House Raps Rep. Maxine Waters on Ethics Charge

Updated at 3:37 p.m. ET

Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters today proclaimed her innocence concerning charges of ethics violations made by the House Ethics Committee and said she will participate in a public hearing rather than admit to any wrongdoing.

"I have not violated any House rules," Waters said in a statement today. "Therefore, I simply will not be forced to admit to something I did not do."

The House Ethics Committee this afternoon announced in a statement that it has formed an "adjudicatory subcommittee" to consider ethics violations charges against Waters. The subcommittee has yet to determine when it will meet. The committee also today released an 80-page report, submitted in August 2009 by the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), detailing the allegations against Waters.

The investigation pertains to the assistance Waters gave to a bank to which she had personal connections in getting federal bailout money.

In 2008, Waters organized a meeting between Treasury officials and executives from OneUnited Bank, where her husband was once a board member and had large investments. The bank received $12 million from the federal government's Troubled Asset Relief Program. Waters, who serves on the House Financial Services Committee, has defended her request for the meeting as part of her efforts to advocate on behalf of minority-owned businesses.

"The record will clearly show that in advocating on behalf of minority banks neither my office nor I benefited in any way, engaged in improper action or influenced anyone," Waters said in her statement today. "Additionally, the OCE acknowledges that I have fully disclosed my assets as required by House rules, even going above and beyond the requirements by disclosing my assets at several Financial Services Committee hearings. In sum, the case against me has no merit."

Waters says in her statement that the meeting in question was requested and scheduled on behalf of the National Bankers Association (NBA), a trade organization that represents the interests of minority-owned banks, not on behalf of OneUnited Bank. She also emphasizes that the meeting -- which she did not attend -- resulted in no action.

The OCE report says that Waters told the OCE that she requested the meeting on behalf of Robert Cooper and Kevin Cohee. According to the report, "At the time of the request, Mr. Cooper identified himself as the Chairman-elect of the National Bankers Association (NBA) and also as Vice-President and Senior Counsel for OneUnited. Mr. Cohee was one of the principle founders of OneUnited and the Chairman and CEO of the bank."

Waters said today the OCE has "drawn negative inferences where there are none and twisted facts to fit its faulty conclusions. After a lengthy investigation, the report released today only shows: No benefit, no improper action, no failure to disclose, no one influenced: no case."

Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York will also face an ethics trial this fall. The trials stand in stark contrast to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's promise to "drain the Swamp" of corruption, and it poses a challenge for Democrats heading into the fall midterm elections. Rangel recently released via Twitter an audio statement in which he defends himself.

[slow-news-day]

"Again, the Good I serve is the one and only because all of the things I have talked about here and more, have proven that He is true and His Word is true (the Bible). I have studied many other religions and founded many inaccuracies or just a plain list of rules."


Well, we've given you many actual inaccuracies in the bible, but you haven't ruled it out. What makes you think those other books are less wrong?


"Christianity is not a list of "Thous Shalt Nots!" It, unlike every other religion, is a personal relationship."

So people in other religions don't take their relationships with god as personal? That seems impossible, especially when belief is involved.


.

[slow-news-day]

"by slow-news-day August 2, 2010 9:08 PM EDT
I would not refute it if god plopped down on my couch.

by Mortar_29 August 2, 2010 9:21 PM EDT
Yes you would, Slow. You would look for some other reason for this guy sitting on your couch.

That is what I am talking about. If you seek the truth, then you let it go where it takes you."


I would not, in fact, refute it if he plopped down on my couch.

You apparently don't know much about me, Mort. I love concrete proof.

[usaguy2010]

Pelosi calaimed they had gotten rid of this crap... Oooops another lie.

[frailsadhappysame]

while it's always the loser gets punished, it is always the lord what ate the lord's daughters free lunch bus toy at each war infested sick bed curbside in reality . but reality is just another fork on just another trail . each moment in forever is judgement moment . most are real lucky moments . infinite storybook of endless eternal inter-cosmic war babies of limitless spank-me fetish


in a mosque once, i noticed the muffins fast and intelligent, the grenades sweet and kind and sexy and wow divine . but i wasn't there for muffins and sex toys . i was there to learn to sit still . quite literally . i can't sit still . i spent a few weeks there, just practicing patience . i'd sit for hours inside . for hours outside . i'd sit alone . i'd sit with others . i'd sit with kids . i'd sit with old folk . at this one, i never sat naked, i never got punished . i prayed alot more than usual . i was alot more thankful than usual . i noticed alot more of the world around me than usual . i breathed alot more deep and slow and more often than usual (very good for ones mind and body and awareness and overall engine) . i was by far less possessed by the voices and pictures in my minds than usual . i was more happy . more reflective . more intuitive . more confused, though . like learning to speak a new language . looking at folk and people and creatures big and small when one does not presume to know and comprehend what they are saying and doing and referencing and why . maybe they'll build some churches and totems and such that drift places like the grand canyon . then i'll try to sit still again .. pounds (kilograms) per square inch (centimeter) .. surface area and density


congresses and congregations and tribes and gangs and other organizations and groups should bother less about such energy solutions, and more about unigque individual diary folk toddler and other and their microscopic and macroscopic and exterior and interior and other gardens furniture foliage and bus and toy and sport and puzzle and med and math


some of the endless eternal cosmic war babies with the limitless spank me fetishes kept lighting their lunch muffins and buffets and wagons on fire and screaming lets save them lets save them . i tried to play time and time again for whole hours . at long last they got the game fine tuned and sensible . them being them, they then changed all over again until it was crazy and strange and difficult and dangerous . there are other games along the sick bed curbsides, some of us decided . and went to find some other games

[Michael0713]

Both Rangel and Waters are cowards. If it doesn't suit them, then blame it on the race. They obviously don't want to differentiate between the right and wrong. According to them black is always right and white is always wrong. P.S: I am neither white nor black, and this is my honest opinion. Period.

[usaguy2010]

Pelosi claimed they had gotten rid of this crap... Oooops another lie.

[velma179]

Well, I guess you folks are eagerly anticipating the Grand Jury indictment on CRIMINAL charges... it is all but certain in the case of Republican Senator John Ensign of Nevada.

It hasn't been in the news (GJ deliberations are secret) -- but it will trump Congressional ethics charges -- of which Mr. Ensign has also been charged.

Crowing about this will be the same crow you eat soon enough.

(For the record -- I think Waters and Rangel should resign immediately if the charges are proven. I think this for ANY elected official, regardless of party affiliation or ideology. I just get so tired of the hypocrisy of those that don't see it isn't a problem with just a (D) or just a (R) behind it!

[GTR5]

Good news and about time. She needs to be removed.

[irongate60]

My question is; Why did it take The House Ethics Committee and not the media to find possible ethics violations for both Rangel and Waters? Its funny how the media can, if motivated, find out and report minor details of any politician if the stakes are high enough. I seem to remember hundreds of reporters being sent up to Alaska in hopes of discovering any wrong doing of then Governor Palin. Reporters were even rummaging through her trash to find dirt on not only her, but even her family and her children. Yet with real crooks like Rangel and Waters, the media leaves it up to The House Ethics Committee. How very conveniently that works out don't you think?

[abbe91]

And how they went to Hawai to try to prove President Obama's birth certificate was fake ... or why they didn't investigate Palin's connections with AIP. The list is long.

[abbe91]

Actually, it's a good thing that The House Ethics Committee got into it without being told by the media to do so. It's a change, compared to the 2000-2008 era.

[winstrv]

You can bet your bottom dollar that she will use the "race" card to deflect the issue and the "elite" media will droll all over themselves repeating that message. They won't check out the facts to see if she is guilty. They could care less. Now if this was a Republican, they would do everything they can to ferret out the facts.

[RealWorldNow]

I hope she drags down Barney Frank with her!