Subject: "Do Over!" Demand an Honest Ethics Process to Probe DeLay's Scandals

From: "Chellie Pingree, President & CEO" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 14 Mar 2005 15:40:59 -0800

Dear Common Cause Activist,

Just as new scandals concerning alleged ethical violations by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) and other Members (http://www.commonblog.com/story/2005/3/10/9149/76382) have erupted in recent days, the House Ethics Committee has become virtually powerless. (http://www.commonblog.com/story/2005/3/11/104022/968)  The reason?  Rules passed at the beginning of 2005 make it virtually impossible for the Committee to launch any investigation of unethical conduct.  We are writing to ask for your help to resolve the gridlock in the Ethics Committee:

www.commoncause.org/DemandHonestEthicsRules

Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV), the senior Democrat on the Ethics Committee, is leading the charge to reject the new rules and is calling on his House colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to join him in cosponsoring a resolution that would roll back the most onerous rule changes.

We believe it is absolutely critical that members of both parties join Rep. Mollohan in overturning the controversial ethics rules in order to ensure an honest and effective ethics process.  This is why we need you to urge your Member of Congress, and the House leadership, to to co-sponsor the Mollohan resolution (H.Res. 131).
(http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/attachment.html/Mollohan+Dear+Colleague+Ltr+3-1-05.pdf?id=1342).

www.commoncause.org/DemandHonestEthicsRules

Now is the time we need an effective ethics process, which will ensure proper investigation into all of the latest alleged transgressions by DeLay and other members of Congress.  Rep. Mollohan's resolution would reverse the "party protection act" (http://www.commoncause.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=194883&ct=344972), the worst of the new ethics rules that would effectively dismiss a complaint in the event of a deadlock within the ethics committee, which is equally divided between Democrats and Republicans.

Mollohan's resolution would also do away with a "45 day rule" which allows an investigation to drop if the committee takes no action in that amount of time.  Lastly it would reverse the "collusion" rule that allows one lawyer to represent more than one individual involved in an ethics investigation, thereby providing an opportunity for the individuals to corroborate their stories.  So, please join us today in support of Rep. Mollohan's resolution asking for an honest ethics process:

www.commoncause.org/DemandHonestEthicsRules

Capitol Hill is still buzzing from all your calls and letters last week pushing for investigations of the new DeLay ethics scandals.  The Washington Post noted today(http://www.commonblog.com/story/2005/3/14/1007/02067) how the GOP leaders are getting weary of DeLay's ever growing ethics problems.  Nancy - one of our members from MA wrote us today:

I called all the Members of the ethics committee today regarding investigating Tom DeLay's recent trip with a paid lobbyist.  Rep. Lamar Smith's office noted that, "you people certainly have your base organized.  I've been swamped with calls.

Clearly you are having a huge impact.  So we cannot let up now.  We can't move forward in holding power accountable without a functioning ethics committee.  We need to make sure our representatives hear from us and understand that matters pertaining to the ethical standards of the House matter deeply to constituents across the country:

www.commoncause.org/DemandHonestEthicsRules

Thank you again for all of your activism and staying with us in this fight. 

Sincerely,

Chellie Pingree
President & CEO, Common Cause 

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