Remember all the fun we had with the story about Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) being offered $100,000 by GOP leaders in exchange for his vote on Bush’s Medicare bill? Those were good times.
I wanted to mention that the scandal isn’t making a lot of headlines lately, but the investigation is still ongoing.
In fact, a House ethics panel had hoped to file a report on the probe by the July 4 break, but now believe they’ll miss that deadline.
Reps. Kenny Hulshof (R-Mo.) and Bill Delahunt (D-Mass.), who are heading a four-member panel charged with looking into the Smith case, have already interviewed the Michigan Republican and his staff, and have taken control of all documents in his office relating to the Medicare legislation. Smith is apparently cooperating with the investigation, the sources said.
Hulshof and Delahunt have also begun interviewing other lawmakers involved in the Smith case, although it is difficult to determine whom, if anyone, the probe is targeting so far.
I’m not sure how best to interpret the delay, but I’m somewhat encouraged. If the ethics panel had begun its inquiry and decided there just wasn’t anything to this story, then they’d probably have little trouble meeting an earlier deadline. After all, it takes a lot less time to conclude that nothing improper happened than it does to explore actual improprieties.
The next step will be watching to see if the probe can be concluded this year at all.
[S]everal sources familiar with the investigation said that Hulshof and Delahunt have told Reps. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.) and Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), the chairman and ranking member on the ethics committee, that they will miss a July deadline for wrapping up the probe. It is unclear whether the investigative subcommittee will finish its report in time for the July 23 Congressional adjournment prior to the Democratic convention — although Hulshof and Delahunt are believed to be aiming toward that goal.
Stay tuned.