The House Ethics Committee has taken the brave step of opening an investigation into Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), one day after the DOJ indicted him. I wonder whether these people could be any more useless. Anybody who calls that a step up from Republican-led Committees who slept through the DeLay and Cunningham meltdowns entirely has dangerously low expectations. Ethics Committees exist to cut off corrupt behavior before it metastasizes into a DeLay/Cunningham/Jefferson embarassment, not to add a meaningless censure after the DOJ has already done their work for them.
Further, it will profoundly disappoint me if pro-Jefferson lobbying from the Congressional Black Caucus, which includes Democratic committee chairwoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, contributed to stalling the inquiry. The CBC has enough credibility problems (FOX debate) that it hardly needs the kind of blow that will come from shielding the most flagrantly corrupt House member since “Duke” Cunningham’s bribe menu.
Robert A. Becker
Well, on Rep. Jefferson’s expulsion from the House because of his indictment, we disagree. You overlook, I think, an important point: he was elected to that office by the people of his district [and re-elected after he was under investigation for corruption]. I think his re-election was unfortunate. As a three-decade former resident of Louisiana, I had had enough of Mr. Jefferson long ago and I think he’s about as ethically straight as a corkscrew. Nevertheless he was elected to that office by the people of his district. And that fact should not be ignored, nor should the wishes of the voters of his district be lightly cast aside.
Once he became the target of investigation, he was asked by the Democratic leadership to step down from the powerful Ways and Means committee. He refused, and was removed by the House Democratic leadership. Now that he’s been indicted, he’s asked to be relieved of has remaining relatively minor committee assignment, and that’s been done.
But unless or until he pleads guilty to a crime, or is convicted of one, it would be wrong to overturn the judgment of the voters who recently returned him to office and to expell him from the House.
demimondian
There was no investigation going? That’s insane!
What’s the current excuse for that? I can understand the Republicans not wanting to investigate Jefferson, since they felt he’d make such an awesome member for their caucus. (And they appear to have been right, although perhaps not for the reasons they originally imagined.) But why didn’t the Dems investigate him?
Sock Puppet of the Great Satan
“The House Ethics Committee has taken the brave step of opening an investigation into Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA), one day after the DOJ indicted him.”
As you’re the lawyer, John, is it possible that the ethics committee waited so it didn’t interfere with an ongoing grand jury investigation?
Cyrus
Well, back when Jefferson’s freezer was news, I remember concern trolls and open Republicans arguing that Jefferson proved that the Democrats weren’t any better than Republicans after all. Pelosi hadn’t had him stripped of his seat, had she? She’s just as willing to tolerate corruption as the Republicans! Um, not really. In fact, not at all. The Democratic leadership stripped him of his committee assignment. I don’t think they have the power to impeach a Congressman. The voters sent him back, and even that, only in a runoff vote. What else were Democrats supposed to do?
Yes, but by the time Democrats could do anything about Jefferson, he already had metastatized.
This is indeed a step up from the Republican handling of Jefferson, or of corruption in general. A small step up, certainly, I have no illusions about that, and I agree with you that the CBC deserves some/most of the blame for the fact that it was so little. But there is the step.
Tim F.
Are you replying to some other post? The House Ethics Committee doesn’t just expel members from the House. There are many levels of censure which it uses to formally declare that someone has screwed up. Censuring him now just looks like they had to be dragged kicking and screaming to acknowledge the obvious.
Belae
One point need to be made, with the corrupt Justice Department scandal, one can not set the bar so low as to expel member base on indictment alone; less bushie US attorney would start bringing fails indictments against Democratic members. However Jefferson is a special case with freezer full of cash and all.
Ethic committee should started an investigation long ago. One reason i support an outside independent investigation group for the ethic committee that can determine and recommend if committee to start an investigation.
Belae
Rome Again
It’s not about ethics, it’s about job security, dammit. We can’t let the poor congresspeople suffer joblessness now, can we?
Andrew
Remember, folks, a big reason that this case has taken so long is Abu’s DoJ totally fucked up on the Congressional office raids, leading to a multi-month delay while evidence that had been collected was held under seal.
Rome Again
That’s a good point, thanks for reminding us.
demimondian
Not a bit of it. The Congressional office raids were actually handled correctly, which is why the courts supported them.
Sorry — the question stands. Why didn’t the Ethics committee pick this up?
Andrew
Legal is not the same thing as handled intelligently.
The point is that they were handled in such as way as to guarantee that the issue ended up in the courts
Pb
Anybody who doesn’t call that a step up has a horribly bad memory:
And while we’re on the subject, does anyone remember this, for example? Yeah, if it weren’t for those darned Democrats dragging their feet, always nannering on about ‘ethics reform’ and ‘corruption’, maybe we’d see some real action on… oh wait.