IV 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 762 

Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 5, 2006 

Ms. PELOSI submitted the following resolution; which was laid on the table 

RESOLUTION 

Raising a question of the privileges of the House. 

Whereas, on March 31, 2006, Tony Rudy, a former top Republican Leadership staff person, pleaded guilty to 

charges that he conspired with Republican lobbyist Jack 

Abramoff to bribe public officials, including accepting 

money, meals, trips, and tickets to sporting events from 

Mr. Abramoff in exchange for official acts that included 

influencing legislation to aid Mr. Abramoff’s clients; 

Whereas The Washington Post has stated that Mr. Rudy’s 

plea bargain is an admission of a ‘‘far-reaching criminal 

enterprise operating out of’’ the Republican Leader’s office, ‘‘an enterprise that helped sway legislation, influence 

public policy, and enrich its main players.’’ (The Washington Post, April 1, 2006); 

Whereas the press has reported that ‘‘court papers point out 

official actions that were taken in (the Republican LeadVerDate Aug 31 2005 03:23 Apr 11, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR762.LTH HR762

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HRES 762 LTH 

ers) office that benefited Abramoff, his clients or (the 

former Republican Leader’s Chief of Staff Ed) 

Buckham.’’ (Roll Call, April 3, 2006); 

Whereas, according to Mr. Rudy’s plea agreement, his crimes 

involving illegal favors and lobbying activity lasted from 

1997 through 2004; 

Whereas on March 31, 2006, Assistant U.S. Attorney General Alice S. Fisher stated, ‘‘The American public loses 

when officials and lobbyists conspire to buy and sell influence in such a corrupt and brazen manner. By his admission in open court today, Mr. Rudy paints a picture of 

Washington which the American public and law enforcement will simply not tolerate.’’; 

Whereas Mr. Rudy is the second former high-ranking Republican Leadership staff person, in addition to Michael 

Scanlon, to admit wrongdoing in the corruption investigation centered on Mr. Abramoff; 

Whereas, on March 29, 2006, Mr. Abramoff was sentenced 

to five years and ten months in prison after pleading 

guilty to conspiracy and wire fraud; 

Whereas it is the purview of the Committee on Standards of 

Official Conduct to investigate allegations that relate to 

the official conduct of a Member or a staff person, the 

abuse of a Member’s official position, and violations of 

the Rules of the House, and to take disciplinary action 

in cases of wrongdoing; 

Whereas the fact that cases are being investigated by the 

U.S. Justice Department does not preclude the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct from determining investigative steps that must be taken; 


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HRES 762 LTH 

Whereas in the first session of the 109th Congress, for the 

first time in the history of the House of Representatives, 

the rules of procedure of the Committee on Standards of 

Official Conduct were changed on a partisan basis, the 

Chairman of the Committee and two of his Republican 

Colleagues were dismissed from the Committee, the newly 

appointed Chairman of the Committee improperly and 

unilaterally fired non-partisan staff, and the Chairman 

attempted to appoint supervisory staff without a vote of 

the Committee in direct contravention of the intent of the 

bi-partisan procedures adopted in 1997; and 

Whereas, because of these actions, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct conducted no investigative activities in the first session of the 109th Congress: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Committee on Standards of Offi2 cial Conduct shall immediately initiate an investigation of 

3 the misconduct by Members of Congress and their staff 

4 implicated in the scandals associated with Mr. Jack 

5 Abramoff’s criminal activity. 

Æ 


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