(Host) Members of Congress are usually eager to discuss the work that they’re doing in Washington.
But as VPR’s Bob Kinzel reports, there’s one issue that Congressman Peter Welch is reluctant to discuss, and under certain circumstances, it’s illegal for him to publicly speak about.
(Kinzel) At the beginning of each session, members of Congress lobby their leaders to receive choice committee assignments.
But there’s one committee that few members want to be on – the House Ethics Committee – the panel that investigates allegations of wrongdoing by members of Congress.
The committee has 5 Democrats and 5 Republicans on it – one of the Democrats is Congressman Peter Welch.
(Welch) "None of us who serve requested the assignment but obviously it’s an incredibly important responsibility to the institution. I mean the American people really have held Congress in disregard in part because there’s an apprehension about whether members are held accountable when they cross ethical lines and they should be and they must be."
(Kinzel) Welch says the work of the committee must be done in a non partisan manner.
(Welch) "It’s fundamentally important to the integrity of the institution that we hold members accountable when they cross the line but we also have to fair to individuals because in this partisan political world we’re in sometimes political fights end up with ethical allegations and the members of the committee Republicans and Democrats our job is to look at the evidence and then call it as we see it."
(Kinzel) For weeks, the committee has been investigating allegations of financial wrong doing involving New York Congressman Charles Rangel.
Welch says House rules expressly prohibit members of the committee from publicly discussing the evidence in this or any other case during the process.
(Welch) "It’s much like a judge in a judicial proceeding or even a jury that’s deliberating a case in the midst of deliberations by a jury on a very public case the jury members are not allowed to speak to the press or make inquiries because they as a body have to deal with their decision on the basis of the evidence that’s been presented."
(Kinzel) Welch is also part of the panel that will investigate financial allegations that have been brought against California Rep. Maxine Waters.
For VPR News, I’m Bob Kinzel in Montpelier.