Pelosi and Hoyer: Ethics Committee Must Fulfill Its Responsibilities to the Institution and American People'
Pelosi and Hoyer: Ethics Committee Must Fulfill Its Responsibilities to the Institution and American People'
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer released the following statement on the story reported in The Hill newspaper today that Chairman Doc Hastings of the Ethics Committee is reneging on his promise that he and other Republican members of the Committee would vote to undertake an immediate investigation of Congressman Tom Delay:
"After an entire year without a functioning House Ethics Committee, it is clear that the Republicans' culture of corruption and cronyism is alive and well in the House. If the story in The Hill is true, House Ethics Committee Chairman Hastings is showing a complete disregard for his own credibility and an utter contempt for the honor and dignity of the House by refusing to pursue a timely investigation of Congressman Tom DeLay.
"While in the past the Committee has deferred action when criminal investigations of Members are underway, in light of the diversity and depth of allegations facing Mr. DeLay, Mr. Hastings previous willingness to immediately investigate and Mr. DeLay's personal offer to appear before the Committee provides more than sufficient cause for an investigation to proceed.
"This is not the first time the Chairman of the Ethics Committee has raised questions about whether he is more focused on protecting Mr. DeLay than upholding the highest ethical standard in the House. In October, Chairman Hastings told his hometown newspaper that Mr. DeLay's criminal indictment was a political vendetta' and that the Ethics Committee would not take up an investigation.
"If the Chairman of the House Ethics Committee is unwilling to investigate a Republican who faces an array of credible allegations of corruption, then the ethics process in the House is beyond broken - it is nonexistent, and a stain on the honor of this House.
"As the leader of the entire House and not just his political party, it is long past time for the Speaker to make it clear that the Ethics Committee must immediately fulfill its responsibilities to the institution and the American people."
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