Democrats vote for fig leaf in PMA investigation

Politico:

Seeking to head off Republicans, Democratic leaders on Wednesday pushed through a resolution requiring the House ethics committee to disclose what actions it has taken in responding to the controversy over the PMA Group, a once prominent lobbying firm now at the center of a Justice Department criminal probe.

The largely partisan vote was 270-134, with 17 members, including members of the ethics committee, voting “present.”

Led by Rep. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), have been calling for a PMA investigation by the ethics committee for months, but Democrats have resisted, arguing that it is not necessary and just an attempt by the GOP to cause political problems for the majority.

Most Democrats have held firm in voting against resolutions calling for investigations, although some junior members have joined with Republicans

on the measure.

GOP leaders strongly objected to the Democratic leadership’s resolution, branding it a “stunt’ and a “worthless piece of paper,” and noting that the measure doesn’t require any action by the ethics panel other than to publicly declare whether it has taken any action on the PMA controversy.

“This is a joke. It is the tiniest speck of political cover from a Democratic Leadership that has voted time after time to block a real investigation of PMA,” said Michael Steel, spokesman for Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio). “It doesn’t even require an investigation, it simply inquires whether there is one – and gives the Committee a month and half to reply. That’s ridiculous. They can and should answer that question today. In the meantime, the swamp waters continue to rise, and this won’t fool the American people.”

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I think the FBI must be getting close to doing something to get the Democrats at least a little bit on the defensive about this matter. I am sure they fear that the PMA scandal will do for them what the Abramoff scandal did for the Republicans.

With the subpoenas closing in and the revelations about the investigation of a dubious non profit that was given govenrment money through an earmark, there will be much to explain that will not be accomplished through a note from the Ethics Committee.

If they were really concerned about ethics they would be pushing for an investigation. The Pelosi cover up may do more damage to the innocent Democrats than the investigation will do to the guilty.