A bipartisan trio of congressman may face unpleasant questions about their 2009 fundraising activities. The Office of Congressional Ethics has recommended that Reps John Campbell (R-CA), Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Tom Price (R-GA) undergo further investigation after all three were found to have held fund-raising soirees just days before they cast votes related to financial regulatory legislation.
The Times reports:
The referrals to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct came as the office recommended dismissing investigations of five other lawmakers, whose fund-raising just before the December 2009 vote had also come under scrutiny.
The investigation focused on lawmakers who raised money from lobbyists or executives of financial firms that had objected to provisions of the legislation.
Naturally, the representatives named had a little something to say about the findings. Tom Price, a physician who represents the affluent North Atlanta suburbs, said the O.C.E.’s decision-making was “truly a mystery.” Price said there was “no evidence of any wrongdoing or any inconsistency” in his “policy position,” and that “one can only guess as to the motive behind their decision or even why they chose to initiate a review in the first place.” Joseph Crowley’s office stated that the Democrat “has always complied with the letter and spirit of all rules regarding fund-raising and standards of conduct.”
The O.C.E. did not comment further, but a document linked to by the Times suggested the problem for the lawmakers was one of proximity. A congressman who solicited funding in a way that made it seem like the donor might receive “special treatment or access” would be breaching congressional ethics.
Correction: An earlier version of this post stated Rep. Joseph Crowley voted against financial regulatory legislation; the congressman voted in favor of the bill.
[NYT]
