Rep. Maxine Waters Refutes Ethics Charges

[bemildred]

Source: ABC

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., today adamantly refuted charges brought against her by the House Ethics Committee.

"I have not violated any House rules," she said at a press conference on Capitol Hill.

Waters was charged by the Ethics panel with violating House rules in 2008. The charges stem from a meeting that Waters requested at the onset of the financial crisis in September 2008 with then-Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson. Waters and Paulson did not attend the meeting, but Treasury officials and members of the National Bankers Association (NBA), a trade organization representing over 100 minority-owned firms, did.

At that meeting and in follow-up conversations, according to an investigative subcommittee report, "the discussion centered on a single bank -- OneUnited," where Waters' husband was a board member from 2004 to 2008. According to her 2008 financial disclosure forms, Waters' husband owned two investments in OneUnited valued between $500,000 and $1 million.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/rep-maxine-waters-refutes-ethics-charges/story?id=11393502

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FWIW, the headline ought to read "denies", not "refutes"; AND I think the "charges" against Ms Waters are 100% politically motivated speculative bullshit.

[Pavulon]

1. She has been on the CREW thief list for years

I have no use for any person of any party that are abusing their power. Their stink marks legitimate Democrats. She acted to cover her million dollar stake.

[bemildred]

3. Congress is corrupt, rotten to the core.

This is about removing Rangel and Waters from their chair positions in Congress, nothing more. If the Congressional committee was actually interested in addressing corruption in Congress, they would have a variety of other more useful options to pursue.

[Pavulon]

4. CREW has a list of the worst thieves.

everyone on that list should be out. Their districts are secure, they can elect people who will represent them without blatant theft.

[bemildred]

6. Crew does not impress me, they have their own agenda, and it is not mine.

Occasionally I agree with them, but sometimes I think they are full of shit.

[Pavulon]

8. NY times had a pretty long story outlining

the details of what she is accused of. In a secure district, where her replacement will be another Democrat, there is no reason to even defend her action.

[bemildred]

9. NYT does not impress me either.

Read the story I posted:

Waters and Paulson did not attend the meeting, but Treasury officials and members of the National Bankers Association (NBA), a trade organization representing over 100 minority-owned firms, did.

At that meeting and in follow-up conversations, according to an investigative subcommittee report, "the discussion centered on a single bank -- OneUnited,"

So some treasury officials discuss that particular bank with some members of the NBA, what exactly is wrong with that?

[The Magistrate]

We Agree, Sir: No Wrong was Done, On the Evidence Provided

This is nothing but an attempt by Goss and others to unseat prominent Black representatives.

If the target was 'corruption in Congress', the investigations would focus on the connection between campaign contributions and votes cast, and over half the body be looking at terms in stir rather than in the legislature....

[EFerrari]

22. Last night I watched a documentary about Haiti

and it contained some footage of Mr. Rangel and Maxine Waters and no one else pounding the corrupt, sellout former State Department officials who were testifying against Haiti's interests before Congress. There are many reasons these two representatives could wind up in the cross hairs.

(It was a decent presentation, Sir. "Aristide and the Endless Revolution".)

[bemildred]

24. Thank you, Sir.

Always a pleasure.

[The Magistrate]

19. We Agree, Sir: No Wrong was Done, On the Evidence Provided

This is nothing but an attempt by Goss and others to unseat prominent Black representatives.

If the target was 'corruption in Congress', the investigations would focus on the connection between campaign contributions and votes cast, and over half the body be looking at terms in stir rather than in the legislature....

[howaboutme]

38. No tolerance for corruption

Whether Democrat or Republican, black, white, purple, female, male we should have zero tolerance for corruption. The longer they "serve", and that term is often a misnomer for serving themselves, not us, the more they feel entitled to take what they want. It is human nature unfortunately.

Politicians, cops, district attorneys, judges, even bureaucrats entrusted to promote and enforce justice need held to the highest possible standard of justice. No slap on the wrist is ever appropriate for these people. If found guilty the sentence should be far far more severe than an average citizen that has been caught in such crimes. When Congress and these other people are corrupt they do far more collateral damage to society than just the crimes that they commit. They destroy confidence in the system. Even the appearance of corruption becomes debilitating and harmful.

[The Magistrate]

20. We Agree, Sir: No Wrong was Done, On the Evidence Provided

This is nothing but an attempt by Goss and others to unseat prominent Black representatives.

If the target was 'corruption in Congress', the investigations would focus on the connection between campaign contributions and votes cast, and over half the body be looking at terms in stir rather than in the legislature....

[boppers]

39. I agree that the Magistrate is even wittier in triplicate.

:evilgrin:

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. What is CREW's agenda?

[bemildred]

14. I can't speak for them, I just know theirs is not mine.

I agree with them sometimes, sometimes I do not.

[Freddie Stubbs]

15. What specifically do you disagree with them about?

[bemildred]

16. Maxine Waters, I thought that was clear. nt

[No Elephants]

30. Agree. Something is mighty suspicious, that's for sure.

[go west young man]

5. You don't know that.

Your speculating. An opinion is one thing but your saying already she is guilty without her having received
a fair hearing on the matter. Why would you do that?

[Pavulon]

7. CREW has her on the list. The evidence is substantial

and a reasonable person would examine it and conclude she is a thief using federal money to cover her nut. She had a hearing, she is indicted, she can receive a trial too.

Her district is not contested, they can elect a person who will not steal.

[go west young man]

10. I suppose you have a degree in law and sit on the bench somewhere.

You must do to be so wise to have passed judgement already. DU is so very lucky
to have "dems" like yourself who know what the truth is before anyone else does.
Thanks for enlightening us all to how guilty she is. Where would we be without you?

[Pavulon]

25. Not talking about ethics coming into an election cycle

cut her and charlie loose. keep the seats. win win. "" are cute by the way.

[karynnj]

36. She should have listened to Barney Frank, who had no conflict of interest and whose constituents

were among those served by the Boston based bank. It is conceivable that she might have advocated for them as a minority owned bank that did have loans in her area even if her husband and she had no investment and no connection, but that conflict of interest was why she should not have been involved.

[HoraceX]

2. Anyone at ABC have a dictionary?

There's a big difference between "refute" and "attempting to refute".

[savalez]

12. Are you sure you don't mean "refudiate"? (just kidding... sorry)

[tabasco]

26. You're the one that needs the dictionary. n/t

[tularetom]

11. OMG, she requested a meeting that she didn't attend!!

Hanging's too good for her!

[EFerrari]

18. And then the banking people kep emailing her Cheif of staff.

That criminal Porter Goss is spinning that as some kind of conspiracy activity between Waters and the bankers. He seems to be hoping that she will fold like a cheap suit.

[classysassy]

17. Open season on black politicians

There should be some kind of fairness doctrine where the white politicians are help to the same standard as the blacks are held.Where was the ethics witch hunters when Mr Vitter,Mr Craig and Mr Ensign were doing their little sexual thing?

[Confusious]

21. Sexual dalliances are not equal

Otherwise, you're saying the investigation of Clinton was fair, if you don't want to look like a hypocrite.

[classysassy]

34. Ethics

covers everything that is against the law.

[savalez]

23. I read somthing like that on Politico once...

here it is. 10 month old story but...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29055.html

[No Elephants]

31. You see no difference between seeing a prostitute and allegedly abusing your vote?

I think the Waters Rangel stuff is suspicious, but I would not equate the alllegation of misuse or abuse of elected office with seeing a prostitute. One is a public matter, the other is a personal one.

[bemildred]

35. They are equally deserving of a fair public inquiry into the facts.

We ought not single Ms Waters out while letting these other weasels slide.

[Kringle]

27. is she denying the facts, or arguing law? .nt

[bemildred]

32. I think she is pointing out that there are no facts.

The case is a tissue of lies and innuendos.

[Jefferson23]

28. Fight back Waters, give it all you've got. n/t

[No Elephants]

29. Is this worse than Senator Obama getting big bucks for Michelle's hospital employer?

Or Senate wives working for lobbyists, ala Senator Dodd, to name only one? Or hundreds of similar things? Is it 100% aboveboard? Probably not. But why single out Waters and Rangel?

[bemildred]

33. Maxine Waters speaks out against ethics charges

In her most spirited defense against ethics charges, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) denied Friday that she had used her influence to aid a bank in which her husband has a financial interest, and attacked ethics investigators for drawing the wrong conclusion from her lifetime of work to aid minority-owned businesses.

"I won't cut a deal," Waters said in her first Capitol Hill news conference since charges were brought.

Her nearly hour-and-a-half response featured a PowerPoint presentation, led by her chief of staff, aimed at rebutting the charges. When it concluded, the words: "No Benefit, No Improper Action, No Failure to Disclose, No One Influenced: No Case" flashed on the screen.

The veteran of more than three decades in Sacramento and Washington politics has been accused of trying to help OneUnited Bank, on whose board her husband served and in which he owns stock. Unless she settles, she faces a rare public trial before a panel of her House colleagues.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-waters-ethics-20100814,0,5599438.story

[Vidar]

37. Give 'em hell, Maxine!

[Xenotime]

40. It's a RW attempt at bringing down anybody with a D after their name.

[howaboutme]

41. I truly wish it did

but I do not see either a D (or R) after a name giving anyone in Congress a halo or immunity from ethics violations. They can both be corrupt and self serving to those of the power elite regardless of politics.

[Francesca9]

42. go girl, go