A question of ethics of Democrat on ethics committee

NY Times:

After two weeks of intense pressure from Republicans and newspaper editorials in his state and around the country, the leading Democrat on the House ethics committee resigned from the panel yesterday over criticism of how he had handled earmarked appropriations and his own finances.

The congressman, Alan B. Mollohan of West Virginia, has used his coveted seat on the Appropriations Committee to steer some $250 million over a decade to five nonprofit organizations that he set up. A conservative Washington-based group, the National Legal and Policy Center, has filed a complaint with federal prosecutors questioning those appropriations and the accuracy of Mr. Mollohan's personal financial disclosure forms as his wealth swelled significantly from 2000 to 2004.

"While I am confident that any charges or allegations that this organization and its Republican allies make against me will be as meritless and, indeed, as frivolous as those they have made thus far, they must be responded to fully," Mr. Mollohan wrote in a letter to the House Democratic leader, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California. "I do not want these baseless allegations to divert attention from the important work that the House ethics committee must undertake in the remainder of this Congress, or to serve as an excuse for committee inaction."

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Pelosi's statement shows a lack of seriousness about ethics beyond its use as a club to be wielded against Republicans, but no commitment to ethics of her Democrat colleagues. If she were a serious person she would have just said that there needs to be an investigation and let the chips fall were they may. The fact is that Mollohan's own actions undermine her "framing" of a Republican "culture of corruption." It should be noted that Duke Cunningham was not on the ethics committee.