CREW Files Complaint Against Domenici

[AnnInLa]

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002677.php

Well, there you go.

On Friday, Naomi Seligman Steiner of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington told us that the group would file an ethics complaint against Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) if U.S. Attorney David Iglesias named him as one of the two lawmakers who contacted him last October to pressure him about his office's investigation of a state Democrat.

Since Domenici has done everyone the favor of admitting that he made the call, CREW has gone ahead and filed the complaint (pdf).

(click thru to complaint at link above)

[AnnInLa]

1. More at Kos

CREW’s complaint alleges that Sen. Domenici violated Rule 43 by pressuring Mr. Iglesias to act quickly on a pending corruption investigation. Moreover, given that Sen. Domenici made the call shortly before the November elections, he appears to have violated the prohibition on contacting agencies based on political considerations.

CREW also alleges that by initially denying Mr. Iglesias’s allegation, Sen. Domenici may have violated Senate rules by engaging in "improper conduct which may reflect upon the Senate."

Melanie Sloan, CREW’s executive director, stated, "The Senate Ethics Committee should take advantage of the fact that Mr. Iglesias will be in Washington testifying before Congress to convene its own hearing to learn the details of Sen. Domenici’s telephone call." Sloan continued, "If, as it appears, Sen. Domenici pressured a sitting U.S. Attorney to push a criminal case to benefit a political party, the Ethics Committee should take swift and harsh action. No member of Congress can be permitted to manipulate our system of justice for political gain."

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/3/5/13181/67396