Thread: Group Lists 13 'Most Corrupt' in Congress

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Group Lists 13 'Most Corrupt' in Congress
Three California lawmakers are named by the ethics watchdog. A spokesman for one senator says the report is 'pure politics.'

By Chuck Neubauer, The Los Angeles Times

September 25, 2005

A watchdog group, naming what it calls "the 13 most corrupt members of Congress," is calling for ethics investigations of some of the most prominent leaders on Capitol Hill in a report to be released Monday.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington says in its report that the 13 members, among them Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), might have violated a variety of congressional ethics rules.

The bipartisan list includes three Californians: Reps. Richard W. Pombo (R-Tracy), Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Rancho Santa Fe).

Cunningham is one of two House members whose residences have been searched as part of separate federal criminal investigations. The other, Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.), also is named on the watchdog group's list.

Three of those named on the list â€â€

The Democrat Kingpin for the Most Corrupt Congress
by an American Patriot
April 11, 2005


Even though the Democratic party should not throw stones, they are adamant that three admonishments by the House "ethics committee" in one week disqualify House Majority Leader Tom DeLay for the chamber's second-highest leadership job. "Mr. DeLay has proven himself to be ethically unfit to lead his party," Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters in 2004 that "The burden now falls upon his fellow House Republicans to oust him." Ellen Miller of the Campaign for America's Future that is going to run ads for the removal of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay , is calling him "the kingpin for the most corrupt Congress" saying his "dealings are a national disgrace."


Democrats are condemning House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and Republicans for considering impeachment proceedings against federal judges, but that should not come as a big surprise. Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings, a former federal judge in Florida, was impeached and removed from office in 1989 after being convicted on two Articles of Impeachment: perjury and conspiracy to obtain a bribe. Now Alcee Hastings is a Democratic Representative in the House of Representatives serving as a member of the Committee on Rules and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This is a direct violation of the Constitution.

Supporters of impeached Alcee Hastings claims the Constitution permits the Senate, after voting to convict an official on Articles of Impeachment, the discretion to go beyond removal and vote for "disqualification." Disqualification to hold office is mandatory and automatic with removal from office under the Constitution not discretionary. The Senate was not given the power to pardon impeached Alcee Hastings and restore his privilege of holding an office of honor and profit under the United States -- not even the President has the power to grant "pardons for offenses against the United States . . . in cases of impeachment." Article I Section 3 of the Constitution expressly states "Judgment in cases of impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from office, AND disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States" -- there is no discretion granted nor implied. Alcee Hastings is nonetheless a Democratic Representative in Congress in direction violation of the Constitution.

On March 17, 2005, Democrat Representative Alcee Hastings, along with other members of Congress, sent a letter to House Committee on Rules Chairman David Dreier stating "Hundreds of media reports have documented the Republican Leadership's push to alter the ethics rules to protect Majority Leader Tom DeLay from scrutiny for his actions over the past several years. In the wake of two unanimous Ethics Committee actions concluding that Majority Leader DeLay acted improperly on three separate occasions in the 108th Congress and a Texas grand jury indictment against two of the Majority Leader's top aides, the Republican Leadership undertook a systematic effort to shield Mr. DeLay from being scrutinized for his behavior."

The House of Representatives adopted seventeen articles of impeachment against Judge Alcee Hastings and he was impeached and convicted by the Senate on seven including: perjury, conspiracy to obtain a bribe and disclosing confidential information, he was removed from office. But the Senate failed to do it's Constitutional duty when it failed to amend it's findings to include "disqualification" as dictated by the Constitution. Three admonishments by the House "ethics committee" in one week don't disqualify House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, but conviction of two articles of impeachment and removal by the Senate disqualify Alcee Hastings to "enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States."

The Democrats held pejury, conspiracy to obtain a bribe and disclosing "confidential" information qualified Representative Alcee Hastings for membership on the Committee on Intelligence -- that makes him "the kingpin for the most corrupt Congress" and "a national disgrace." Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings' impeachment was not an "ethical violation" or violations of "house rules" and "The burden now falls upon his fellow House [Democrats] to oust him."

Following the death of Terri Schiavo House Majority Leader Tom DeLay publicly stated the judicial committee "will look at an arrogant and out of control judiciary that thumbs its nose at Congress and the president" and "the time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior, not today. . . we need to look at the failure of the judiciary on the federal level," Outraged at the Congressman DeLay's comments, Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg sent a letter stating "You should be aware that your comments yesterday may violate a Federal criminal statute, 18 U.S.C. §115 (a)(1)(B). . . . Federal judges. . . in our nation, are honorable public servants who make difficult decisions every day. You owe them – and all Americans – an apology for your reckless statements." Perhaps Senator Lautenberg hasn't been introduced to Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings --- ". . . hypocrites! For you . . . have neglected the weightier provisions of the law; . . . You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel" -- you owe all Americans an apology for contempt of the Constitution.

Can the American people actually trusts the Democrats in Congress to hold federal judges accountable for 'unconstitutional' acts? By clear and convincing evidence of Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings, the answer is NO.