GOP: Stop Stalling on Rangel and Waters Cases

Republican members of the House Ethics Committee are upset with Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., for not holding public ethics trials of Democratic Reps. Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters before the November elections. Rangel (New York) is accused of a variety of transgressions, while Waters (California) is accused of improperly helping a bank in which she and her husband hold stock, Roll Call reports.

“It is in the best interest of transparency and fairness to the American people, Representatives Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters, and other members of the U.S. House of Representatives that the House Ethics Committee stop stalling the resolution of the Rangel and Waters matters and complete these public trials prior to the November election,” ranking committee member Jo Bonner of Alabama wrote in a public statement, along with Reps. Michael Conaway of Texas, Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania, Gregg Harper or Mississippi and Michael McCaul of Texas.

They don’t buy Democrats’ argument that the hearings couldn’t be scheduled. “After months of trial preparation — and, in the Rangel matter, two years of investigation — Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren should have already issued notices of public trial schedules in both the Rangel and Waters matters,” the statement said.