Gingrich Denies Wrongdoing, Hits Alexander

Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) defended himself today against growing allegations of House rules violations, saying the charges come from “enraged” Democrats led by “an almost irrational” Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.).

Gingrich, the combative assistant House Republican leader, told a television interviewer that Democrats have vowed revenge since he spurred the ethics case that led to the June resignation of House Speaker Jim Wright (D-Tex.).

“I think there are people who are enraged that I insisted on investigating Jim Wright and I think, frankly, they will try to do virtually anything to try to prove that you can’t stand up to that kind of power and get away with it,” he said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Alexander already has filed a complaint against Gingrich with the House Ethics Committee and said Thursday he is preparing to amend the charge to include as many as 200 additional rules violations.

Information brought “to my attention within the last several days . . . suggests that my initial complaint may have only scratched the surface . . . of potentially unethical, illegal or criminal conduct by Mr. Gingrich,” Alexander wrote in a letter to Rep. Julian C. Dixon (D-Los Angeles), the ethics panel chairman.

Gingrich dismissed the threat Friday, saying, “I think in terms of the substance of the charges, what you have is an almost irrational Democrat in Bill Alexander who is wandering around wildly saying things. I’m comfortable that after the Ethics Committee has investigated it that they are going to say that there’s nothing to the charges.”

Dixon’s panel is expected soon to start an investigation of Gingrich based on Alexander’s original complaint about the financing of a book by the Georgia conservative. The committee has hired the same Chicago law firm that conducted the case that prompted Wright’s resignation in the face of 69 ethics charges, also involving a book deal.

Alexander did not offer immediate details about the additional allegations he plans to make.