House Ethics Panel in Gridlock

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25358-2005Mar10.html

Democrats Refuse to Participate Under New GOP Rules

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 11, 2005; Page A02

The House, facing new controversy about the travel of Majority Leader Tom DeLay, was left last night with no mechanism for investigating improper behavior by its members when Democrats shut down the ethics committee by refusing to accept Republican rules changes that restrict the panel's power.

Democrats said they do not plan to allow the ethics committee to organize until Republicans repeal a series of rule changes they pushed through in January, making it more difficult to initiate an investigation unless at least one Republican member supports the probe.

The committee met in secret for 2 1/2 hours. It was the first meeting since House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) replaced the chairman and two other members with lawmakers more loyal to the leadership. "These rules undermine the ability of the committee to do its job," Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (W.Va.), the panel's top Democrat, said in an interview after a 5 to 5 vote that stalemated action. "An ethics committee has to do a good job if it's going to do any job at all."

The standoff followed a Washington Post report that DeLay accepted a trip to South Korea in 2001 from a group that had registered as a foreign agent. House rules prohibit members from taking gifts from such groups. The ethics committee has admonished DeLay three times in the past year for official misconduct, and some ethics experts believe that the latest revelation could trigger another investigation.

delay is the least ethical human that has ever walked the face of the earth.

Capital punishment is not enough for this traitorous bastard.

Ron Bonjean, communications director for House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), said it was unclear last night how the logjam could be broken. But he put the onus on the Democrats. "Democrats have chosen to shut down the ethics process," he said. "It's up to the House Democrats to put the ethics process above partisan politics."

did anyone hear about these rule changes that were "pushed" thru in January? Sounds typical of the Repugs, everything hush, hush and sneaky.

As far as DeLay goes. he will not pass "go", he will not collect $200 and he will not go to hell - I have the feeling there's a particularly nasty place being set up for him 'cause even the devil doesn't want his kind around.

It's a Republican men's club.

I hope the Dems gridlock both houses. Flood the floors and committees with legislation needing consideration.

-Hoot

Didn't know it was registered as a foreign agent?

Pelosi Statement on Ethics Committee Breakdown

just released: 3/11/2005 4:01:00 PM EST

WASHINGTON, March 11 /U.S. Newswire/ -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on the Ethic Committee breakdown:

"Ranking Democrat Mollohan and the other Democrats on the House Ethics Committee are to be commended for insisting that a high ethical standard is upheld. Since 1968, Democrats and Republicans have come together to establish the ethics rules of the House. This year, that bipartisanship was smashed by Republican leaders.

"By changing the rules to destroy the ethics process, Republicans have engaged in a completely partisan exercise that is an affront to the public and should be an affront to every Member of the House. The American people can clearly determine where Members stand: do they support Mr. Mollohan's initiative to restore the bipartisan ethics rules? Or do they support the Republicans' change to the rules to protect their Members and lower the ethical standards of the House."

Tough Choice!
Who wouldn't want lower ethical standards for our elected leaders? (tic)
It's the RIGHT thing to do! (pun intended)

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=44247

gumption (okay, I know others would have used a different word there)!

It is about time Democrats use all the procedural tools available to them to stop the Republicans from making a wreck of things. I am tickled pink they are not going to let the GOP give Tom DeLay another free ride through the ethics committee. :7

"gridlock" over ethics. How postmodern.

Registered foreign agent - look who's on the board or was till yesterday, Henry Kissinger and who set it up Kim Seung Youn.



Hanwha Chairman Faces Charges

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
...

Prosecutors refused to release details of the interrogation, but said the questioning focused on Kim's role in the group's provision of funds to ruling and opposition parties in 2002. They said it appears certain that Kim violated laws governing the donation of political funds, adding he will soon be charged without detention.

The 52-year-old chairman returned from the United States on Saturday following an eight-month stay that started Jan. 1. He left for the U.S. as investigators were gearing up for a major investigation into the political fund scandal, which resulted in the indictment of a number of political heavyweights and businessmen.

The Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office said that during Monday's questioning Kim admitted to offering bonds worth 1 billion won to former Grand National Party (GNP) lawmaker Suh Chung-won in October 2002, two months before the presidential election.

...

Hanwha announced in January that Kim had gone to the U.S. for study and hospital treatment. One day after his departure, the prosecution imposed a belated exit ban on him, drawing suspicions that he knew of the prosecution's intentions in advance.

Kim had refused to return to Korea despite a summons from the prosecution, citing unfinished matters in the U.S.

Kim reportedly said he had returned because trials involving him and the GNP's Suh had been concluded and he needed to work for his firm, according to the prosecution.

Suh, who took illegal funds from Kim in 2002, was released on Friday after being sentenced to a suspended jail term of three years and 1.2 billion won in fines. Suh took a combined 1.2 billion won in illegal funds from Kim and the Sun & Moon Group during the presidential campaign.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200408/kt2004081717162112070.htm

Strong ties to the Heritage Foundation

Another Asia-related non-government group made up of influential government and business leaders that shares strong ties to the Heritage Foundation is Korea-US Exchange Council (Korusec), which has a pedigree similar to Usmea.

The council was set up in June 2001 by Kim Seung Youn, head of the explosives and chemicals chaebol Hanwha Group. Its purpose is to promote understanding of Korea in the US political community, primarily by exchanging visits with US lawmakers and their aides.

Kim is a close supporter of South Korean president Roh Moo Hyun as well as South Korea's ``sunshine policy'', inaugurated by former president Kim Dae Jung. The policy is based on trading hard cash and business investment for improved relations with North Korea.

The initial idea to establish Korusec was reportedly proposed at a function organised by the Heritage Foundation during the presidential inauguration ceremony for GeorgeWBush in January 2001. Kim was attending the ceremony as the guest of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, whose wife is Elaine Chao.

Korusec's board of directors includes a fair number of US and Korean political heavyweights, including former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger, former US ambassador to Korea Richard Walker and former Korean ambassador to the United Nations Park Soo Gil. Heritage president Feulner also sits on the board. Sheffer is an unpaid adviser to Korusec. ASG has close ties to Korusec and has lobbied on its behalf.

Korusec has effectively parlayed its inside connections to reach the highest levels of Washington politics. As part of its inauguration ceremonies in 2001, Korusec flew over then-House floor leader DeLay, his wife and aides. Since then it has played host to a number of senior US politicians, including former president Bill Clinton, who visited Seoul last November. Kim also accompanied Roh on his visit to the US last May, where they met DeLay and Senate Armed Services chairman John Warner.

In February last year, Korusec co-sponsored a conference with Heritage and the government-funded Korean Institute for Defence Analyses. Addresses were delivered by US South Korea ambassador Thomas Hubbard, UN and Korea/US combined forces commander General Leon LaPorte, and Edwin Feulner. Last October, Kim was photographed at a Heritage Foundation meeting with US Vice-President Dick Cheney.

more
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:JQj7NsuUJj4J:www.t... (Korusec),&hl=en



May 08, 2002 The Korea-U.S. Exchange Council to Host Luncheon
When Wednesday, May 8, 2002
Where B. Smith's Restaurant
Union Station, Washington, DC
Contact Courtney Alexander,
(202) 204-3056 or calexander@korusec.com
The Korea-U.S. Exchange Council will host a luncheon on May 8th at 12:00 at B. Smith's Restaurant at Union Station. The luncheon will feature three speakers: Balbina Hwang of The Heritage Foundation; Mark Manyin of the Congressional Research Service; former Ambassador to the ROK (under Reagan) Richard "Dixie" Walker.

The conversation will be wide-ranging, from the Korean economy to U.S.-ROK relations to December Presidential elections to the North/South dialogue. Q and A will follow the brief remarks by the speakers.
http://www.kacdc.org/events/archives.html

Encouraging greater bilateral exchanges at the congressional level. Several formal organi­zations already exist within the U.S. Congress to promote bilateral exchanges, including the Korea–U.S. Exchange Council (KORUSEC), the Korea Caucus, and the U.S.–ROK Interpar­liamentary Exchange. They should be encour­aged to expand their activities to include vigorous and more frequent dialogue with their counterparts in the ROK National Assembly, including establishing study groups on specific topics of mutual interest. Furthermore, study groups should be established at the congres­sional staff levels in both countries to target issues of mutual concern and cooperation.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/bg1814.cfm

Kim Seung-youn's Mysterious Departure

Any way you look at it, the sudden departure of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn is a pile of mysteries. Kim is suspected of giving illegal campaign donations during last year's presidential election. To begin with, there's the question of how the prosecution was going about security that he was able to leave for the United States a day before it moved to have him prohibited from leaving the country. If it didn't even know he'd left, discovering the fact as it raided his conglomerate's offices, then that is just pathetic.
There had already been talk circulating of how Kim and his Hanwha Group had given large sums of money to both the ruling and opposition party presidential candidates during the campaign, and there was also giving of "election victory congratulatory money." There was talk also of how this part of the overall investigation might directly affect whether or not we go over the so-called "tenth" threshold. So when Kim calmly makes his way out through Incheon International Airport a day before he would've been prevented from doing so, you naturally wonder how that happened.

How many people would believe they're being told the truth when told the chairman of a chaebol, someone buried in his work, would suddenly leave for a long stint overseas to study the leisurely subject of "U.S.-Korea Relations and the NGO of the Future"? Kim is reputed to be a businessman who is meticulous about the details of everything within his organization.

One also does not believe that Kim would have left simply to temporarily evade investigators. It wouldn't be like a chaebol tycoon, who should know quite well that the government has a whole host of methods to pressure a conglomerate at its disposal. This is why you even hear suggestions Kim made this move because he was advised to do so ahead of time, since getting out of the way would make things less uncomfortable for each party.

If there is to be an avoidance of a situation where such suggestions give birth to suspicions that further endless more suspicions, then authorities must do everything they can to strongly encourage Kim to return and submit to this investigation. Kim, in turn, really should volunteer to return on his own when you consider his importance as someone leading the country's seventh largest conglomerate and the stature of that conglomerate. January 8, 2004
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200401/200401070026.html

Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-youn to Appear in Court
FEBRUARY 17, 2005 22:50

As the Supreme Public Prosecutor`s Office (head: Park Sang-gil) conducts an investigation into the alleged acquisition scandal of Korea Life Insurance by Hanwha Group, it summoned Hanwha’s Chairman Kim Seung-youn on February 17. At around 1:00 p.m. on the same day, Chairman Kim appeared in the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office building and went into an investigation room after some words to reporters. He said, “I apologize for raising a scandal. I will disclose the details in the office.”

Prosecutors conducted an in-depth investigation into the following: whether or not Chairman Kim was involved in settling an “inside contract” with Australia’s Macquarie Life Ltd when he was forming the Hanwha Consortium for the acquisition of Korea Life Insurance; and whether he had prior notice of the operation or whereabouts of 750 million won, presumed to be used for political lobbying based on circumstantial evidence, out of Hanwha’s total slush fund of 8.75 billion won.


Reportedly, as soon as the investigation on whether or not to provoke judicial power is over, the prosecutors’ office is expected to indict Lee Bu-young, the former chairman of the ruling Uri Party, without physical restraint based on his alleged infringement of the Political Finance Law.


Chairman Kim, who was under investigation by prosecutors regarding the election campaign fund last August, was indicted without physical restraint based on the charge of providing an illegal political fund of one billion won to Representative Suh Chung-won of the Grand National Party last year. In November 2004, he was fined 30 million won by the Seoul High Court.
http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005021834298

Korea-United States Exchange Council Supporter of the USO?

http://www.uso.org/related /

Reinforcing friendship, S. Korean firm
to fund renovation at USO headquarters
By B.R. Sargent, Seoul bureau

SEOUL — The United Service Organizations headquarters on Camp Kim will get a huge remodeling job, courtesy of a South Korean company’s $400,000 donation.

“There are moments in life that are never forgotten, both good and bad,” said Kim Seung Youn, chairman of Han Wha Corp. “Sept. 11 is a day that will live for Americans and friends forever. But out of moments of great crisis comes opportunities. … n this case, it gives us the chance to reaffirm a friendship between two peoples who cherish their freedoms.

“Today as a Korean, I take my hat off to the 37,000 American men and women in uniform, who are far from home on the front lines for all that you believe in.”

During a check presentation, Army Gen. Thomas A. Schwartz, U.S. Forces Korea commander, spoke of the alliance between the United States and South Korea.
http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/01/oct01/ed103001e.html



US Foreign Agents Registry for the second half of 2002. These registrants worked as foreign agents on the behalf of foreign governments or political parties during the second half of 2002.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=FARA_late_20...


Korea - United States Exchange Council - 7 trips

John Carter - Republican Party
November 28, 2003 - December 3, 2003 (6 days)
Seoul, Korea
Purpose - Familiarization trip to Korea, DMZ
Total Cost - $18,832.00

Ander Crenshaw - Republican Party
August 26, 2001 - August 28, 2001 (3 days)
South Korea
Purpose - Educational / Meet with government officials
Total Cost - $27,640.00

Tom DeLay - Republican Party
August 25, 2001 - August 28, 2001 (4 days)
South Korea
Purpose - Educational / Meet with government officials
Total Cost - $28,000.00

Eni Faleomavaega - Democratic Party
November 29, 2003 - December 2, 2003 (4 days)
Korean DMZ
Purpose - mark 50th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice agreement on the Korean penninsula. Will meet with senior official re Korea/United States relations. Visit American Troops at DMZ
Total Cost - $22,098.84

Michael Honda - Democratic Party
December 2, 2003
Seoul, Korea
Purpose - Familiarization with Korea
Total Cost -

Jim McDermott - Democratic Party
November 29, 2003 - December 2, 2003 (4 days)
Seoul, Korea
Purpose - Familiarization trip to Korea, DMZ
Total Cost - $9,340.60

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - Republican Party
August 25, 2001 - August 28, 2001 (4 days)
Tel Aviv-Seoul, Republic of Korea and South Korea to Taipei, Taiwan
Purpose - educational and meetings with governmental officials
Total Cost - $27,960.00

http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/cong...


by the way forgein agents can't give money to US officals

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&ncid=2026&e=5&u=/latimests/20050312/ts_latimes/democratsblockethicspaneloverrewrittenrules

By Mary Curtius Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — Just as new controversy has erupted over trips taken by congressional Democrats and Republicans — including House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) — the workings of the chamber's ethics committee have been brought to a halt.



Democrats are refusing to accept new rules for the panel written by House Republicans, saying the edicts would gut the committee's ability to conduct investigations. The Democrats say they will block the committee from functioning until the rules are rescinded.


The leader of the Democratic revolt is a soft-spoken West Virginian with a reputation for bipartisanship. On Friday, Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (news, bio, voting record) said the Republicans had left him no choice but to thwart the committee's operations.

more...

Good for the Dems they got Delay on the run!!!

responsible for any corrupt or illegal activities as long as he or she may live."

:P

Commending him on his marvelous sense of humor!

along with quote:

"Democrats have chosen to shut down the ethics process," he said. "It's up to the House Democrats to put the ethics process above partisan politics."

It's at least a little encouraging that new Democratic names are appearing in the war against Bushco. For awhile, it looked like Sen. Boxer was the only one with a spine. Now, Sen. Reid and several others are showing some courage. Kudos to Rep. Alan B. Mollohan D-WV for standing up to the Ethics Committee! We should somehow thank Rep. Mollohan.

complete strory: http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_6388.shtml

local prosecutors in Texas won't have their evidence suddenly moved to D.C.

We ought to thank the Repukes. They just made prosecution of Delay for criminal offenses much, much, easier.

He's raising money to beat the band.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/politics/13delay.html?ei=5094&en=95e0b31a4ecb90ea&hp=&ex=1110690000&partner=homepage&pagewanted=print&position=

A legal defense fund established by Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, has dramatically expanded its fund-raising effort in recent months, taking in more than $250,000 since the indictment last fall of two his closest political operatives in Texas, according to Mr. DeLay's latest financial disclosure statements.

The list of recent donors includes dozens of Mr. DeLay's House Republican colleagues, including two lawmakers who were placed on the House ethics committee this year, and several of the nation's largest corporations and their executives.

Among the corporate donors to the defense fund is Bacardi U.S.A., the Florida-based rum maker, which has also been indicted in the Texas investigation, and Reliant Energy, another major contributor to a Texas political action committee formed by Mr. DeLay that is the focus of the criminal inquiry. Groups seeking an overhaul of Congressional ethics rules have long complained that companies might seek the favor of powerful lawmakers by contributing to their legal defense funds.

While the disclosure forms show that the defense fund has raised nearly $1 million since its establishment in 2000 and that Mr. DeLay is continuing to pick up generous donations from House Republicans and corporate executives, the documents also suggest that the majority leader's fund-raising efforts could soon be outpaced by ballooning legal bills.

neither his congress.org site or his personal website lists an email address. Instead, there is his statement that he doesn't accept emails from the public. However, his phone numbers are there in case anyone wants to call to voice support.

Now there's an oxymoron for you!