The Useless Senate Ethics Committee

Checking his breath

The Senate Ethics Committee is about as useful to ethics violations as an aspirin is to blindness. And Mitch McConnell is as effective a Senate Majority Leader as Anthony Weiner is as a life coach.

Just hours after Leeann Tweeden went public over Sen. Al Franken's (D-MN) sexual misconduct, in which he is alleged to have kissed and groped her without consent during a 2006 USO tour, McConnell (R-KY) dealt with the matter by farming out the problem to the Senate's Select Committee on Ethics.

This is in contrast to McConnell saying that the GOP candidate for Senator of Alabama, Roy Moore, must step down for an alleged claim that he was sexually inappropriate with a 14-year-old girl almost forty years ago. 

In Franken's case, he admitted the assertion by Tweeden because there was photographic evidence supporting her claim. In Moores' case, he flatly denied the allegation, although there is strong collaborative evidence the claim is true. 

But the problem with McConnell is that he lacks consistency, and his recommendation for a Senate Ethics Committee to handle Franken's case is nothing more than a free pass to Franken, an unfunny former comedian turned senator.

Of course, Franken not only agree to a Senate Ethics Committee investigation, he acted as if it was his idea to have one. The reason is simple: out of over 600 prior investigations, not one has resulted in an expulsion or other punishment for the perps. 

Franken has nothing to lose and will likely receive nothing more than a wag of the finger.

"As with all credible allegations of sexual harassment or assault, I believe the Ethics Committee should review the matter. I hope the Democratic Leader will join me on this. Regardless of party, harassment and assault are completely unacceptable--in the workplace or anywhere else," McConnell said in a statement.

So naturally, the Democrats were delighted with McConnell's suggestion and jumped on the idea faster than Bill Clinton on an aide.

Franken said he had a different recollection of the events between him and Tweeden, but just like he made it clear in his dull book, "Giant of the Senate," he will say anything for his political gain, and is an admitted liar.

The main problem is, the Select Committee on Ethics, which started in 1965, is comprised of 3 Senate Democrats and 3 Senate Republicans. This prevents any action that isn't supported by at least one member of the other party, and the senators rarely deviate from party lines. So the committee tends to be more political and less ethical.

The last time the committee took serious action against a sitting senator began in 1992. The Washington Post broke a story that Sen. Bob Packwood (R-OR) had "made uninvited sexual advances to women who have worked for him or with him" which included 10 staffers and lobbyists. The committee was slowed by partisan deadlocks but ultimately, 19 women came forward against Packwood.

Packwood's own diary contained damning evidence (proving he was almost being too stupid to be a U.S. senator but got in just under the wire, like Franken) and it wasn't until September 1995 that the committee completed its investigation and recommended Packwood's expulsion.

Packwood resigned his seat the following day.

The irony regarding McConnell's decision for a Senate Ethics Committee investigation into Franken's 2006 behavior, two years before being elected to the Senate, is palpable. 

In another instance, McConnell cast doubt as to whether the committee has the power to act in such cases. 

Specifically, in 2007, Sen. David Vitter's (R-LA) phone number appeared on a client list for a prostitution ring. McConnell argued that since Vitter was not in the U.S. Senate but in the House of Representatives at that time, there was little the Senate could do.

"It appears whatever might have occurred, occurred before this individual came to the Senate, therefore raising serious questions as to whether the Senate has jurisdiction over it," said McConnell.

Even in a case as clearcut as Packwood's, it took three whole years before anything was done. Franken could die of old age or gross lack of humor before any consequences are meted out.


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