Rep. Shelley Berkley faces ethics probe

Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) visits with constituents during a 'Congress on the Corner' event at Berkley's district office January 14, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

/ Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

(CBS News) Rep. Shelley Berkley, a Nevada congresswoman and Democratic Senate candidate, is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over possible wrongdoing with respect to "alleged communications and activities with or on behalf of entities in which Rep. Berkley's husband had a financial interest," the committee announced Monday night.

At issue is whether or not Berkley, in a series of actions over the last several years, used her official position to benefit her family financially. Among those actions under scrutiny include when she led a successful charge to keep open a kidney transplant facility with which her husband had a contract, and when she pushed the Ways and Means Committee chairman not to slash reimbursement rates for doctors who provide dialysis to Medicare patients.

According to the New York Times, Berkley's husband, Dr. Larry Lehrner, operates a number of dialysis centers throughout Nevada and has been pivotal in lobbying Congress members such as his wife on behalf of kidney care providers.

Berkley, meanwhile, is engaged in a closely-watched Senate battle against Nevada incumbent Sen. Dean Heller, a Republican who was appointed after two-term Republican John Ensign resigned in the wake of an ethics scandal of his own.

Jessica Mackler, Berkley's campaign manager, said in a statement that the campaign was "pleased with the committee's decision to conduct a full and fair investigation" and "confident" that her name would be cleared.

"We are pleased with the committee's decision to conduct a full and fair investigation, which will ensure all the facts are reviewed," Berkley said. "We are confident that ultimately it will be clear that Congresswoman Berkley's one and only concern was for the health and well being of Nevada's patients."

"That's why she joined then Republican Congressman Dean Heller to prevent Nevada's only kidney transplant program from being shut down by Washington bureaucrats," Mackler said. "With more than 200 Nevada patients desperately waiting for a lifesaving kidney transplant, it would have been irresponsible of her not to work with the state's entire congressional delegation to protect the program."

[twmat311]

I'm a registered Republican, and I'd venture a guess this is rampant on both sides, both genders, all states, etc.

Anyone believe in voting out their own rep? We all know the "other guys" are to blame; what about the ones we can do SOMETHING about?

[takacrat]

How much Money do these people needs to have! When it comes to personal wealth and there is Tons of Money coming to these people, they need to put it back to areas that needs help. Huey Long was right about this!!

[hsinco-2009]

Another witch hunt by ISSA!

[twmat311]

Good thing Issa is pure and we'll never catch him at anything.

[112844]

It sounds to me like this LADY is the perfect person to fight for the needs of ALL U.S, dialysis patients. ( Which by the way include my sister in-law and my nephew and a close friend, none of whom lives in Nevada. ) THE SLASH AND CRASH pending cuts of the Nazi Tea Baggage Republicans are trying to take away many life saving and life needed services away from Americans who have spent thier entire lives doing thier share of making the U.S. a strong and productive nation. ( My young nephew and young close friend are now working again thanks to thier life saving dialysis and kidney trans-plants. )And now when they need help, the IDIOT Tea Baggage in Conress are trying to say to these people; "NO, GO TO HELL". This woman is the perfect person to push forward this cause as she does have close personal knowledge of the need because OF her husband and not FOR her husband. Her cause is saving housands of lives all across the U.S. Of course the Nazi Tea Baggage Republicans are not interested in knowledge or truth or caring. They don't need knowledge or truth or caring when each morning they just turn on thier AM TALK RADIO HATE SHOW and get thier NAZI propaganda instructions for the day. I hope this woman blows away her filthy, under handed, lying, back stabbing, competition in the elecion. I only wish I could be in Nevada and vote for her. GOOD LUCK SHELLEY BERKEY, MAY GOD SPEED YOU TO A LARGE VICTORY.

[wfw3536]

I thought Nancy Pelosi was going to drain the swamp. I guess she forgot about looking at herself(cleaning up on inside information on stocks) and the Representative from NV. Then you have Rangel who is a disgrace for the folks he represents in NY.

[Moveon_Misfits]

Those Democratc House Reps like Rangel, Nancy Pelosi and others sure are crooked and are doing what they and their supporters claim the GOP is doing.