[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 238 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 238

Calling on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to conduct an 
   investigation into activity at the House Post Office to determine 
whether House rules were broken or whether public funds were embezzled 
                              by Members.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 4, 1993

  Mr. Istook (for himself, Mr. Hoekstra, Mr. Boehner, Mr. Bartlett of 
 Maryland, Mr. Baker of Louisiana, Mr. Sam Johnson of Texas, Ms. Pryce 
of Ohio, Mr. Doolittle, Mr. Smith of Michigan, Mr. Buyer, Mr. Kingston, 
Mr. Pombo, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Blute, Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Zeliff, Mr. 
  Grams, and Mr. DeLay) submitted the following resolution; which was 
                   referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Calling on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to conduct an 
   investigation into activity at the House Post Office to determine 
whether House rules were broken or whether public funds were embezzled 
                              by Members.

Whereas former House Postmaster Robert V. Rota has pleaded guilty in the United 
        States District Court for the District of Columbia to charges of 
        conspiracy to embezzle funds of the United States in violation of 
        section 371 of title 18, United States Code, and of aiding and abetting 
        embezzlement, in violation of sections 641 and 642 of title 18, United 
        States Code;
Whereas court documents in this case contain allegations that several Members, 
        officers, or employees of the House were co-conspirators with Mr. Rota, 
        and that Members received the proceeds of embezzlement, and reveal that 
        this practice occurred during the 3 prior terms of Congress;
Whereas complete and accurate testimony by Mr. Rota was not provided to any 
        previous inquiry by this House, and accordingly has not been examined by 
        a formal House inquiry;
Whereas personnel of the House Post Office allegedly provided illegal cash to 
        certain Members in 3 ways: (1) cash instead of stamps for official 
        vouchers, (2) cash for postage stamps, which had earlier been purchased 
        with official vouchers, and (3) cash for campaign checks;
Whereas these allegations directly affect the rights of the House collectively, 
        its safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings, and the 
        rights, reputation, and conduct of its Members;
Whereas section 5 of article I of the Constitution gives each House of Congress 
        responsibility over disorderly behavior of its Members;
Whereas these allegations, if true, would constitute violations by Members of 
        the rules of the House and of the Code of Official Conduct;
Whereas the safety, dignity, and the integrity of the House, and of public 
        confidence in the House, require that these allegations receive full 
        inquiry by the House itself;
Whereas the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct has jurisdiction over 
        current Members, officers, and employees of the House, including 
        investigatory authority, and is the appropriate body of this House to 
        conduct any inquiry: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That (a) the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct 
is instructed to conduct an immediate investigation of the House Post 
Office into allegations--
            (1) that the House Post Office provided cash to any Member 
        in exchange for official vouchers;
            (2) that the House Post Office provided cash to any Member 
        in exchange for stamps purchased with official vouchers;
            (3) that the House Post Office provided cash to any Member 
        in exchange for campaign account checks; and
            (4) that the House Post Office provided cash to any Member 
        in any other way inconsistent with the rules of this House.
    (b) In pursuing its investigation, the Committee on Standards of 
Official Conduct shall determine which Members are alleged by the 
former Postmaster to have engaged in improper conduct in connection 
with the House Post Office, and whether these Members are the subjects 
of any current investigation by the Department of Justice.
    (c) The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall coordinate 
its investigation with the related efforts of the Department of 
Justice. If the Department of Justice indicates to the committee on 
writing that any Member is the subject of an official investigation, 
the committee may defer further inquiry into that Member's conduct, 
pending conclusion of the investigation by the Department of Justice.
    (d) The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct shall file a 
report to the House of its investigation and findings. This report 
shall be made available to the public.

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