CREW Files Ethics Complaint Against Issa
House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa is coming under fire for a Web video posted on his committee's website that criticizes spending on official state dinners.
Watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics, claiming the video is "nothing more than a political ad attacking President Obama."
The clip, titled "Obama State Dinners: Spend Like He Says, Not Like He Does," compares spending on official state dinners to President Obama's criticism of General Services Administration's spending during a 2010 conference. CREW asks OCE to investigate whether Issa violated House rules of using official government resources to make and distribute a political attack ad.
"The video Rep. Issa posted on the committee's website does nothing to advance the work or mission of the House Oversight Committee, and it's ironic that the congressman violated the prohibition on misusing official resources to falsely complain about the president's alleged misuse of resources," CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan said in a statement.
Watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has filed a complaint with the Office of Congressional Ethics, claiming the video is "nothing more than a political ad attacking President Obama."
The clip, titled "Obama State Dinners: Spend Like He Says, Not Like He Does," compares spending on official state dinners to President Obama's criticism of General Services Administration's spending during a 2010 conference. CREW asks OCE to investigate whether Issa violated House rules of using official government resources to make and distribute a political attack ad.
"The video Rep. Issa posted on the committee's website does nothing to advance the work or mission of the House Oversight Committee, and it's ironic that the congressman violated the prohibition on misusing official resources to falsely complain about the president's alleged misuse of resources," CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan said in a statement.
The video was posted days before the presidential election, on Nov. 2.
In response to the complaint, Issa spokeswoman Becca Watkins sent the Alley a statement, saying that Issa's "communication efforts fall squarely within House rules." She also charged that CREW is "funded by anonymous liberal donors seeking to further a partisan political agenda against meaningful oversight of this administration."
"Independent reviews of the organization have found that its complaints lack credibility. This frivolous complaint, like others CREW has made at the behest of their far-left, benefactors against Chairman Issa has no merit," she writes.
This is a familiar charge. In the past, the Center for Consumer Freedom has run ads criticizing media characterization of CREW as nonpartisan.
Here's the video at the center of the complaint:
In response to the complaint, Issa spokeswoman Becca Watkins sent the Alley a statement, saying that Issa's "communication efforts fall squarely within House rules." She also charged that CREW is "funded by anonymous liberal donors seeking to further a partisan political agenda against meaningful oversight of this administration."
"Independent reviews of the organization have found that its complaints lack credibility. This frivolous complaint, like others CREW has made at the behest of their far-left, benefactors against Chairman Issa has no merit," she writes.
This is a familiar charge. In the past, the Center for Consumer Freedom has run ads criticizing media characterization of CREW as nonpartisan.
Here's the video at the center of the complaint:
Leave A Comment