For 7 years, from 1997 until this summer, there were NO ethics complaints lodged against any members of the U.S. House. Because no-one has ever violated the rules? No, because they removed the mechanism that would allow outsiders to complain -- then began a silent "truce" and refused to police themselves.
Congressman Chris Bell of Texas courageously violated the "truce" this summer and filed a complaint citing some of the better-known illegal campaign activity of House Majority leader Tom DeLay. See Chris Bell's website
http://bell.house.gov/hor/tx25/home.htm for the full complaint & exhibits.
Please urge the Ethics Committee to appoint an independent counsel and start a full investigation NOW. And urge the R's on the committee who have taken money from the accused to STEP DOWN.
Today's article (copied from www.takingontomdelay.com) is below.
Thank you!
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The Ohio Democratic Party and the Texas Democratic Party today issued joint calls for an independent counsel in the DeLay ethics investigation in the US House.
From the Ohio DP's press release:
Because Republican Rep. Steve LaTourette and fellow Republican House members refuse to remove themselves from the ethics investigation of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, Ohio Democratic Party Chairman Dennis L. White is joining the call for the appointment of an independent counsel to investigate illegal campaign activity.
Out of the five Republicans on the House Ethics Committee, LaTourette and three others received more than $81,000 in campaign contributions from DeLay's Political Action Committee Americans for a Republican Majority.
LaTourette accepted $16,073 from the PAC, more than any other member of the committee. Yet LaTourette believes he can fairly judge the actions of DeLay, possibly the most powerful member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
"If you take money from the accused, you can't serve on the jury. That's they way it is in American courtrooms, but apparently that does not make sense to Mr. LaTourette," White said.
White has joined the chairmen of the Texas, Iowa, Montana and Nebraska Democratic Parties in calling for an Independent Counsel. All of the states have Republican representatives on the Ethics Committee who took money from DeLay.