Free Republic

The most ethical Congress ever. Draining the swamp. Doing away with the culture of corruption. Insert whatever Pelosi talking point you want, Nancy appears to want to insulate federal lawmakers from being investigated House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is working to buffer lawmakers from federal investigators. This is a bad idea. Special legal protections for politicians encourage unethical conduct.Irvin B. Nathan, general counsel of the House of Representatives, sent a letter to Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Monday about establishing a protocol on how to handle “hopefully rare searches and electronic surveillance involving members of Congress.” Mr. Nathan...

We thought Jessie James rode a horse. But apparently he now sits in a House office building. And instead of robbing banks, he bankrolls robbers. Enter Representative James Clyburn (D-SC), the Majority Whip. He has come under fire in the past week for revelations by The Sun News, based out of Myrtle Beach, that some of his earmarks have directly benefited friends, business associates, political allies, family members—and anybody else he apparently has taken a special liking to. The November 2007 Citizens Against Government Waste “Porker of the Month” winner is at it again. And for this year, he has...

A new look at the payroll records of Mayor Gavin Newsom's former appointments secretary and lover. Did she get preferential treatment because of her affair? There are many questions -- some city officials believe Ruby Tourk received special treatment during her two-and-a-half years at City Hall. But the main question now is, how 10 weeks of unpaid time off for alcohol rehab, turned into a paid leave. After her affair with the mayor fizzled out, Ruby Rippey-Tourk went on unpaid leave from her job as Newsom's appointments secretary to attend alcohol rehab, according to her spokesman. She resigned with a...