The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-05-22
SENATOR WHEELER
is EXONERATED
Chairman Borah and Three of
His Committee Hold Indict-
ment Not Warranted.
STERLING DISSENTS IN PART
Majority Asserts Wheeler Never APP
peared Before Any Government
Department for Pay--commit-
tees Opinion of Charges.

Washington. = Senator Burton K.
Wheeler of Montana was exonerated
by the special Senate committee
which was appointed to investigate
his indictment by a Federal Grand
Jury at Great Falls, Mont. The re-
port was signed by Chairman Borah
and Senators McNary, Swanson and
Caraway. A minority report will be
submitted by Senator Sterling, but it
is understood he will not contend that
Senator Wheeler is guilty. His report
is expected to be Of an argumentative
nature, dealing with some phases of
the investigation.
After reciting the law in the case
the report of the committee, which
was written by Senator Borah, recites
the following conclusions:
THAT, during the months of Jam
uary and February, 1923, after his
election to the Senate, Senator Wheel
.er entered the employ of Gordon
Campbell as his attorney, the said
contract of employment including the
firm of lawyers under the name of
Wheeler & Baldwin.
THAT, according to the terms Of
employment by which he entered the
service of Campbell as his attorney,
the said firm of Wheeler & Baldwin
was to receive retainer fee of $40 900
per annum: that $4,000 thereof was
paid January 9, 1923, and $4,000 there
of on February Is, 1928, and that the
balance is still unpaid.
"That it was fully understood and
agreed between all parties to said con-
tract of employment that the services
of Senator Wheeler and his firm re-
lated alone to the litigation then pend
ing, said Campbell being at that time
interested in number of lawsuits,
some nineteen or twenty at least in
number.
"That said Burton K. Wheeler did
not at any time agree to receive COM
pensation for services before any de-
partment, court-martial, bureau, Off
Ger, or any civil, military or naval
commission at Washington, and did
not at any time receive compensation
for such services before any depart
ment, court-martial, bureau, officer, or
any civil, military or naval commits
sion.
"That, on the other hand, the sole
contract of employment which he had
with Campbell related to matters Of
litigation in the State courts of Mon
tana; that Senator Wheeler did not at
any time appear for said Campbell, or
his companies, before any Of the de-
partments in Washington under agree
ment to receive compensation, and did
not at any time receive compensation
for any appearance or services rem
dered before said government depart
nents.
"In confusion" says the report, "the
committee wholly exonerates Senator
Burton X. Wheeler from any and all
violations of Section 1882 of the Re-
vised Statutes Of the United States,
and finds that he neither received nor
accepted nor agreed to receive or ac-
cept any compensation whatever, di-
rectly or indirectly, for any services
rendered, or to be rendered, either by
himself or another, in relation to any
proceeding, contract, claim, contro-
versy, charge, accusation, arrest or
other matter or thing in which the
United States was party, or directly
or indirectly interested, before any de-
partment, court-martial, bureau, Off
Ger, or any civil, military or naval
commission whatever.
"The committee further states that
in it's opinion Senator Wheeler was
careful to have it known and under
stood from the beginning that his SER
vices as an attorney for Gordon Camp
bell, or his interests, were to be con-
fined exclusively to matters of litiga-
ton in the State courts of Montana
and that he observed at all times not
only the letter but the spirit OF the
law"
naIior cnRER