Flake wants more information from ethics panel probe of PMA group

By Susan Crabtree - 03/25/10 11:22 AM ET

Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) wants to force the ethics committee to reveal information on its investigation into the PMA Group.

Flake on Thursday filed a privileged resolution giving the ethics committee seven days to come clean on the amount of investigative work it conducted in its review of lawmakers with ties to PMA Group, a lobbying firm know for showering members with campaign cash in return for receiving multimillion-dollar earmarks for its clients.

Flake, as well as outside watchdog groups, has voiced deep frustration over the brevity of the ethics panel’s report exonerating seven lawmakers with ties to PMA Group.

The five-page report did not include information about any interviews the committee conducted or subpoenas for information it sent out. Flake and others want to know if the panel did any real investigative work, especially considering that the committee never launched an investigative subcommittee, a sign that it is seriously delving into a matter.

The House Democratic leadership has two legislative days to take up the resolution for a vote on the House floor.

It could decide to punt the issue until after the recess or dispense with it by holding a vote today.

Democrats could continue to do what they did last week when they used a parliamentary maneuver to refer the resolution to the committee on a 397-0 vote instead of a straight vote on the resolution, which would have required the ethics committee to show its hand and produce the number of interviews it conducted and subpoenas it sent out in the probe.

Flake hopes the ethics committee itself simply decides to publicly produce the material in short order so he doesn’t have to continue to offer the same resolution in the future, which he has pledged to do if the panel fails to act.

“There’s a perception out there that earmarks create easier access to members,” Flake said. “It’s in the House’s best interest as we enter the appropriations season to correct [that perception] somehow, or some kind of guidance should be issued by the committee.”

Democrats last year fended off nine different attempts by Flake to force more action by the committee.

With each vote, however, more Democrats sided with Flake, including 29 Democrats in May of last year.

Eventually, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) offered his own resolution referring the matter to the ethics committee, the same political maneuver used last week. After the Hoyer resolution and added political pressure, the panel publicly announced it was reviewing the PMA controversy.