CREW Files Ethics Complaint Against Vito

Today CREW is taking Congressman Vito Fossella to task for his lack of ethics as a Congressman and thereby, a human being. Vito has been getting back into public life lately, but he shouldn't expect a free pass just because he has "learned his lesson." What Fossella has done is a ridiculous laundry list of screw ups that disqualifies him from public office.

From The Daily Politics:

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington announced today it sent an ethics complaint against Rep. Vito Fossella to the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct seeking an investigation into whether he violated any travel rules and/or the prohibition on conduct that reflects badly on the body.

"Given that the committee will already be consider Rep. Fossella's criminal conduct, the committee should take the opportunity to consider whether, by using taxpayer funded travel to pursue his romantic relationship with Lt. Col.Fay, Rep. Fossella violated House travel rules and the prohibition against conduct that does not reflect creditably on the House," CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan wrote.

"The committee should consider not only the trips previously reported, but also should investigate whether Rep. Fossella availed himself of other unreported congressional delegation travel opportunities in order to conduct his illicit affair...At the very least, Rep. Fossella should be require to reimburse the Treasury for the costs of his travel"

CREW knows it has no shot at getting the Committee to do anything, since one action would lead to 435 or more others. Ethics, credibility and accountability still have little say in the House of Representatives. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule but for the most part, those things are sorely lacking.

CREW Files Ethics Complaint Against Vitter

There has to be accountability for elected officials who screw up. Senator David Vitter is a prime example of a morally bankrupt politician that says and preaches one thing while doing the exact opposite. He "came clean" when his name was about to be released by the DC Madam, Deborah Palfrey. But the whole story is still buried and he denies many of the other allegations about him. Instead of apologizing he went on the offensive, disgracing his constituents and playing them as fools in the process. So the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington decided that they wanted to see the Senate investigate him so we can get to the bottom of the mess, take the appropriate action and move on.

From CREW:

Today, CREW filed a Senate Ethics complaint against Senator David Vitter (R-LA). We asked for an investigation into whether he violated the Senate Rules of Conduct by soliciting for prostitution. The complaint can be found here.

On July 9, 2007, it was revealed that Sen. Vitter's telephone number was included in the so-called "D.C. Madam," Deborah Jeane Palfrey's, list of client telephone numbers. Sen. Vitter confirmed that he had sought Ms. Palfrey's services, saying in a statement, "this was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible."

Two other women also have alleged that Sen. Vitter engaged the services of prostitutes. According to Jeanette Maier, the "Canal Street Madam," Senator Vitter visited a New Orleans, Louisiana brothel several times in the mid-1990s and a woman who worked as a prostitute under the name of Wendy Cortez has claimed that several years ago, Senator Vitter was a regular client of hers.

Engaging the services of a prostitute violates both District of Columbia and Louisiana criminal law.

Following the law isn't the most favorite pastime of David Vitter and other "morally superior" people, it is time to teach them a lesson.