AP: Latest Ethics Committee Move (lack thereof) on DeLay

[CitySky]

Ethics Committee Ends DeLay Fact-Finding

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The House ethics committee ended its initial information gathering Monday and now must decide whether to order a formal investigation of whether Majority Leader Tom DeLay has misused his office.

The ethics panel could meet this week to determine whether to appoint an investigative subcommittee, but there is no deadline. The informal fact-finding had to end Monday under a committee timetable.

A three-part complaint was filed by a Democratic lawmaker defeated in the primary, Rep. Chris Bell of Texas.

Two allegations directly involve use of DeLay's congressional office. One accuses the Texas Republican of soliciting corporate contributions in return for assistance on legislation.

A second contends he improperly used his staff to contact U.S. aviation authorities, asking them to track down Texas Democratic legislators who had fled the state while trying to thwart a DeLay-backed redistricting plan.

The third allegation accuses DeLay of using his political action committees to distribute money from corporations to Texas legislative candidates in violation of state law.

DeLay has replied to the committee, but has not released his response publicly.

Last week, committee chairman Joel Hefley, R-Colo., and senior Democrat Alan Mollohan of West Virginia said they had been reviewing information but had not determined how to proceed.

ON THE NET

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct: http://www.house.gov/ethics/

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

1. No responses?

I thought this post would be on fire. Who on this board doesn't want to see Tom Delay go down? Of course maybe I'm being overly optimistic.

[Roland99]

2. Amazing how slow the GOP is to respond to true scandals

but are so quick to jump on Democratic candidates' sex lives.

[Carla in Ca]

3. per Dailykos, last weeks phone calls made a difference!

All is not lost yet but we must make the calls again.




A Capitol Hill Democratic source tells me that your calls last week, demanding the ethics committee investigate DeLay, made a difference.
It wasn't so much that committee Democrats want to punt on the investigation, nor that they are more interested in maintaining the ethics truce. Rather, they have been seeking a way to move forward that doesn't invite retaliation from the other side. Of course, given who they're dealing with (DeLay), retaliation seems all but assured if they do anything other than punt.

In any case, the source said that your phone calls (and there were a ton of them) slowed the rush toward giving DeLay a pass. Committee Dems are apparently now holding a harder line, and the outcome is once again up in the air. I have included the committee member names and phone numbers below. It's best if you live in those members' districts, but not requried. On an issue like this, I'm told, committee members may be swayed by the national mood.

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