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Rep. Conyers Promises Better Ethics
The incoming Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, under pressure from a congressional ethics committee, has agreed to ensure that his staff does not engage in improper political activities.
In a report issued just before Democrats take control of Congress on Thursday, the bipartisan committee said Rep. John Conyers of Michigan has acknowledged "'a lack of clarity'" in communications with aides about their duties.
The panel's three-year inquiry came amid newspaper reports that Conyers assigned congressional staffers to work in Michigan political campaigns.
In winning control of Congress from Republicans in the November elections, Democrats accused their opponents of a "culture of corruption" and promising higher ethical standards and a more honest and open government if they took over.
According to the ethics panel's statement, Conyers has agreed to prohibit his staff from performing campaign-related work, unless aides take a leave from the House of Representatives and get written approval from the ethics panel.
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The 42-year House veteran with a liberal voting record also will inform his staff in writing of the prohibition on voluntary work on political campaigns by congressional aides, the panel said.
The ethics committee statement did not say whether Conyers was found to have violated any laws or House rules.
The statement concluded "this matter should be resolved through the issuance of this public statement and the agreement by Representative Conyers to take a number of additional, significant steps to ensure that his office complies with all rules and standards regarding campaign and personal work by congressional staff."
Spokesmen for Conyers and the ethics panel, which is formally known as the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, were not available for comment on Tuesday.
As chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Conyers will have broad powers to oversee federal courts, crime, immigration and domestic security.
He stirred controversy earlier this year when he raised the possibility of impeaching President George W. Bush if Democrats took control. Democratic leaders have ruled out impeachment, but promise hearings on Bush's behavior in the run-up to the Iraq war.
© Reuters 2007.
Editor's note:
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