Wally Responds: Ethics Committee

I have to admit that I don't recall what exact message this is in response to. But it's about Tom DeLay. Most of the letter is juiceless. But towards to end, there is a good part.

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns with the current impasse at the House Committee on Standards of Conduct, also commonly known as the House Ethics Committee. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.

I agree with you about the importance of a credible ethics process. Congress needs to be steadfast in its commitment to high ethical standards and a functioning ethics process, which help uphold the credibility of this institution. The public's confidence in Congress and their elected representatives depends upon it. As such, I, too, regret the impasse that has delayed the formal organization of the House Ethics Committee in the 109th Congress, and am hopeful that those Members who have objected to the Committee's formation wi11lift those objections soon and allow us to move forward in a bipartisan manner.

The objections have focused primarily on several changes to the current ethics process adopted by the full House of Representatives as part of the larger organizational rules package that was approved in January. Each year at the beginning of a new Congress (in this case, the 109th, which began in January), the House adopts a set of rules to govern legislative and other activities throughout the duration of that particular Congress. Specifically, several changes were adopted in response to concerns raised by some Members that the ethics process, as it was then structured and had been operating, was too easily abused for political purposes. Other Members of Congress believed certain other changes were necessary to ensure proper due process is afforded to all individuals brought before the committee to answer for alleged ethics violations.

I agreed with the proposed changes and supported them during their consideration and adoption in January. On balance, I believe they represent minor changes that will go a long way toward insulating the process from political influence and providing Members additional due process protections, while still firmly adhering to the spirit and intent of our ethics regime.

As for the specific allegations directed against Majority Leader DeLay, I believe they are an unfortunate example of how these issues and the ethics process itself can be manipulated for political purposes. I have not seen anything to indicate that Majority Leader DeLay has violated any ethics rules or otherwise acted improperly or against the best interests of the people he represents. Indeed, Mr. DeLay has indicated his willingness to go before the committee and explain his actions.

Again, thank you for contacting me to express your views. Please don't hesitate to do so again on this or any other federal matter of importance to you.

Sincerely,
Wally Herger
Member of Congress

He probably could have saved a sheet of paper and just said that IOKIYAR (It's Okay If You're A Republican).

Rubber Stamp Wally?

Jack Jamison, writing in the Paradise Post, fears that Wally is helping turn Congress into a giant Yes machine for President Bush. He goes on and on about responsible government. I'm not sure what that is though.

EFF Action Alert: Best E-voting Bill Reintroduced

Now, we all know that Wally isn't on any committee or sub-committee that deals with elections in anyway, and I expect my response to indicate just that. But we have to try.

Mar 24, 2005

Representative Wally Herger
United States House of Representatives
2268 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative Herger,

I am a constituent who cares deeply about election integrity, and I am writing to voice my support for the Voter Confidence and Increased Accessibility Act (HB 550). HB 550 contains several important election reforms, including the requirement that all electronic voting machines have a paper audit trail. I believe that a paper trail is necessary for voter confidence in machines that cannot otherwise be properly audited.

In addition to the voter-verifiable paper audit trail, HB 550 requires voting machine vendors to make all of their computer code available for public inspection and requires random audits. These practices would increase transparency in our voting systems, encourage robust testing, and promote voter confidence.

These improvements can only improve the quality of our elections. If you have not already done so, I urge you to become a cosponsor of HB 550.

Sincerely,
Mr. Patrick Berry

Take action!

Wally Confirms Support for DeLay Rule

Got my response today. He skirts around most of the original questions, but at least he comes clean and tells me he how he voted. Mental note, only ask one question per letter.

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Thank you for contacting me with your opinions regarding a recent administrative rule change in the U.S. House of Representatives Republican caucus.

As you may know, previously, internal House Republican caucus rules required that any party leader or committee chairman indicted for an alleged felony had to step aside until the case was resolved. Unfortunately, this rule opens up leaders to politically motivated and not-fact-based criminal investigations. For this reason, the caucus voted to change the rule, leaving it up to the caucus to decide if an indicted leader should step down. In addition, the new rule will require removal of a member of the leadership, a committee chairman or a subcommittee chairman upon conviction of a felony offense.

During the vote, which was taken by voice vote, I supported the rule change because I believe that the party should be responsible for selecting its leadership - and deciding when they should step aside - not a local prosecutor who has previously brought charges against Republican candidates only to drop after an election. Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison was targeted in this manner prior to winning her special-election Senate bid in 1993.

Again, thank you for contacting me on this issue. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.

Sincerely, Wally Herger

(Backlog) Wally Responds Re; Tom DeLay Ethics Investigation

Sent Oct 25, 2004

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Dear Patrick:

Thank you for contacting me regarding allegations of ethics violations filed by outgoing Representative Christopher Bell (D- TX) against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX). As you may know, on October 6, 2004, the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct concluded its investigation into the allegations brought forward by Rep. Bell. I have included the rulings segment of the Committee's joint statement concerning this matter below:

"Today the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, by unanimous votes, adopted each of tlie recommendations made by Chairman Joel Hefley and Ranking Minority Member Alan B. Mollohan for disposition of the three counts of the complaint that was filed against Representative Tom DeLay on June 15, 2004. Those recommendations are detailed in a 44-page memorandum from the Chairman and Ranking Minority Member to the other Committee members. The memorandum was accompanied by approximately 100 pages of attachments consisting of documents that they obtained in their fact-gathering activities under Committee Rule 16(c)."

The memorandum with attachments and the letter of admonition are available on the Committee Web site, http://www.house.gov/ethics. In addition, Majority Leader Delay issued a response to the Committee's ruling. Its text is included below:

"The Ethics Committee has done the right thing in dismissing Mr. Bell's embellished allegations with bipartisan unanimity. While the allegations were dismissed, I accept the Committee's guidance. Mr. Bell displayed contempt for Congress by manipulating the ethics process in pursuit of his personal vendetta, and today's dismissal says more about Mr. Bell's conduct than it does about anything else. "

"The Committee was forced to complete its work in a highly divisive atmosphere fostered by politically motivated individuals and entities who have attempted to tamper with and influence the congressional ethics process for partisan gain. For years, Democrats have hurled relentless personal attacks at me, hoping to tie my hands and smear my name. All have fallen short, not because of insufficient venom, but because of insufficient merit. Mr. Bell's allegations, coordinated with one of these groups, intentionally misstated law and facts and violated the spirit and letter of House Ethics Rules. Although I believe this filing should have been thrown out immediately, I have spent the last four months cooperating with the Committee fact-finding. To expedite this matter, I even offered to waive my rights to bring this matter to closure. I'm glad this matter has been brought to its conclusion. I would invite my political opponents to engage the battle of ideas instead of misusing the congressional ethics process or abusing the legal system in a misguided attempt to settle scores. I'll continue to work hard to advance the cause of Republican governance, which I believe is critical to America's security, prosperity, and families."

Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Should you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.

Sincerely,
Wally Herger
Member of Congress

The DeLay Rule

It's been a while since my last post. I have some pretty stock replies from Congressman Herger I need to scan. But the news right now is who supported the DeLay Rule. I called the Chico and DC office, only to get no answer from Herger's staff. He is listed as being willing to give written answers to constituents. So here it goes.

Let me first say that even though we rarely agree on policy, I respect your public service. You represent me in the House, and I think you should know what I think about certain topics. Congressman DeLay is one of those topics. The rules that were just over-turned to allow Congressman DeLay to stay in power even if he is indicted were put in place during the Clinton administration to take out Democratic leadership. Which, is fine really. If there is corruption in Washington, by all means it should be stamped out.

But to have one set of rules when the Democrats are in power and another set of rules when the GOP is in power is just not right. I would also like to state the three admonishments from the Ethics Committee do not constitute being cleared of the charges.

Which is why I must ask you if you supported the "DeLay Rule." I called both your Chico office and your DC office and your staff did not know your position. I understand that this was a voice vote, but you were acting as my representative when you made that vote. I deserve to know in the name of accountable government.

If you did support it, did you support the original rule to remove people from power when they were indicted? If you did, could you please explain to me how this is not gross hypocrisy, an attempt to seal the GOP in power and move towards a one party system?

I can't wait to hear back...

Tell Your Rep to Give Back the Dirty $ & Dump Delay!

Campaign for America's Future is asking Republican reps to send Tom DeLay's PAC money back and call for his resignation.

Here is my letter, which has some slight edits from the template.

I'm disturbed by Rep. Tom DeLay's repeated ethics violations and am worried that you have taken $1,105 from his political action committee. While it is a trivial amount in the grand scheme of political fundraising, it is nonetheless an implied connection between you and the PAC.

I strongly believe -- as I know you do -- in ethical government. But Rep. DeLay has helped create one of the most corrupt Congresses ever. Public accountability of government is one of the cornerstones or modern conservatism.

As you know, the House Ethics Committee recently admonished DeLay with two ethics violations, adding to two others he'd already received. And, just last month in Texas, three of DeLay's associates were indicted for using his political action committee for illegal purposes in state political races.

All of these actions, added together with DeLay's corrupt tactics in the Congress, dirty the image of the Republican party specifically and the political process in general. Yet, your party is rallying to his defense.

I ask you to send the money you've received from Tom DeLay's PAC back to him. And I ask you to call for his resignation as House majority leader.

We often disagree on policy but I'm hopeful that we can agree that DeLay's actions are unacceptable. We all must be willing to acknowledge that corruption is something that is not inherent to any one party and that it must be fought where ever it rears it's ugly head.

Thank you.