Panel Identifies 22 Top Abusers of House Bank

Aware that political careers may be doomed by their action, the House Ethics Committee on Wednesday night disclosed the names of 22 current and former members of Congress that it classified as the worst abusers in the House bank scandal.

Even before the much-dreaded list was revealed, several of those identified as flagrant writers of overdrafts took to the House floor with emotional denials of wrongdoing, and a few condemned the ethics panel for its decision.

As expected, the list of worst offenders included three from California, all of them former Democratic congressmen: former Rep. Jim Bates of San Diego, former Rep. Douglas Bosco of Sebastapol and former House Democratic Whip Tony Coelho of Merced.

The committee granted the appeals of two members--Rep. James H. Scheuer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Charles Wilson (D-Tex.)--and dropped them from an original list of 24 that had been leaked to news organizations almost three weeks ago.

But it turned down protests of several others and made public the list of 16 current officeholders--13 Democrats and three Republicans--who appear virtually certain to face voters’ wrath in November. Another current officeholder on the list--Rep. Charles A. Hayes (D-Ill.)--was defeated in the March 17 Illinois primary, less than 72 hours after the leaked list became public.

Besides the Californians, two other former members also are listed.

Shouting in a nearly empty chamber against the committee’s decision not to hear his appeal, Rep. Joseph D. Early (D-Mass.) complained: “They ran like rats.”

The disclosure of the shortened list cleared the way for publication of the names of 279 current members and 54 ex-members who wrote one or more overdrafts at the casually operated House bank in a 39-month period ending last Oct. 3.

In an effort to defuse public criticism, however, more than 200 members already have acknowledged writing checks without sufficient funds to cover them--although many have not said how many such checks they wrote.

The political fallout is expected to be heaviest for those on the shorter list and members who have scores of overdrafts on their record. So far this year, 49 members have announced that they will not seek reelection and five others have suffered primary defeats, assuring at least 54 new faces when the new Congress convenes next January.

One of those labeled an abuser, Rep. Edward F. Feighan (D-Ohio), announced his plan to quit on the eve of the formal disclosure of the list by the Ethics Committee. Although he said that he was bowing out to spend more time with his family and avoid running in a new district created because of reapportionment, Feighan also would have had to explain 397 overdrafts that caused him to exceed his next month’s take-home pay in eight of the 39 months under scrutiny.

In his report to the House, the acting chairman of the Ethics Committee, Rep. Matthew F. McHugh (D-N.Y.), said it was “far from clear” whether those on the list intended to abuse the casually operated bank, although their accounts were routinely and repeatedly overdrawn by significant amounts.

“It (the committee) did not consider the intent of members,” McHugh said in a statement filed with the House clerk. “However, given the informal nature of the House bank’s operations, including its longtime practice of honoring overdrafts and its lack of written rules and regulations, the subcommittee cannot say the people on this list intended to abuse banking privileges.”

But the names the panel disclosed were of representatives whose overdrafts amounted to more than their next month’s net salary.

Several of the members on the list made impassioned speeches, protesting their innocence and condemning the media and the Ethics Committee itself for their classification.

“My name was leaked by someone 72 hours before the Illinois primary,” protested Hayes, who was defeated after five terms. “Even before I could respond, I was tried and convicted by the press.

“Many members here will be indicted, tried and convicted by the media or political opponents for checks they didn’t even know were being held,” Hayes said. “My gravest mistake was to rely on the House bank to manage my personal funds.”

Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.), acknowledging that he was humiliated by the listing, said he and Early tried in vain to get the full 14-member committee to hear their appeals after they were turned down by 3-3 tie votes in the subcommittee that originally classified them as abusers.

Early, wiping tears from his eyes, said he never has been so ashamed in his congressional career.

Rep. Edolphus (Ed) Towns (D-N.Y.) joined the impromptu protest, calling the committee’s judgment disgraceful and saying: “That’s what happens when you put little men in big positions.”

Rep. William L. Clay (D-Mo.) termed the panel members “pious and pompous” judges.

Their remarks were so strong that the presiding officer, Rep. Elizabeth (Liz) J. Patterson (D-S.C.) had to remind them of the House rule against disparaging other members of the House. McHugh’s statement said the committee put House members on the dreaded “short list” if they overdrew their account by more than their next month’s salary in 20% of the months during which they had an account at the bank.

Without mentioning names, it said one member was dropped from the original list because further investigation had shown he had transferred funds by wire in time to avoid enough overdrafts that he no longer qualified as a worst abuser. That was a clear reference to Scheuer.

The other member--clearly Wilson--was eliminated because of a House bank error that he documented, the panel said.

In quiet celebration, Scheuer and Wilson solemnly shook hands on the House floor before the revised list was made public.

“I’m not blaming anybody,” Wilson said. “It’s the hysteria of the moment.”

Although all of the names on the short list have been disclosed before, verification by the Ethics Committee and the implied rejection of appeals by some of the members could multiply their reelection problems.

Rep. Stephen J. Solarz (D-N.Y.), an influential voice on foreign affairs, apparently tried without success to get his name removed. Several others, however, despaired of making appeals on grounds that the damage already had been done.

The Senate campaign of Rep. Robert J. Mrazek (D-N.Y.) apparently has been doomed by the disclosure, although he has not pulled out of the race so far. Rep. Carl C. Perkins (D-Ky.) previously announced that he would not run again.

Describing the last-minute anguish of some of those on the list who tried unsuccessfully to get their names removed, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) said they realized that their careers were on the line.

“If you are on the list, it puts a big red ‘A’ on your forehead,” McDermott told reporters.

Top Bad Check Writers

Here is the House Ethics Committee’s list of the 22 worst offenders in the House bank case. Those named had negative balances that exceeded the amount of their next paycheck for 20% of the 39 months reviewed. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.) * Tommy Robinson (R-Ark.) * Jim Bates (D-San Diego) * Douglas Bosco (D-Sebastopol) * Tony Coelho (D-Merced) Charles Hatcher (D-Ga.) Charles A. Hayes (D-Ill.) Carl C. Perkins (D-Ky.) Joseph D. Early (D-Mass.) Robert W. Davis (R-Mich.) John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) William L. Clay (D-Mo.) Robert J. Mrazek (D-N.Y.) Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) Stephen J. Solarz (D-N.Y.) Edward F. Feighan (D-Ohio) Mary Rose Oakar (D-Ohio) Mickey Edwards (R-Okla.) Bill Goodling (R-Pa.) * Doug Walgren (D-Pa.) Harold E. Ford (D-Tenn.) Ronald D. Coleman (D-Tex.) * Former House member

Source: Associated Press