Ethics office wants closer look at Payne trips

by: Jason Springer

Wed Jul 15, 2009 at 02:45:00 PM EDT

From the Hill.com, we learn that the Independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) wants another look at a trips taken by Congressman Payne and others:

The ethics committee, however, confirmed Monday that the five cases stemmed from two trips five Congressional Black Caucus members took to the Caribbean in November 2007 and 2008 that may have violated House travel rules barring corporate sponsorship. The members who attended those trips are Democratic Reps. Carolyn Kilpatrick (Mich.), Donald Payne (N.J.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.) and Charles Rangel (N.Y.) and Del. Donna Christensen of the Virgin Islands.
The panel has since launched a formal investigation into the trip.
"While the Committee was previously investigating the Carib News trip, the OCE did refer five related matters to the Committee," Blake Chisam, staff director for the ethics committee, said in a statement. "The Committee's statement forming an investigative subcommittee in the Carib News matter makes reference to the five Members that were the subject of the OCE referrals."
The Hill reported that the OCE interviewed several CBC staffers about the trip. The OCE apparently found enough evidence to forward the matter to the full ethics committee for further review.

Here's a copy of the press statement they issued on the matter. They formed an investigative subcommittee for a further look at the officially-connected travel in 2007 and 2008 that was sponsored, funded or organized by Carib News or Carib News Foundation:

The subcommittee will have jurisdiction to conduct a full and complete inquiry into allegations that have arisen regarding the sponsorship of the travel in 2007 and 2008. At the conclusion of the inquiry, the subcommittee is to report its findings , conclusions and recommendations to the full committee.

We'll have to see if anything further comes of this when those finds, recommendations and conclusions are reached.

Jason Springer :: Ethics office wants closer look at Payne trips