(Washington)  – The following statement was given by Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch, today during a press conference of the Congressional Ethics Coalition at the National Press Club in Washington, DC:

“Good morning, I’m Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch.  Judicial Watch is a conservative public interest group that investigates, exposes and prosecutes government corruption.

We have watched with disgust over the past several years as Republicans and Democrats allowed ethics enforcement in the House of Representatives to wither.  Now it is dead.   As a result of Republican rule changes – and Democratic gamesmanship – the House ethics committee is unable to do the will of the people -- which is to ensure that congressmen are held to account for violations of laws and ethics rules.  The deadlock that has killed this committee’s operations comes at a terrible time.

A new scandal relating to illicit travel, which involves members and staff of both parties, is boiling.  Majority Leader Tom Delay and his lobbyist allies have been caught virtually red-handed laundering lobbyist and Indian gambling money to fund a junket abroad.  Foreign agents have evidently funded the travel of numerous Republican and Democratic House members and staff, including a staff member of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.  If these allegations are true, rules of the House, in the least, have been violated.     Yet, for the foreseeable future, there will be no investigations.   Because of the ethics gridlock, violators will go uninvestigated and rule-breaking will go unchallenged.

We call on the House to get its ethics rules in order.  Our message to Republicans and Democrats:  end the gridlock, restore integrity to the process, and stop protecting your own. 

In the meantime, especially with regard to the new travel scandals, the United States Department of Justice and other appropriate federal authorities must do what the House cannot and will not do – launch investigations and, if the facts and law warrant, prosecute offenders.”