(Washington, D.C.) – Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today issued the following statement on private meetings that Rep. Alan Mollohan, top Democrat on the House Ethics Committee, had with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi about the ethics panel’s investigation of alleged wrongdoing by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay:

“Mr. Mollohan’s meetings with Minority Leader Pelosi were inappropriate and warrant his recusal from any investigation of Mr. DeLay.  Mr. Mollohan’s actions have tainted the process.  At the very least, he must recuse himself from this probe.”

Judicial Watch has joined with a number of other public interest organizations to push reform of the congressional ethics process.