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Three Representatives Under Investigation For Alleged Bribery Over Financial Regs Bill

09/01/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
One has to wonder if the independent House Office of Congressional Ethics is either trying to influence elections or lacking understanding of the ethics rules of Congress. They have recommended that House investigators further investigate three lawmakers to determine if political contributions made to the three were improperly linked to votes that they cast on the financial overhaul bill.

What appears to be odd in this case is that none of the three changed their votes on the legislation. Republicans John Campbell of California and Tom Price of Georgia both voted against the bill while Democrat Joseph Crowley of New York voted for it. What is more baffling is that the OCE appears to have provided no evidence that these men broke ethics rules or any laws. The ethics office also refused to ask for further investigations on five others, namely Democrats Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota and Mel Watt of North Carolina, and Republicans Jeb Hensarling of Texas, Chris Lee of New York, and Frank Lucas of Oklahoma.

All three Democrats voted for the bill, and all five Republicans voted against the bill that President Barack Obama signed into law on 21 July. While the law was suppose to rectify the failures that lead to the 2008 meltdown of the financial system, it only managed to rectify some of them.

Campbell felt “perplexed by OCE’s decision, as they have presented no evidence that would suggest wrongdoing.” He also maintains that he “always complied with the letter and the spirit of the law. To suggest otherwise is unfounded and untrue. In addition, my voting record and my opposition to a culture of taxpayer-funded bailouts has been and always will be unshakeable.”

The California Republican was joined in his bafflement by his colleague Price from Georgia. Price stated “There being no evidence of any wrongdoing or any inconsistency in my policy position, one can only guess as to the motive behind their decision or even why they chose to initiate a review in the first place. My constant allegiance to a transparent and conscious divide between my official duties as a member of Congress and my actions as a candidate is without question.”

Crowley, the Democrat from New York, also asserted that he complied to the “letter and spirit of the rules regarding fundraising and standards of conduct.”

The three did attend fundraisers in and around the time that their votes were cast, but this is normal for any politician given that they are often attending fundraisers right through the year.

Crowley may be the only one with any potential for a problem since he did attend a fundraiser and then turn around and vote against a Democratic sponsored amendment to the bill which could have toughened some financial regulations, but that seems more like a coincidence than a violation of the rules since a hundred Democrats also voted against it.

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