Tales from the Trail

Another leading Democrat in the House of Representatives stands accused of ethics violations and faces a public trial ahead of the November congressional elections.

Long-time California Congresswoman Maxine Waters, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, is accused of breaking ethics rules in setting up a 2008 meeting between a banker and then-Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. (See details here)

After a lengthy investigation of Waters, the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (informally known as the House Ethics Committee) released a report on the findings on Monday.

Her troubles surfaced just days after New York Congressman Charles Rangel was hit with a long list of ethics charges, including use of a rent-stabilized apartment for his campaign committee.

Waters responded with a statement denying any wrongdoing and declaring she wants a public trial. Rangel’s trial is expected to begin in September.

Some of Representative Charles Rangel’s colleagues thought the New York Democrat merited a reprimand rather than a more serious punishment of censure or expulsion for alleged violations of ethics rules in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“The recommendation we had was a reprimand,” Representative Gene Green, who led the two-year House ethics committee investigation into Rangel, told reporters on Friday.

The investigation by a subcommittee of four members of the House Ethics Committee has ended and Rangel, 80, has been charged with 13 counts of violating House rules.

Two top Democrats met with Rep. Charles Rangel on Monday, an aide said, while their colleagues fretted about whether his ethics woes will hurt them in the November election.

Rangel had separate meetings with Chris Van Hollen, chairman of the House Democratic Campaign Committee, and Jim Clyburn, the House Democratic whip, the Democratic Party aide said.

The aide declined to elaborate on the talks, other than to confirm that Van Hollen shared with Rangel some of his “observations.” Many Democrats fear that if Rangel’s case goes to trial before a congressional panel in September it could become a “political circus” and undermine Democrats’ chances to retain control of the House.