Congressman Bill Jefferson (D-LA) has been indicted on 16 count–including a first-ever indictment of a federal official for violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Republicans and Democrats moved quickly to champion an investigation into the charges by the House Ethics Committee :
Actually, the House voted twice to do the same thing – once on a resolution by Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) ordering the ethics panel to look into the charges against Jefferson and report back to the body within 30 days on whether to expel him, and secondly on a resolution by Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) ordering the ethics committee to begin an investigation within 30 days into any member “indicted or formally charged with criminal conduct” in a federal, state, or local court. Jefferson would be covered under the measure. Both resolutions passed by huge margins. The Boehner proposal was approved by a vote of 373-26, with 13 members voting present. The Hoyer resolution passed by a 387-10 margin. 15 lawmakers voted present on the Hoyer measure. All 10 members of the ethics committee voted present on both proposals.
The Christian Science Monitor notes that a source of dissension within the House Democratic caucus is the fact that Representative Alan Mollohan is currently the subject of an FBI criminal investigation, and has not only retained his seat on the powerful Appropriations Committee, but was allowed to chair the subcommittee that funds the agency investigating him:
An aggressive move against Jefferson by House leaders, at least now, risks alienating African-Americans in the congressional delegation and in the Democratic base. Many see Democrats as applying a double standard regarding how they treat allegations of corruption. Speaker Pelosi forced Jefferson to give up his seat on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee but allowed Rep. Alan Mollohan (D) of West Virginia, who was also facing a federal investigation, to keep his seat on the Appropriations Committee. “The allegations leveled against Mr. Jefferson are serious. But they are allegations and in our system must not be treated as guilt,” says House majority whip James Clyburn (D) of South Carolina, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “We must allow the judicial process to run its course, after which there will be plenty enough time to express our political will.”
The Majority Accountability Project reports that Jefferson has donated tens of thousands to a whole range of his Democratic colleagues–money that they will be pressured to return in the wake of this indictment. With Congress unable to accomplish much in the way of actual legislation, this news is likely to cause additional agita. And with their retreat on earmark reform, and the Democrats’ inability to address major policy challenges in an effective way, this might be a summer of discontent for the new majority. Refresh your memory about Jefferson’s visit to his swamped home with this clip from ABC News:
