DeLay Will Not Face Federal Charges

SOURCE: Ryan J. Reilly // TPM Muckraker

16 Aug 2010 // Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will not face federal charges related to his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, Politico reported. More»

Ethics inquiries in Congress increase this year

SOURCE: Fredreka Schouten // USA Today

16 Aug 2010 // WASHINGTON — The number of ethics cases launched in Congress has jumped dramatically in the past year, putting a focus on allegations of misconduct by lawmakers heading into November's elections. More»

Safety regulators caught in revolving doors

Industries' ties to federal agencies may be putting public in danger

SOURCE: Stewart Powell, Richard S. Dunham and Spencer Gaffney // Houston Chronicle

15 Aug 2010 // WASHINGTON — First came the explosions. Then the funerals. Then the calls for reform.

Five years ago, it was the Texas City explosion that killed 15 workers and cast the spotlight on the Chemical Safety Board, the chronically underfunded agency assigned to oversee worker safety at American refineries. More»

The galling letter Ensign sent to raise money for his legal defense

SOURCE: Jon Ralston // Las Vegas Sun

15 Aug 2010 // John Ensign is a man of many talents, not the least of which are his skill at twisting the truth and of putting on a false front to the world. More»

Letter to the Editor - Ethics in Congress

SOURCE: Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of CREW // New York Times

14 Aug 2010 // Fair or not, the terms “crook” and “politician” have become synonymous in the minds of many today. Yet leaders of both parties seem to be declaring mission accomplished when it comes to cleaning up Washington. More»

Why Are the Rangel and Waters Hearings Happening Now?

SOURCE: Jesse Zwick // Washington Independent

13 Aug 2010 // The Ethics Committee has known about Rep. Charlie Rangel’s (D-N.Y.) violations since September 2008 and Rep. Maxine Waters’s (D-Calif.) misdeeds since June 2009, so why is it only making its findings available now? More»

Ensign seeks defense donations, blames 'liberal organization' for legal woes

SOURCE: Steve Tetreault // Las Vegas Review-Journal

13 Aug 2010 // WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Ensign is asking supporters for donations to pay lawyers defending him in ongoing ethics investigations, insisting he is "absolutely" innocent of allegations stemming from an extramarital affair and efforts to help the woman's husband find new work. More»

LA Congresswoman Maxine Waters says she hasn’t violated House rules

SOURCE: Kitty Felde // KPCC (Southern California Public Radio)

13 Aug 2010 // Congresswoman Maxine Waters came out swinging today in a meeting with reporters over ethics allegations, insisting that she did not violate House of Representatives ethics rules when she arranged a meeting between a minority-owned bank and Treasury officials two years ago. More»

Why ethics hearings only now?

SOURCE: Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of CREW // Politico

13 Aug 2010 // Timing is everything.

After sitting dormant for more than a decade, the House Ethics Committee has roared to life by holding two of the most senior members’ feet to the fire for some pretty serious ethical violations. But one has to wonder — why is the committee acting only now? More»

Poll: Hill ethics numbers tick up

SOURCE: Daniel Strauss // Politico

13 Aug 2010 // Even as several ethics investigations have made headlines lately, Americans’ view of how ethical Congress is has increased slightly in the past five months, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Thursday. More»