Mark Twain once remarked that “America has no native criminal class, except perhaps the Congress.” He was exaggerating, but not by too much.
I’ve spent long years in Washington, and worked with many people in the government, both elected and appointed. I’ve observed two central problems: it is so easy, once you’re in a position of power, to casually reach out and line your pockets with the flood of cash that is always flowing by your door.
The other problem is that Washington is inhabited by a large number of people who pulled out all the stops, and skated close to the wind, in order to get there. Many, but not all, of those ethically-challenged powers in Washington, are lawyers. It is sad but true that we lawyers are trained to justify the unjustifiable, in order to defend our clients. When we are our own client, the temptation is at its maximum.
Lastly, of course, is the point that when money is extracted from individuals and corporations and placed in a large pile, it becomes “everybody’s” money. And the simple truth is that nobody is doing a good job of watching everybody’s money. So, you can see the net effect of these related problems. A system that makes it as easy as possible for people to steal money, and attracts the precise people who are least likely to have compunctions about stealing money, you raise up a crop of crooks.
This ain’t rocket science, folks. And that brings us to the (currently) Honorable William Jefferson, D-La., who is facing multiple counts of public corruption. According to numerous and reliable press accounts, Rep. Jefferson was caught on tape accepting a bribe, and most of the bribe money, which was marked, was recovered in a tin-foil package in his home freezer. It gives a whole new meaning to the term “cold cash.”
Well, what has been the fate of the (somewhat) Hon. William Jefferson? The House Ethics Committee has punted the ball, and postponed any action until his criminal trial is completed. Meantime the (quasi) Hon. Jefferson is doing all he can to postpone his criminal trial, and is running for reelection in New Orleans, where he will almost certainly win.
The Rules of Conduct for the House do not say that a Member has engaged in “conduct unbecoming” only when his last appeal fails in the Supreme Court. For example, US Judge Alcee Hastings of Florida managed to win acquittal of bribery charges while the man who bribed him went to jail. Still, the (formerly) Hon. Alcee Hastings was impeached, convicted, and removed from the bench. Sad to say, he wound up as a Member of Congress.
The example I share with you today is the legislature of North Carolina. It does not often serve as a good example. For instance, the former Speaker of the House is now in the Big House, doing time for bribery. And before his conviction, no one could lay a finger on him. But this week, there is honorable news from that legislature.
This week a special legislative committee recommended that state Rep. Thomas Wright be “removed from office for mishandling about $340,000 in campaign contributions, loans, and charitable donations.” That will go to the General Assembly, which can then expel Rep. Wright.
Where the U.S. House failed, the NC House has succeeded. Rep. Wright is charged with various crimes, but the special committee did not wait for the criminal case to play out. If the General Assembly accepts the recommendation, the (disgraced) Rep. Wright will be out on his ear, before he can be reelected to the NC House.
Since Wright is a Democrat, and Democrats control both the NC House and the special committee, the outcome seems clear. Rep. Wright will be gone with the wind because the Democrats in NC are at least partially more concerned about integrity in elected office, than are the Democrats who control the US House.
One, final, personal note. If I am elected to Congress this fall, in my first day in office I will write a personal letter to each member of the House Ethics Committee, demanding that they either act promptly on the charges against the (dubiously) Hon. William Jefferson, or resign from their positions so that others who take bribery in the House more seriously, can take their places.
