[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 452 Engrossed in House (EH)]


                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                          June 5, 2007.
Whereas clause one of House rule XXIII (Code of Official Conduct) states ``A 
        Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer or employee of the 
        House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect 
        creditably on the House.'';
Whereas on June 4, 2007, the United States Department of Justice filed an 
        indictment by a grand jury against the gentleman from Louisiana, the 
        Honorable William J. Jefferson, in the United States Court for the 
        Eastern District of Virginia;
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment of Representative Jefferson, the grand 
        jury specifies 16 counts, including but not limited to Solicitation of 
        Bribes by a Public Official, Violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices 
        Act, Money Laundering, Obstruction of Justice and Racketeering;
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury alleges that 
        Representative Jefferson did knowingly engage in an unlawful conspiracy 
        ``to provide for the unjust enrichment of Defendant Jefferson and his 
        family members by corruptly seeking, soliciting, and directing that 
        things of value be paid to him and his family members in return for 
        Defendant Jefferson's performance of official acts'';
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury further alleges that 
        ``Defendant sought to and, did conceal his and his family members' 
        expected or actual receipt of things of value by directing congressional 
        staff members, family members, and others to form nominee companies that 
        entered into business agreements to receive things of value sought by 
        Defendant Jefferson while not referencing him or disclosing his 
        involvement in obtaining the agreements'';
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury further alleges that 
        ``Defendant Jefferson failed to disclose his and his family's financial 
        interests in these business ventures by omitting this material 
        information from travel and financial disclosure forms required to be 
        filed by the Rules of the House of Representatives and, in some cases, 
        by failing to make any of the required filings'';
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury further alleges that 
        ``On or about July 30, 2005, in Arlington, Virginia, Defendant Jefferson 
        received $100,000 in cash from [cooperating witness]'' for use in an 
        illegal bribery scheme;
Whereas in the aforementioned indictment, the grand jury further alleges that 
        ``On or before August 3, 2005, at his residence in Washington, DC, 
        Defendant Jefferson secreted in his freezer $90,000 of the $100,000 in 
        cash provided by [cooperating witness] as part of the front-end bribe to 
        Nigerian Official A, which was separated into $10,000 increments, 
        wrapped in aluminum foil, and concealed inside various frozen food 
        containers'';
Whereas on February 27, 2007, the House Democratic Caucus unanimously approved 
        the recommendation of House Democratic leaders that Representative 
        Jefferson be elected to the Committee on Homeland Security, a position 
        in which he would have had access to highly sensitive Top Secret 
        information concerning national security matters;
Whereas on June 5, 2007, Representative Jefferson resigned from the Committee on 
        Small Business to which he was elected by vote of the House on January 
        23, 2007;
Whereas the Constitution of the United States authorizes the House of 
        Representatives to ``determine the rules of its Proceedings, punish its 
        Members for disorderly behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two 
        thirds, expel a Member'';
Whereas the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is charged with enforcing 
        the Code of Official Conduct and related rules of the House governing 
        the Conduct of Members and staff;
Whereas during the 109th Congress, on May 17, 2006, the Committee on Standards 
        of Official Conduct issued a public statement which noted ``[t]he 
        Committee has voted to establish an investigative subcommittee to 
        conduct an inquiry regarding Representative William J. Jefferson'';
Whereas absent any subsequent public statements by the committee concerning 
        Representative Jefferson and in light of press accounts describing the 
        Jefferson inquiry as ``halted'' and ``stalled'' it is essential that the 
        House act to ensure that appropriate and timely action is taken to 
        complete the Jefferson inquiry and protect the integrity of the House;
Whereas clause 5(a)(4)(A) of House rule X states ``At the beginning of a 
        Congress, the Speaker or his designee and the Minority Leader or his 
        designee each shall name 10 Members, Delegates or the Resident 
        Commissioner from his respective party who are not members of the 
        Committee on Standards of Official Conduct to be available to serve on 
        investigative subcommittees of that committee during that Congress. The 
        names of Members, Delegates or the Resident Commissioner so named shall 
        be announced to the House.'';
Whereas Republican Leader Boehner, having chosen 10 Republican Members for the 
        ethics pool for the 110th Congress earlier this year and Speaker Pelosi 
        only having named the Democrat Members of the pool earlier today: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is directed 
to investigate without further delay alleged illegal conduct and violations of 
House rules by Representative William J. Jefferson and report its findings and 
recommendations to the House, including a recommendation regarding whether 
Representative Jefferson should be expelled from the House.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.