Ethics panel chief stalling, say GOP 5

— The House Ethics Committee split along party lines Tuesday as Republicans demanded pre-election trials for two prominent Democrats, Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters.

In past years, the committee has been stymied by internal, partisan disputes over its investigative rules and by a political agreement between the parties to avoid new cases.

A statement by ranking committee Republican Jo Bonner, signed by all five Republicans on the 10-member committee, accused Chairman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., of stalling the Rangel and Waters cases. Both lawmakers have asked for trials before the election.

Rangel, of New York, is the former chairman of the influential Ways and Means Committee, which writes tax law. Waters, of California, is a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, which approved the recent overhaul of financial industry regulations and established new consumer protections.

Rangel is accused of financial wrongdoing and misuse of his office, while Waters is charged with improperly helping a bank - in which her husband owns stock - receive federal financial aid.

Lofgren was not immediately available for comment.

The Republican statement said, “Members of the committee have repeatedly expressed their willingness and desire to move forward with public trials of these matters and have repeatedly made themselves available to the chairwoman for October settings.”

Lofgren “has repeatedly refused to set either the Rangel or Waters trial before the November election,” Bonner said.

Republicans signing the Bonner statement were Reps. K. Michael Conaway of Texas, Charles Dent of Pennsylvania, Gregg Harper of Mississippi and Michael McCaul of Texas.

Front Section, Pages 3 on 09/29/2010

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