Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

Directs the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to initiate an investigation immediately of the misconduct by Members of Congress and their staff implicated in the scandals associated with Mr. Jack Abramoff's criminal activity.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 762 Laid on Table in House (LTH)]







109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 762

           Raising a question of the privileges of the House.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 5, 2006

 Ms. Pelosi submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the 
                                 table

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
           Raising a question of the privileges of the House.

Whereas, on March 31, 2006, Tony Rudy, a former top Republican Leadership staff 
        person, pleaded guilty to charges that he conspired with Republican 
        lobbyist Jack Abramoff to bribe public officials, including accepting 
        money, meals, trips, and tickets to sporting events from Mr. Abramoff in 
        exchange for official acts that included influencing legislation to aid 
        Mr. Abramoff's clients;
Whereas The Washington Post has stated that Mr. Rudy's plea bargain is an 
        admission of a ``far-reaching criminal enterprise operating out of'' the 
        Republican Leader's office, ``an enterprise that helped sway 
        legislation, influence public policy, and enrich its main players.'' 
        (The Washington Post, April 1, 2006);
Whereas the press has reported that ``court papers point out official actions 
        that were taken in (the Republican Leaders) office that benefited 
        Abramoff, his clients or (the former Republican Leader's Chief of Staff 
        Ed) Buckham.'' (Roll Call, April 3, 2006);
Whereas, according to Mr. Rudy's plea agreement, his crimes involving illegal 
        favors and lobbying activity lasted from 1997 through 2004;
Whereas on March 31, 2006, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Alice S. Fisher 
        stated, ``The American public loses when officials and lobbyists 
        conspire to buy and sell influence in such a corrupt and brazen manner. 
        By his admission in open court today, Mr. Rudy paints a picture of 
        Washington which the American public and law enforcement will simply not 
        tolerate.'';
Whereas Mr. Rudy is the second former high-ranking Republican Leadership staff 
        person, in addition to Michael Scanlon, to admit wrongdoing in the 
        corruption investigation centered on Mr. Abramoff;
Whereas, on March 29, 2006, Mr. Abramoff was sentenced to five years and ten 
        months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud;
Whereas it is the purview of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to 
        investigate allegations that relate to the official conduct of a Member 
        or a staff person, the abuse of a Member's official position, and 
        violations of the Rules of the House, and to take disciplinary action in 
        cases of wrongdoing;
Whereas the fact that cases are being investigated by the U.S. Justice 
        Department does not preclude the Committee on Standards of Official 
        Conduct from determining investigative steps that must be taken;
Whereas in the first session of the 109th Congress, for the first time in the 
        history of the House of Representatives, the rules of procedure of the 
        Committee on Standards of Official Conduct were changed on a partisan 
        basis, the Chairman of the Committee and two of his Republican 
        Colleagues were dismissed from the Committee, the newly appointed 
        Chairman of the Committee improperly and unilaterally fired non-partisan 
        staff, and the Chairman attempted to appoint supervisory staff without a 
        vote of the Committee in direct contravention of the intent of the bi-
        partisan procedures adopted in 1997; and
Whereas, because of these actions, the Committee on Standards of Official 
        Conduct conducted no investigative activities in the first session of 
        the 109th Congress: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall 
immediately initiate an investigation of the misconduct by Members of 
Congress and their staff implicated in the scandals associated with Mr. 
Jack Abramoff's criminal activity.
                                 <all>