Relating to a question of the privileges of the House.

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 845 Laid on Table in House (LTH)]

2d Session
H. RES. 845

Relating to a question of the privileges of the House.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

October 8, 2004

Ms. Pelosi submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the
table

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Relating to a question of the privileges of the House.

Whereas, in May of 1999, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, by
letter, admonished Representative Tom DeLay for his conduct in
connection with a threat of retribution against an organization for
hiring a person connected to the Democratic Party;
Whereas, on September 30, 2004, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
publicly admonished Mr. DeLay for improperly linking support for the
personal interests of another Member as part of a quid pro quo to
achieve a legislative goal;
Whereas, on October 6, 2004, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
publicly admonished Mr. DeLay for his participation in a fundraiser that
created an appearance that donors were being provided special access to
him regarding then pending energy legislation;
Whereas, on October 6, 2004, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
publicly admonished Mr. DeLay for intervening in a partisan conflict in
the Texas House of Representatives using the resources of a Federal
agency;
Whereas, on October 6, 2004, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, in
a letter to Mr. DeLay, noted that it had found it necessary to comment
on his conduct in a number of instances and reminded Mr. DeLay the
``House Code of Official Conduct provides the Committee with authority
to deal with any given act or accumulation of acts which, in the
judgment of the Committee, are severe enough to reflect discredit on the
House'';
Whereas, on October 6, 2004, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
noted that a complaint before it alleged that Mr. DeLay used TRMPAC, the
Texans for a Republican Majority PAC, to funnel corporate funds to Texas
State campaigns in 2002 in violation of the Texas election code, and,
based on the information then in its possession, deferred action on the
matter pending action by the Texas Grand Jury and the Texas District
Attorney of TRMPAC's activities;
Whereas, on October 7, 2004, a Texas newspaper reported that a newly obtained
memo indicates that Mr. DeLay had personal involvement in directing some
of the fund-raising activities of TRMPAC for which three of Mr. DeLay's
associates have been indicted by a Texas Grand Jury; and
Whereas, in responding to the admonishments issued by the Committee on Standards
of Official Conduct, Mr. DeLay displayed contempt for that Committee,
for appropriate ethical standards, and for the House of Representatives
by the public statements he made and which were made on his behalf: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct is
authorized and directed to establish an Investigative Subcommittee to
determine if there is substantial reason to believe that by his past
and continuing conduct Mr. DeLay has violated the Code of Official
Conduct or other relevant laws, rules or regulations; and be it further
Resolved, That the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
retain a Special Counsel to assist in its investigation.
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