Judicial Watch Files Complaint against Indiana Senator Evan Bayh with Senate Ethics Committee

Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has filed a complaint with the United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics concerning inaccurate financial disclosure reports filed by Indiana Senator Evan Bayh. Senator Bayh failed to disclose his position as director of the Evan and Susan Bayh Foundation on disclosure reports despite requirements by the Ethics in Government Act.

"Senator Bayh’s Senate Financial Disclosure Forms for the years 2002 through 2005 denote the answer ‘no’ to the question ‘do you hold any reportable positions on or before the date of filing of the current calendar year,’" Judicial Watch noted in its complaint. "However, for the years 2003, 2004, and 2005 Senator Bayh is listed on [the Evan and Susan Bayh Foundation] Form 990s as a director of the foundation and therefore for those years incorrectly completed his Senate Financial Disclosure forms." (Senator Bayh was not listed as a director with the foundation in 2002.)

Judicial Watch’s Senate ethics complaint, filed on March 8, 2007, notes that Senator Bayh’s failure to comply with disclosure requirements represents "improper conduct that reflects upon the United States Senate."

"Failure to comply with federal reporting requirements must be taken seriously by the Committee," wrote Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "The Committee should investigate whether Senator Bayh’s failure to disclose his family foundation is a willful violation of the rules and law governing such disclosure."

On March 1, 2007, Judicial Watch filed separate complaints with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics and the Justice Department against Senator Hillary Clinton for failing to disclose her position as Secretary/Treasurer of the Clinton Family Foundation on five occasions.

"The Justice Department and the Senate need to take this important disclosure law more seriously, and members of Congress need to start playing by the rules," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "Federal disclosure laws are in place for a very good reason – to alert the public to any conflicts of interest and potentially corrupt activity. Too many members of Congress repeatedly ignore disclosure laws with impunity. This has got to stop."