California Rep. Waters Is Under Investigation

[Purveyor]

(10-29) 16:01 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

The House ethics committee said Thursday it's investigating whether California Rep. Maxine Waters used her influence to help a bank in which her husband owned stock — and whether the couple benefited as a result.

Waters is the No. 3 Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee and chairwoman of its subcommittee on housing. She has been an influential voice in the committee's work to overhaul financial regulations.

Waters came under scrutiny after former Treasury Department officials said she helped arrange a meeting between regulators and executives at OneUnited Bank last year without mentioning her husband's financial ties to the institution.

Her husband, Sidney Williams, holds at least $250,000 in its stock. He previously served on the bank's board.

The congresswoman has said the National Bankers Association, a trade group, requested the meeting. She defended her role in assisting minority-owned banks in the midst of the nation's financial meltdown and dismissed suggestions she used her influence to steer government aid to the bank.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/10/29/national/w160110D44.DTL#ixzz0VMyEWB4G

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Arfe they gonna investigate *&^%$(* Lieberman & Bayh for the assistance

they're giving the insurance industry in exchange for contributions & bribes filtered through their wives?

[AllentownJake]

2. When are these people going to learn

What a conflict of interest is, even if they are behaving in an ethical matter, there are things you have to recuse yourself of because of appearences.

[Fire1]

3. Like 250K is a helluva lot of money. This is why you can

hardly get anybody with integrity to get into politics. Politics has always been a dirty business but its gotten progressively worse over the years, as have the politicians. Fuck em, Maxine. Don't even dignify that crap with an answer.

[bigwillq]

5. Yes, 250K is a helluva lot of money.

At least to me it is.

[harkadog]

7. Only a Wall Street bankster would think 250K is not a helluva lot of money

How much did you get in the bailout?

[FrenchieCat]

4. "Waters came under scrutiny after FORMER Treasury Department officials said ....".

Thanks Bush and Co.!

Wouldn't know what to do without you!
On second thought, yes we would!

[uponit7771]

6. Yeap, read that and thought to myself "DISMISSED"

[harkadog]

8. Fortunately the House Ethics Committee disagrees with you

Apparently they take ethics more seriously than some DUers.

[Garam_Masala]

9. I am for putting ALL crooks in prison...no matter what party

they belong to. There is too much corruption in politics.
We will have a much better country when all crooks are in
prison serving very long sentences.