House Rejects Plan for Corruption Probe

The House rejected Monday night a proposal by four conservative Republicans to create a special commission to investigate what they termed the “pattern of corruption” in the House.

By a vote of 297 to 77, the House rejected an amendment by Reps. Robert S. Walker of Pennsylvania, Newt Gingrich of Georgia, Robert C. Smith of New Hampshire and Joseph DioGuardi of New York, who said an outside commission was needed because the House Ethics Committee has failed to police House members charged with misconduct.

The congressmen distributed a list of 10 House members--all Democrats--who have been accused of questionable practices, either in news articles or by government authorities.

“In each case, nothing was done by the only body within Congress, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, entrusted with the power to police the House,” Gingrich said. “The ethics committee seems to protect the institution rather than police it.”

Walker said that the “collegial atmosphere” in which the House operates makes it virtually impossible for any committee made up of House members to sit in judgment of other members.

He said an outside commission is needed to investigate corruption charges against current House members and to recommend reforms in the way the House handles questions about members’ ethics.

But Democrats said the amendment by the GOP conservatives was pure politics.

“There is no ongoing pattern of questionable ethical conduct,” said Julian C. Dixon (D-Los Angeles), chairman of the ethics committee, who pointed out that his committee is the only one in the Democratic-controlled House where Republicans have equal representation.

Democrats voted overwhelmingly against the amendment and a majority of Republicans also disapproved.

Both Walker and Gingrich denied that their call for a special commission was motivated by the fact that all 10 congressmen they listed as being accused of questionable acts are Democrats.

Included on the list distributed by the four congressmen were Reps. Harold E. Ford of Tennessee and Mario Biaggi of New York, both of whom are under indictment; Rep. Bill Boner of Tennessee, who has been accused of taking bribes and failing to comply with financial reporting laws; Rep. Fernand J. St Germain of Rhode Island, who has been accused of violating financial disclosure laws, and Rep. Austin J. Murphy of Pennsylvania, who has been accused of permitting votes to be cast for him when he was absent from the House and stacking congressional staffs with “ghost” employees.

The list also included House Speaker Jim Wright of Texas, who has been accused of using his influence to help a supporter involved in a federal savings and loan investigation.

Also, the House, in a 228-150 vote, approved a $1.44-billion spending bill for Congress’ operating expenses, rejecting a number of amendments designed to keep costs down. It included a 20% increase, to $110 million, in congressional postage for the year beginning Oct. 1. The boost anticipates congressmen sending out more newsletters and correspondence in the election year.