WP: In a Season of Scandals, Ethics Panels Are Sidelined

[Pirate Smile]

In a Season of Scandals, Ethics Panels Are Sidelined

By Jeffrey H. Birnbaum
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, December 5, 2005; Page A02

The House ethics committee, the panel responsible for upholding the chamber's ethics code, has been virtually moribund for the past year, handling only routine business despite a wave of federal investigations into close and potentially illegal relationships between lawmakers and lobbyists.

With a California congressman headed to prison for accepting bribes and several others under investigation for accepting lavish gifts and money from former lobbyist Jack Abramoff, one might expect the House committee to have a lot of work to do.

-snip-
Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.) was ousted as the ethics chairman early this year by House GOP leaders. His successor, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), has been slow to take up the reins because of disputes between Republicans and Democrats over the panel's rules. Hastings and Mollohan also feuded for months about the makeup of the professional staff.

To critics, the long delay is unforgivable. Government watchdog groups say they are appalled that ethics overseers in both the House and Senate have done nothing in the face of a growing number of ethics inquiries against members of Congress. The vacuum, they say, has tacitly encouraged lawmakers to behave improperly and has helped produce the long slide in public trust of Congress.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/04/AR2005120400945.html

[rodeodance]

1. and Congress has neglected its oversite functions also.

[NanceGreggs]

2. Is there ANYONE left in this government ...

... who is still 'on the job'?

I guess not; too many of them are busy being 'on the take'.