House Ethics Panel Begins Review of Probe on Wright

The House Ethics Committee met in secret Thursday to begin reviewing an independent counsel’s report in the investigation of Speaker Jim Wright, while the Texas Democrat warned Republicans not to try to make political hay out of his problems.

The ethics panel, formally known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, met for about an hour to map out its procedures for considering a voluminous report by independent counsel Richard Phelan.

The committee’s proceedings were being conducted under heavy secrecy. Chairman Julian C. Dixon (D-Los Angeles) made a terse statement saying only that the committee would hold further meetings next week. The next session was scheduled for Monday.

The limited number of copies of Phelan’s report were being kept in the committee’s offices in the Capitol basement, and members were allowed to read them only on the premises.

Wright said he knew nothing about the status of the case or Phelan’s recommendations, but repeated his assertions that the charges were politically motivated and said the committee had “wasted their million dollars,” a reference to the cost of the nine-month investigation.

Among formal allegations are that Wright improperly lobbied for a constituent with whom he had financial dealings, that he used campaign and taxpayer funds to publish a book on which he received $55,000 in royalties, that he improperly lobbied officials of the Federal Home Loan Bank Board and that he accepted use of a Ft. Worth condominium at a below-market price.

Wright said continued Republican talk about capitalizing on his ethics problems in the 1990 elections could put an early end to cooperation with the GOP Administration of President Bush on the budget and other issues.

“You can’t have it both ways, obviously,” Wright told reporters.

Designated No. 1 Target

He said comments Wednesday by Edward Rollins, director of the Republican House campaign committee, designating the Speaker as his “No. 1 target” in 1990 proved that the ethics probe was a political reprisal.

“It really is a little bit amusing,” Wright said. “The day after Bush has Democratic leaders down to the White House and talks about being friendly and bipartisan on the budget, Rollins comes out and says that.”