Ethics Newsline®

WASHINGTON
Three stories related to ethics issues in the U.S. Congress made headlines last week:

• Senator Trent Lott’s (R-Miss.) surprise resignation from the U.S. Senate has set off speculation that he may be trying to smooth the way for a high-stakes lobbying job shortly before a new ethics law takes effect that would limit his options. The Christian Science Monitor reports that the law will require a two-year waiting period before an ex-lawmaker can lobby former colleagues, longer than the current cooling-off period of one year. While Lott said the new law did not play “a big role” in his decision, he indicated that it was his understanding that the congressional ethics code does not, in any event, apply to “consulting,” as opposed to direct lobbying — an interpretation that worries some representatives of watchdog agencies interviewed by the Monitor, who argue the interpretation violates the spirit of the law.
• San Diego-area congressman Bob Filner yesterday entered a plea to trespassing — downgraded from assault — that will head off future local legal action related to a conflict he had with a baggage clerk at Dulles International Airport. Under Virginia law, Filner was able to enter what amounts to a no-contest plea, meaning that he does not admit guilt but acknowledges that enough evidence exists to convict him, the San Diego Union Tribune reports. Filner was fined $100 and must write a letter of apology to the baggage clerk, who charged that Filner screamed at her and shoved past her to enter an employees-only section of the airport. Still at issue is whether the House Ethics Committee will pursue a formal investigation of Filner, and if so, how vigorously. Under the recently enacted ethics reform, the panel is supposed to investigate any member indicted or arrested on a criminal charge, though many in Congress wonder if it makes sense to include misdemeanors.
• A final proposal for the U.S. House of Representatives’ proposed independent ethics office was being circulated on Capitol Hill last week, but the Hill reports that various watchdog groups are disappointed in the weakened language of the last draft. The Hill says the proposal will not allow outside individuals and groups to file complaints, and cautions that the panel will lack enforcement powers. A task force created by House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) created the document after she pledged to run the most ethical Congress in history. “Watchdog groups are now holding her feet to the fire,” says Hill reporter Susan Crabtree.