[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 93 (Thursday, June 8, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H5696]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CALL FOR AN OUTSIDE COUNSEL IN SPEAKER'S ETHICS CASE

  (Mr. WISE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, the Speaker of our House is an intelligent 
person. He is a student of history. He has been a professor of history 
and indeed he has helped write a lot of recent history. He knows well 
the historical precedent to avoid even the semblance of conflict or 
impropriety.
  Now the House and the House Ethics Committee faces an important 
question on ethical violations--
  Questions concerning the activities of GOPAC under the control of the 
Speaker; questions concerning possible conflicts of interest with a 
book deal and a publisher who might have involvement and interest 
before this body.
  Despite promises that the Ethics Committee would approve any signing 
of a book deal, the Speaker went ahead and signed it, anyway, and then 
received a letter from the Ethics Committee saying you should not make 
any assumptions about our signing or approving that conduct.
  In previous high-profile cases, 22 out of 46 since 1968, an outside 
counsel has been appointed including for the most recent Speaker under 
investigation, Speaker Wright. Today the Ethics Committee is deadlocked 
on partisan lines.
  Historical precedent is clear here--avoid even the semblance of a 
conflict. I would urge the appointment of an outside counsel.


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