The House Ethics Committee announced an investigation Wednesday of Rep. Bob Filner’s run-in with a baggage worker at Dulles International Airport last month. The incident resulted in misdemeanor assault and battery charges against the congressman.
The committee released a short statement saying that it voted Tuesday to form a bipartisan, four-member investigative subcommittee to look into the incident. Action by the subcommittee will be deferred until the resolution of criminal proceedings against Filner, D-Calif., the panel said in a statement. […]
The announcement by the House Ethics Committee Wednesday came on its deadline under new House rules that require the panel to investigate any lawmaker charged with a crime, or report to the House on why it’s decided not to. The determination must be made within 30 days _ which fell on Wednesday in Filner’s case.
The investigative subcommittee will be chaired by Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas, and the top Republican will be J. Gresham Barrett, R-S.C. The two other members will be Reps. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., and Lincoln Diaz-Balart, R-Fla.
Commentary: I have no problem of the House ethics committee to investigate into a matter of a lawmaker that they feel have broken ethics rules. However, in the case of Filner, Filner's incident was a misdemeanor act regardless of his fault in the assault matter. What about Larry Craig's bathroom incident? Craig's incident was a misdemeanor and he pleaded guilty and now Craig has filed papers to rescind his charges. What about the Senate ethics committee? I don't see the Senate ethics committee looking into the incidents of Larry Craig, David Vitter or Senator Stevens. Lastly, I don't see the House ethics committee investigating Ken Calvert, Duncan Hunter or Jerry Lewis. I hope that this is not a witchhunt to nab a Democrat in graft for political reasons instead of punishing fairly both sides of the political parties.
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