), a two-year investigation that has become mired in allegations of prosecutorial misconduct and partisan maneuvering.

The panel announced the hire of Billy Martin, a partner at the Washington office of Dorsey & Whitney, in a lengthy statement Wednesday, which came in the wake of an unprecedented document leak airing the committee's dirty laundry in excruciating detail. It was a unanimous decision, the panel said.

The scores of Ethics Committee e-mails and memos, reported by Politico Monday with links to the documents, paint a picture of a committee consumed by partisan dysfunction and accusations of professional misconduct surrounding Waters' case.

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Campaign Legal Center , Charlie Rangel, Democracy 21, Ethics, House Ethics Committee, House Ethics Leak, Jo Bonner, Linda Sanchez, Maxine Waters, Public Citizen, TARP, Taxpayer Dollars

Ethics

Watchdogs: Bonner Has To Go To Fix Broken House Ethics System

Susan Crabtree | July 19, 2011, 4:56PM

Ethics watchdogs are calling on Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL) to step down as chairman of the House Ethics Committee -- at least temporarily -- for his role in the ongoing turmoil over Rep. Maxine Waters' (D-CA) case.

"I think there needs to be an investigation into the whole matter, including Mr. Bonner's role and that Mr. Bonner should step aside during the course of that investigation," Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, told TPM Tuesday. "If Mr. Bonner is found to have broken the committee's rules, he should be sanctioned by the full House."

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Ethics, House Ethics Committee, Jo Bonner, John Boehner, Maxine Waters

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)

Ethics Committee Can't Sweep Turmoil Over Waters Case Under The Rug

Susan Crabtree | July 5, 2011, 5:45AM

Ethics experts say the House still has a lot of explaining to do when it comes to its handling of the corruption case against Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) last fall, which resulted in partisan backbiting, deep mistrust between Republicans and Democrats on the panel and the suspension of the lead attorney and an assistant a week before the matter was set to go to public trial.

The ethics panel has been at a virtual standstill for eight months since its internal dissension exploded onto the headlines of political publications and the Washington Post in early December. On Friday the panel announced it was extending separate investigations into Reps. Greg Meeks (D-NY), Jean Schmidt (R-OH), and two aides, but a source said the committee was forced to continue those probes because it had yet to begin looking into the matters in earnest.

Read more »

PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (0)
Topics: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Ethics, House Ethics Committee, Jo Bonner, Linda Sanchez, Maxine Waters, Zoe Lofgren