Crew: Crew response to senate ethics committee dismissal of complaint against sens.

[Thiebear]

http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/42073

7 Aug 2009 // Washington, D.C. - In response to the Senate Ethics Committee’s dismissal of CREW’s complaint against Sens. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) for participating in a V.I.P. loan program offered by Countrywide Financial, CREW executive director Melanie Sloan stated, “As is its practice, the Senate Ethics Committee has cleared the senators of any wrongdoing despite the fact that the senators participated in a program the committee found ‘offered quicker, more efficient loan processing and some discounts.’”

Sloan continued, “Apparently, clearing the senators was insufficient penance for the committee for having the audacity to investigate in the first place. Like a battered woman who explains she brought the beating on herself, the committee faulted itself for failing to ‘provide more guidance to the Senate community about issues surrounding mortgage negotiations.’ Over a year has passed since CREW filed its complaint and the committee became aware of this issue. Now would be a good time for the committee to start proactively providing its promised advice.”

Read the Senate Ethics Committee's letters to Sens. Dodd and Conrad in the Related Documents section on the right.

So the people in charge of banking and finance do not know a sweet deal when they see one? They should be fired for being incompetent if not corrupt.

[Thiebear]

Though they've never had a good record on actually DOING anything.

http://www.citizensforethics.org/node/28544

2007...

the multi-year NON investigation into Jefferson...

The Ethics committee = Fail

August 5, 2009

Former Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson was found guilty Wednesday of taking bribes. A federal jury convicted the Democrat on 11 of 16 counts in a case in which agents found $90,000 in his freezer.

[Burgold]

Seems to me if you actually want an ethics committee in this day and age the only way to do it is the way the founding father's would have. Have the judicial set up a department that checks the legislative. It wouldn't have to be the Supreme Court per se, but another panel of judges assigned to convene simply to rule on these types of issues. Basically, asking people to check themselves is only useful if they are a group of the highest moral calibre.... but we're talking about politicians for cripesakes, their moral calibre like gun nuts are bare.

[Thiebear]

Same with the White House: The New admin.. same as the Ole.

2 Jul 2009 // Washington, D.C. - Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is filing a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security based on the refusal of the Secret Service to provide CREW with White House visitor records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). CREW is seeking records of visits by top health care executives in an effort to learn the extent to which these industry players may have influenced the administration’s health care policy. Simultaneously, CREW is requesting emergency relief in the form of a preliminary injunction compelling the Secret Service to process the request on an expedited basis, in view of the great public interest and debate on health care policy and the pressure on Congress to pass legislation before the August recess.

In response to CREW’s FOIA request, the Obama administration has taken the same position as the Bush administration that the records are presidential, not agency records, and that they are exempt from release because of the possibility in some instances they could reveal information protected by the presidential communications privilege. Although the White House suggested it was reviewing its policy on the release of visitor logs last month when CREW filed a similar complaint based on its request for records of visits by top coal company executives, it has to date refused to make even a discretionary release of any of the requested records. Every court to rule on the issue so far has concluded the visitor records are agency records that must be disclosed under the FOIA.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW, said today, “Right now, the White House and Congress are debating colossal changes to the American health care system and taxpayers have a right to know who is sitting at the table influencing decision-makers. Unfortunately, the administration is refusing to release the names, preferring backroom politicking to transparency.”

[Burgold]

I'm disappointed in the Obama side on this as well. Guess it's hard to teach entrenched, old, brainwashed dogs a new trick.

[NavyDave]

Puh-Lease. Stevie Wonder saw this outcome coming.

I'm still Surprised Democrat from Louisiana W Jefferson did get busted for those thousands of dollars in the freezer and other crimes.