CREW QUESTIONS REPUBLICANS COMMITMENT TO ETHICS WITH APPOINTMENT OF REP. CALVERT TO APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

10 May 2007 // Washington, DC – Today, it was reported that the House Republican Steering Committee has chosen Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) to replace Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) on the House Appropriations Committee. Rep. Doolittle stepped down from his committee assignment last month after his home was raided by the FBI.

According to news reports, last year Rep. Calvert was passed over for an appropriations spot because of concerns regarding his use of earmarks for personal gain. Ironically, given that Rep. Doolittle was forced out of his seat because of the raid, the FBI has been investigating Rep. Calvert for nearly a year.

Melanie Sloan, Executive Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said today, “Clearly the House Republicans have decided that ethics simply do not count in Congress. Why would the minority choose to replace one member under federal investigation with another member also under federal investigation? While Rep. Calvert has not yet had his home raided, the FBI is probing his conduct. No member of Congress under investigation by the Department of Justice should have the authority to make budgetary decisions about that agency. Rep. Calvert is the wrong person to take over Rep. Doolittle’s appropriations committee seat.”

“Similarly, Republicans continue to demonstrate their indifference to ethics by allowing Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), also under federal investigation and the ranking member of the appropriations committee, to remain in his post. It is well past time for Rep. Lewis relinquish his plum assignment pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.”

Reps. Calvert, Doolittle and Lewis were all named in CREW’s 2006 most corrupt report, Beyond DeLay. More details can be found at http://www.beyonddelay.org.

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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.