Ethics in the News

Fossella Case Delayed

SOURCE: Jennifer Yachnin // Roll Call

28 Aug 2008 // Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) will not appear before an Alexandria judge on a charge of driving while intoxicated until mid-October. The case has been delayed yet again.

Fossella's case in Alexandria General District Court has been delayed several times since his May 1 arrest. He had been scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

Politics Abramoff's Cooperation Brings Call for Leniency

SOURCE: James V. Grimaldi // The Washington Post

28 Aug 2008 // Since his conviction on fraud and conspiracy charges, former lobbyist Jack Abramoff has spent more than 3,000 hours helping more than 100 law enforcement agents in an ongoing federal corruption probe that has implicated "scores of other persons not yet charged," attorneys said in court filings today.

FEC: La. congressman filed campaign report late

SOURCE: Staff // Associated Press

27 Aug 2008 // Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson, under federal indictment on bribery charges, could face a fine for filing a required campaign finance report two days after deadline that shows his re-election campaign is $250,000 in debt, according to the Federal Elections Commission.

Online Political Sites Pushing Boundaries of Campaign Law

SOURCE: Emily Cadei // CQ Politics

27 Aug 2008 // The 2008 election cycle has seen a dramatic expansion in the use of the Internet to engage people in the political process. But with the rapid growth of online political advocacy have come unforeseen issues about how to police campaign-related activities on the Web, forcing regulators to address questions never anticipated by campaign finance law.

Who is the utility buying off? Start with Newsom, Feinstein, and Willie Brown

SOURCE: Amanda Witherell // San Francisco Bay Guardian

27 Aug 2008 // It's Saturday morning, Aug. 23, and at the plumber's union hall on Market Street, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. employees are leading a rally in opposition to San Francisco's Clean Energy Act. A table at the back of the room sags with urns of coffee and uneaten pastries. To the side are towers of glossy black "Stop the Blank Check" window signs. E-mails sent by event organizers said Sen. More»

Out of Slammer, Ney Slams Bush Admin: "They've Taken Bloodsport to a Whole New Level

SOURCE: Kate Klonick // TPM Muckraker

27 Aug 2008 // Freshly released from prison, former Ohio Republican Rep. Bob Ney is ripping into the administration, leveling charges that they were behind his prosecution.

Ney, who has taken to the airwaves as a radio commentator, recently appeared on the Thom Hartmann show to talk about the Bush administration's role in his prosecution and his past life as a felon.

Conyers Sets Date for Production of US Attorney Documents

SOURCE: Zachary Roth // TPM Muckraker

27 Aug 2008 //

Yesterday, a District Court judge denied the White House's request for a stay on the Congressional testimony of Harriet Miers and Josh Bolten in the US attorney case.

Lawsuits target Buchanan's naysayers

SOURCE: Carol E. Lee // Sarasota Herald-Tribune

27 Aug 2008 // Congressman Vern Buchanan's business partner again fired back at those accusing the District 13 Republican of fostering consumer fraud at his Florida car dealerships and violating federal campaign finance laws.

Foes Smell Blood on Primary Day

SOURCE: Shira Toeplitz // Roll Call

26 Aug 2008 // Patrick Notar sits at the Chair Five restaurant bar sipping a margarita on a recent late Sunday afternoon.

Judge Denies Stay; Miers Must Appear to Answer HJC's Subpoena

SOURCE: Kate Klonick // TPM Muckraker

26 Aug 2008 //

A district court judge denied Harriet Miers and Joshua Bolten's request for a stay on their Congressional testimony pending the appeal of the recent decision in HJC v. Harriet Miers et al. The decision means that Miers will have to appear in response to the House Judiciary Committee's subpoena for testimony.

From the ruling: