Lawmaker (Hart) Should Step Aside in DeLay Inquiry, Groups Say

[UpInArms]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/30/politics/30delay.html

(free registration or try www.bugmenot.com)

WASHINGTON, April 29 - Campaign watchdog groups said on Friday that it would be inappropriate for Representative Melissa A. Hart to oversee any potential inquiry of the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, because she had received $15,000 from his political action committee and held a fund-raiser at a restaurant owned by a Republican lobbyist at the center of a growing corruption scandal.

Ms. Hart, a Pennsylvania Republican, has been named by the House ethics committee chairman to look into accusations about Mr. DeLay, who is under scrutiny for overseas trips organized by Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist. Mr. Abramoff's far-reaching political work is now the subject of a federal grand jury investigation. Campaign records filed with the Federal Election Commission show that Ms. Hart held a fund-raising event at his restaurant, Signatures, in Washington.

Phone calls placed Friday night to Ms. Hart's Capitol Hill office and a home listing in Pennsylvania were not returned.

<snip>

"Her conclusions are automatically suspect because she has her own potential ethics issues come into play," said Melanie Sloan, executive director of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which alerted news organizations to campaign records showing that Ms. Hart had spent $1,587 on a fund-raiser at Mr. Abramoff's restaurant.

...more...

[dbt]

1. Jesus Tapdancing Christ! Is there NOT ONE Republican left

who is without some sort of stain from dirty money? Is the Honorable Ms Hart simply the least corrupt party member they could recruit for this job?

And the hell of it is: one could fairly ask these questions about a Democrat if positions were reversed!

[Judi Lynn]

2. She's too involved with Delay, according to this article, for objectivity

On Friday, an editorial in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praised Ms. Hart for "her willingness to take on party leaders in her earlier service in the State Legislature."

"But her dogged party loyalty could cloud the independence she needs to follow the facts" in the investigation of Mr. DeLay, the editorial said. "She also needs to overcome the reality that she accepted $15,000 from one of Mr. DeLay's political action committees."

Hart and Vice President Cheney Address a Crowd at LaRoche
College on the Need to Reform Social Security

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Melissa Hart is also among those who voted for the so-called "Delay Rule" change in the House. In a nutshell, the rule required a member of the House leadership to resign from his/her leadership post in the event he/she is indicted for criminal behaviour. Since an indictment of Mr Delay is (or perhaps was) expected, the House republicans dutifully changed the rules to protect him.
(snip)

http://2politicaljunkies.blogspot.com/2005/03/some-more-on-melissa-hart.html

[MontageOfFreedom]

3. Definitely time to replace Hart....

And send in a federal prosecutor.....

[Divernan]

4. Hart is arrogant, ambitious & has been co-opted by GOP leaders

I had the displeasure of working with Melissa Hart when she was in state government, and have followed her career with interest since she went to DC. Granted one can be arrogant and ambitious and still be ethical - but her willingness to confront the GOP old boys network has dropped off dramatically since her freshman days in the PA Senate.

House members are not named to the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, as she has been, unless they have committed to voting the party line. Even then, it is very rare for a third termer to get such an appointment.

Two examples of her attitude.

I introduced myself to her at a party at a yacht club in her district .
I was a member, she was a guest. She was standing alone, evidently unable or unwilling to "work the room" as politicians typically do. I felt sorry for her, so went up to her, identified myself as a Dem staff atty. in the legislature and complimented her on a recent bill she'd introduced on domestic violence. She turned on her heel and walked away from me without a word - apparently because I was a Dem. Politics have deteriorated a lot in PA over the past ten years, but back then, members of the legislature and professional staff treated members of the opposing party with courtesy. Not Hart.

After winning election to the House in DC, she was on an elevator with one of her new staff members, when a somewhat older, not too stylishly dressed woman got on the same car. Melissa said in a loud voice to be heard by all that this elevator was for "members only" and this woman should get off at once. The woman looked at Hart in amazement and did not get off. Hart repeated her order. Hart's staff member kept tugging at Hart's sleeve, but Hart was focused on the "outrage" of a non-member trying to use the elevator and ignored her staffer. Turns out the older woman was a member of Congress, with seniority over Hart of course.

Pity me - she's my Congressperson, and I have Santorum and Specter for Senators.

[rodeodance]

5. that elevator incident turns me off to her immediately. thanks for the pos

t.
Looks like this ethics committee has lots of problems. Also seems to me that she will not step aside without a fight.

[rodeodance]

6. USA reporter on c-span-2 just now that it will be difficult to find anyone

not connected to Delay (chairman).
umm....time to call in an independent investigation!! where is Starr??

[struggle4progress]

7. Hastert Ethics 'Step Back' Fails To Address .. Concerns on Ethics ...

Hastert Ethics 'Step Back' Fails To Address Serious Concerns on Ethics Committee Members Says CREW

<snip> "While we are very happy that the GOP majority has finally conceded that the ethics committee debacle needs to be put behind us, reverting to the previously existing rules is not enough. Even if the Ethics Committee meets and decides to investigate Majority Leader Tom DeLay, a major obstacle to a thorough and fair investigation remains: the make-up of the Committee.

"Records indicate that one of Mr. DeLay's political action committees, Americans for a Republican Majority (ARMPAC) contributed $15,000 to the campaign committee of Melissa Hart (R-PA), the person whom Ethics Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) has said would lead any investigation into DeLay's conduct. In addition, three other Republican members of the Committee, Doc Hastings, Judy Biggert (R-IL), and Tom Cole (R-OK) have also received contributions from ARMPAC. Moreover, Lamar Smith (R-TX), Tom Cole, and Melissa Hart have all contributed to Mr. DeLay's legal defense fund -- the very fund that is paying for Mr. DeLay's defense to charges before the Ethics Committee." <snip>

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=46499

[Moderator]

8. kick to combine

[NNN0LHI]

9. Lawmaker Should Step Aside in DeLay Inquiry, Groups Say

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/30/politics/30delay.html

WASHINGTON, April 29 - Campaign watchdog groups said on Friday that it would be inappropriate for Representative Melissa A. Hart to oversee any potential inquiry of the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, because she had received $15,000 from his political action committee and held a fund-raiser at a restaurant owned by a Republican lobbyist at the center of a growing corruption scandal.

Ms. Hart, a Pennsylvania Republican, has been named by the House ethics committee chairman to look into accusations about Mr. DeLay, who is under scrutiny for overseas trips organized by Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist. Mr. Abramoff's far-reaching political work is now the subject of a federal grand jury investigation. Campaign records filed with the Federal Election Commission show that Ms. Hart held a fund-raising event at his restaurant, Signatures, in Washington.

Phone calls placed Friday night to Ms. Hart's Capitol Hill office and a home listing in Pennsylvania were not returned.

After months of deadlock, Republicans and Democrats on the House ethics committee reached agreement this week on rules that are likely to lead to an investigation of Mr. DeLay, who was admonished three times by the committee last year. Representative Doc Hastings, the Washington Republican who is the panel's chairman, had said earlier this month that he intended to appoint Ms. Hart to oversee any review of the charges against the House leader. Since Republicans agreed earlier this week to rescind rules that had made it more difficult to open an ethics investigation, Mr. Hastings has not said whether Ms. Hart will still direct any review.

more

[rocktivity]

10. Anyone on the commitee who took $$$ from DeLay should be replaced

As I understand it, all five of the Repubs on the commitee not only took money from DeLay, they contributed some to his defense fund!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Rose Siding]

11. Our ethical Harry Reid recused himself from an ethics panel over $500

And he was just sitting on Torricelli's investigation, not leading it.

The repubs say, Oh that's just how it's done.

No, it isn't. Ask Harry!

edit- I was mistaken: yes he was the chair...

snip>
Democrat Set the Standard: Sen. Harry Reid Recused Himself from Ethics Investigation on A Fellow Democrat

Reid Recused Himself From Torricelli Hearings. In 2002 Senator Harry Reid, then-Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee, recused himself from the investigation of Senator Robert Torricelli's fundraising practices. Reid recused himself after it was revealed that he had contributed $500 to Torricelli’s legal defense fund. After recusing himself, Reid said, he wanted the hearing "to be free of any sort of distraction."


http://www.democrats.org/news/200504280001.html