House Ethics Committee Opens 15 New Cases Of Alleged Misconduct By Lawmakers

The Hill:

The House ethics committee has started investigating 15 new cases of alleged misconduct so far this year while probing 11 cases held over from last year, according to a new semi-annual report the panel released Friday.

Read the whole story: The Hill

Comments

[jeffp26]

If we got rid of all of the ethically challenged members of the house and the senate, both rooms would be totally empty.

Totally empty.

[aj88]

2010 we really need to unite and show every incumbent up for re-election the door. Corruption has reached an all time high and we willfully elect them again and again.

[marxmarv]

That does no good if you just elect the other incumbent party. Throw out the incumbent parties, which having given up any semblance of a platform represent only their investors.

[VSamuels]

The conundrum is that these investigations become the punishments unto themselves; there is an appearance that the wrongdoing is being punished and the wrongdoers held accountable, but in the end, most will escape with minimium penalties and continue to maintain their position and power. Yes, there are the few who are sentenced to a cozy federal prison where they continue to live much the same in lock up as they would enjoy in the outside world, but yet and thus far---the public watchdog groups seem unwilling to engage the idea that former Congressional felons be stripped of their fat pensions and benefits.

The fraternity known as Congress is very protective and insular, especially when it comes to covering for those whose behavior might well affect their own pockebooks. There are simply popular cost savings measures that Congress is willing to cut and then there are those that they absolutely ignore, but nothing today seems more deserving of the tax payer's attention that leading a revolt against convicted Congressmembers who still draw large sums of money from the treasury, after having violated the public's trust.

So they lose their position, they still continue to draw retirement and live to lobby the same influencers they once solicited campaign donations from, the system is still very much sick.

[unite4change]

Obama told us during his presidential campaign, the American people need to be involved in our government to make it work, and this is the first time in my life time that voters are really involved and paying attention.

As we all can see, our representatives have forgotten for whom they work. They are too busy lining their pocketing with lobbyists' and special interest money to do anything to assist the taxpayer/their employer, the American people.

I say, once and for all, we must take back our government. Let's rid ourselves of these old, all about me, race shouldn't be a factor, been in Washington far too long politicians by setting our own term limits and voting them out of office when their terms expire. After all, since they no longer work or answer to the American people, we no longer need them in Washington.

Keep up the good work!

[scoops2]

just another show for the uneducated masses.

[yankees]

If Rangel was Republican the media would never let up and this crook would be gone but we live in a world of Double Standards.

[TrooAmerican]

Yes the Double standard of that Republicans commit far more crimes and far worse crimes at a rate 10x higher than democrats and yet when republicans were in power, they protected their own from justice until there were too many mistakes made out in public to hide them anylonger.
Such as Foley whom the GOP knew was gay, and had previously had experiences with him and inappropriate gestures to minor boys, Hastert actually caught lying about his knowledge of Foley's antics.
Such as Abramoff working directly for the GOP in being the avenue for Bribes to multiple republican legislators.
Such as Cunningham knowingly and openly taking bribes to push legislation for his favored industry over $2million with.
Both Republican Senators from Alaska getting massive amounts of freebies for providing services and goods from the taxpayers.
Both Republican Senators from Arizona taking bribes for provided services, and McCain in particular being the ringleader in the Savings and Loan scandal that cost the American taxpayers $1trillion in todays money. McCain obtained lavish free transport and vacations for his whole family from the guy who actually brought the entire fiasco down on us.
Republicans Constantly Commit nothing but Crimes, and continue to pretend they are something better than Dems.
Thats Hypocrisy. Thats their own doing, and thats the same mentality of their Supporters.

[gopSTEALSyourTAXmoney]

HERE'S ANOTHER LIST.

http://www.republicanoffenders.com/

[Tkevan]

Considering Barney Frank has a male prostitution business run out of his home, I might not say too much about Foley.

[chargerman]

Please state the link to your point of McCain being the ringleader.

[ObamAtomic]

You mean double standard,really double standard like Sanford,Ensign and others?

[Grunty1]

You have it backwards. How many Rushpublicans are currently on the block for affairs, yet how much coverage did Edwards get compared to all of them?

[Tkevan]

Edwards was a Presidential Candidate. That's why he got the coverage. Most people never heard of Sanford or Ensign before the affairs.

[fcsakes]

How do we get ethics charges going against every politician in Washington who has taken lobbyists money? If supporting lobbyists and the people they represent instead of their constituents isn't considered violating ethics, something is drastically wrong.

[scat]

Rangle again. There is a shock.

I blame Bush for all of this.

[katkat3303]

Gosh. It rained today. I think I'll blame Bush for that.

[chargerman]

Read about Rangle if you can be honest to yourself.

[ObamAtomic]

Crooks are just crooks.

[MrsFonebone]

Does anyone really believe congress will police itself? Just how grotesque does the misconduct have to be before it is denounced?
America will never live up to its full potential when congress is made of money grubbing, free-riders who just want to stay on the gravy train.

[maisnon55]

Yeah, right, Democrats are the ones who have to be checked out by the ethics committee. Are we just going to ignore that Republicans are filthy? Are we going to accept their wrongdoings the way we accepted Bush and Cheney's?

Roll over Democrats, play dead, and while you are at it, let the healthcare bill slip by.

[FROG1]

has Rangel paid his back taxes yet - the ones he tried to hide from? - if it had been anybody else, they'd be in jail for tax evasion

[VPN]

Better get over there pronto and arrest him, oh wait, you can't all you can do is whine about something you have no real knowledge of. That aside when the republickers start holding their own accountable then maybe they will have SOME credibility to be pointing an accusatory finger at Rangle or any other congressman. BTW, they should all be held accountable regardless of party.

[RevRayGreen]

I hope they include the rogue DEA/cops out in California who performed smash and grab raids at medical marijuana dispenaries in California.

[oregonrain]

http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/

[HarlemFreeThought]

tnx m8

[ywcachieve]

Charlie has been very nasty towards our president before and after the election. So I am happy he is catching hell.

[ChinaC]

Rumor has it Americans want Osama bin Laden killed so if Cheney wanted the CIA to do the job good for him. If Cheney gave the CIA orders not to brief Congress again good for him. It took the Democratic controlled Congress about 3 days to spill the beans so the CIA will handle the Demcorats in a fashion most fitting.

[Hopeington]

You are so off topic here, however...if Cheney can break the law then why can't I? And why should only some of us have to be bound by the Constitution and governed by it's laws and not others?
Who is the real American then? The ones being living within the laws of this country, or the ones that disregard them and hold themselves above the Constitution?

[QueenOfScott]

If non of Bam's Czars have to pay their taxes, why do I?

[FROG1]

what law did Cheney break?

[Hopeington]

Hallelujah...a sane comment.

[Hopeington]

oops right comment, wrong place

[jimmyboy7]

Democratic hero...
crooked corrupt politician...
but what else is new
money in freezers, bopping pages, blowjobs in the white house
difference between liberal and conservatives...
at least conservatives are embarrassed when they screw up...
liberals aren't bothered because it is the normal...

[dzent1]

Utter horsesh*t, jimmyboy.

Let's compare lists of scandals in the last 10 years shall we? The ratio is something like 10-1, Republican.

So many sex scandals, financial scandals, kickback and bribery scandals, and on and on - before we even get to the investigations of Bush's actual misdeeds!

All of it is in direct contradiction of their touted standards.

No one, and I mean NO ONE, takes a Republican at his word anymore. And that's the way it will remain until there are no longer people in the US who care to designate themselves as GOP. That, my friend, is all for the best.

[baddadd49]

so were is this list of 10 to 1 or are you just spinning?

[merchantmarine]

If you are going to make a comment about the 10-1 lets see the list.

[FROG1]

let's see a list

[ywcachieve]

jimmyboy...Rangel is not a Dem hero. Those are your silly words. No Dem has ever said Rangel is a hero.

[FROG1]

oh yes, they have - even that lefty rag, the NYT, has kist his butt and tingled their legs