Ethics panel outsources Waters case

Politico ^ | July 20, 2011 | John Bresnahan

[jazusamo]

Stung by allegations of misconduct within the panel, the House Ethics Committee has hired an outside counsel to take over the case against Rep. Maxine Waters.

Billy Martin, a partner at the law firm Dorsey and Whitney, has been hired by the committee to “review, advise and assist the Committee in completing the matter of Representative Maxine Waters,” announced Reps. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) and Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), the chairman and ranking member on Ethics, in a statement released on Wednesday.

Martin has also been charged with looking into whether the Ethics Committee handled the Waters case properly. POLITICO reported earlier this week that two former Ethics Committee investigators were reportedly secretly feeding information to Bonner and other Republicans on the committee about investigations into Waters and Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.).

Bonner and Sanchez said in their statement that Martin’s first task will be to look into those claims, made by Blake Chisam, the former staff director and chief counsel on the panel, in private memos to Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). Lofgren chaired the Ethics Committee during the 111th Congress.

Waters has sought to have the case against her dismissed, saying she can no longer get fair and impartial treatment by the Ethics Committee.

She has also threatened to take legal action against the committee unless the case is dismissed.

Bonner and Sanchez acknowledged these allegations, but they did not agree to dismiss the case against Waters. But they have directed Martin to look into Chisam’s claims first before decide whether to move ahead with the Waters case.

“Serious allegations have been made about the Committee’s own conduct in this matter by Representative Waters and others,” Bonner and Sanchez said. “The Committee has not taken these allegations lightly… The entire Committee has therefore directed a thorough review of all of these serious allegations will be the very first task of the outside counsel’s engagement, providing an additional opportunity for Representative Waters to clarify her concerns to the Committee and outside counsel. Outside counsel will then report his findings and conclusions to the full Committee, which will then determine whether the matter should proceed.”

Martin is a well-respected defense lawyer with experience in high-profile white collar and criminal cases. He has also served as a federal prosecutor. Martin came to national prominence in the 1990s during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and he has also represented athletes and former Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), who was arrested for lewd conduct in an airport bathroom.

[jazusamo]

I imagine that Maxine is not happy the case was not dismissed outright.

[Robert357]

Waters is a crook, in the old style of the Democratic Party. She believes that she is above the law and that fellow Democrats (whether in Congress or as appointed federal judges) should give her a “pass” based on her past loyalty to the Democratic Party.

Ultimately she will need to resign in disgrace or perhaps more gracefully be told not to run again, and help with the appointment of another Democratic loyalist to run for her position in Congress.

[hosepipe]

A colin irrigation Of Maxine might reveal some nasty stuff...
Glad its not me.. “up in there”..

[freebird5850]

I imagine that Maxine is not happy the case was not dismissed outright.
This is good to hear...she did something wrong and should pay for it, no "Rangle treatment" for her.

[jazusamo]

Waters is a crook, in the old style of the Democratic Party. She believes that she is above the law

You nailed it, I couldn't agree more.

I believe if she doesn't get this case against her dismissed it could well be the one that will do her in. She claims innocence and no wrong doing but she's lying through her teeth and she and her husband know it.

[jazusamo]

Please bump the Freepathon or click above and donate or become a monthly donor!

[freedomlover]

“Billy Martin, a partner at the law firm Dorsey and Whitney, has been hired by the committee to “review, advise and assist the Committee in completing the matter of Representative Maxine Waters,” announced Reps. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) and Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.), the chairman and ranking member on Ethics, in a statement released on Wednesday.”

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This means one of only two things:
1) Billy Martin is going to take the heat for letting her ride with a slap on the fat wrist.
2) Billy Martin will be branded a racist.

[jazusamo]

I believe you're dead on the money and hope it's the latter. It just may take a perceived racist to nail a real one.

[jimt]

So Waters, the lying racist communist, is resorting to the ol’ race card and any other dirty trick she can pull. So what if she’s a crook ? So what if she violated her oath of office ? So what if she’s dramatically abusing her power ?

The pig needs to be forced out of office.