CREW LAUDS PELOSI AND MOLLOHAN FOR RECUSAL DECISION

10 Jan 2007 // Washington, DC – Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) has been named Chairman of the Commerce, Justice, State Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. Rep. Mollohan, who is under investigation by the Department of Justice, has recused himself from all matters related to the Justice Department as long as the investigation continues.

Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), said today, “Speaker Pelosi and Rep. Mollohan deserve credit for recognizing that recusal is the appropriate course of action.” Sloan continued, “The Democrats have handled Rep. Mollohan’s ethics problem in a manner markedly different from the way the Republicans have handled such issues.” Sloan explained, “Not only did Speaker Pelosi first remove Rep. Mollohan from his position as Ranking Member of the House Ethics Committee last Congress, she now also has had him recuse himself from consideration of Justice Department matters. In contrast, Appropriations Committee members Jerry Lewis (R-CA) and John Doolittle (R-CA), who are also under federal investigation, have failed to recuse themselves from these matters. Speaker Pelosi, who campaigned on the issue of a cleaner congress, is working hard to live up to this ideal. The question now is whether Republicans will follow her lead in dealing with their own ethically challenged members.”

On November 30, 2006, CREW called for Reps. Mollohan, Lewis and Doolittle to recuse themselves from participating in the consideration of appropriations to the Department of Justice, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions.

For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact Naomi Seligman Steiner at 202.408.5565/press@citizensforethics.org.