How much is too much? Three ethics violations? Four? Five?
Normally ethics violations would be decided by the House Ethics Committee, but it has been frozen in inaction for months now. Why? Republicans have changed the committee’s rules not to investigate ethics violations when one party raises an objection. And the Republicans object.
Now, then, it is left to the “liberal media” to investigate the ethics of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tx.), who has been in the media spotlight for a number of months as his behavior has consistently drawn criticism from government watchdog groups – and three ethics rebukes from the House Ethics Committee before Republicans changed its makeup (i.e. fired the chairman and some of the committee’s members) to help protect DeLay.
Because the committee can no longer investigate ethics claims if one party objects, the Washington Post editorial board has taken to calling the House an “ethics-free zone.” The committee was designed with an equal number of Republican and Democratic members to allow ethics questions to be resolved regardless of partisan bias. In the past, investigations went forward regardless of any party’s feelings. Now, a partisan agenda such as the one to protect DeLay can block an investigation.
In addition to the ethics violations, DeLay is under investigation in his home state of Texas for potential campaign finance violations. Several of his campaign aides have already been indicted, and DeLay himself could be next. Republicans also tried to change their own ethics rules to allow DeLay to keep his position if indicted; previously, Republican
See YACOUBI, page 15
YACOUBI, from page 14
leaders accused of crimes were forced to resign (in principle – DeLay is the first Republican to have been potentially affected by the rule).
And all that is only the half of it. Even more recently DeLay has come under scrutiny for trips paid for by special interests that correspond with votes on the House floor, creating the appearance of allowing special interests to influence his decisions. There are three such trips currently under scrutiny, but since the House Ethics committee is locked in a Republican stranglehold, no investigation can commence.
In the meantime, DeLay’s supporters have launched a public relations campaign to help defend his image – assuming, that is, there’s anything left of it. Of course they will go for the usual line of “liberal bias” in the media, but keep in mind the first three ethics reprimands DeLay received were by unanimous decision of a bipartisan committee that Republicans have since acted to silence. Even some Republican legislators have come out against DeLay, appropriately pointing out his damage to the party’s image. And the Wall Street Journal – a traditionally conservative voice of opinion – has admonished DeLay for his behavior.
A party’s leader sends a strong message about what that party stands for. The longer DeLay’s ethical questions remain unanswered by Republican inaction, the more he becomes a sinking ship to his party.