Washington – The House ordered a speedy internal investigation that could oust indicted Rep. William Jefferson from Congress before his bribery trial.
The House passed two resolutions Tuesday that require the ethics committee to investigate charges more quickly.
Jefferson, meanwhile, resigned his seat on the Small Business Committee in response to his indictment on federal charges of taking more than $500,000 in bribes. Democrats already had moved to take that seat from him. He admitted no wrongdoing.
The charges against Jefferson, “if proven true, should lead to the expulsion of the member in question,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md.
Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio offered a resolution directing the ethics committee to report on whether the charges merit Jefferson’s expulsion. The House passed it, 373-26.
Expelling a House member before a conviction would be unprecedented, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Republicans and a few Democrats said publicly or privately that Jefferson should step down.Several said preparing a legal defense would take time Jefferson otherwise might spend representing his New Orleans district.
“I would encourage Mr. Jefferson to take this under advisement and encourage him to step down,” said Rep. Christopher Carney, R-Pa.
Rep. Ed Perlmutter, D-Colo, agreed. “I would suggest that (Jefferson) do justice to himself, prepare his defense, and that his district have someone else.”
Hoyer, meanwhile, proposed a second resolution that directs the ethics committee to respond to the indictment of any House member by empaneling an investigative committee within 30 days. Hoyer’s resolution passed 387-10.
