Pelosi Requests Hastert Join Her in Urging Ethics Committee to Hire Staff

Pelosi Requests Hastert Join Her in Urging Ethics Committee to Hire Staff

Washington D.C. - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi sent a letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert yesterday requesting he join her in urging the Ethics Committee to devote its full attention to hiring staff so the Committee can begin conducting its business.

The text of the letter follows:

October 5, 2005

The Honorable J. Dennis Hastert
Speaker
United States House of Representatives
H-232 U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

Nine months have now elapsed since the start of the 109th Congress - nine months in which the House has suffered from the unprecedented inability of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to perform its duty to protect the integrity of the House.

The causes of this failure are well known: the replacement of the Committee's Chair; the now rescinded partisan change in the rules under which the Committee operates; and the failed attempt to hire staff in violation of House rules.

The continuing chronicle of credible allegations of misconduct on the part of Members makes it absolutely imperative that the Ethics Committee immediately devote its full attention to the purpose for which it was created - upholding a high ethical standard in the House.

I request, therefore, that we jointly communicate to the Ethics Committee our strong belief that it must select a Chief Counsel and an investigative staff without further delay so the committee can conduct its critical business.

Thank you for your interest in this matter. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi
House Democratic Leader

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