Statement of Democracy 21 President Fred Wertheimer on Today’s Findings by House Ethics Committee Panel in Rangel Case
According to an AP story by Larry Margasak, the findings today by a panel of the House Ethics Committee that Representative Charles Rangel (D-NY) committed multiple ethics violations included a finding that Representative Rangel had solicited donors for a New York college center named after him with interests before the Ways and Means Committee, leaving the impression the money could influence official actions.
This finding by the Ethics Committee panel addressed an important ethics problem in Congress and made a powerful case for a new ethics rule.
The House and Senate should promptly adopt a new ethics rule in the new Congress to prohibit a Representative or Senator from soliciting money to finance an Institute, Center or any other entity named for the Member.
There are inherent conflicts of interest and appearance problems when a Member of Congress solicits unlimited amounts of money for entities named to honor the Member. These problems are all the more pronounced when powerful members of Congress, such as party leaders and Committee Chairmen solicit unlimited contributions from donors with interests pending before Congress.
Members of Congress should be prohibited from soliciting money to build monuments to themselves.
