Chris Ward: “I want to share some newspaper quotations from the Hartford Courant, the newspaper in Hartford, CT. In an article in…”

“I want to share some newspaper quotations from the Hartford Courant, the newspaper in Hartford, CT. In an article in Wednesday's edition, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct chairman, Nancy Johnson, was asked why she was treating ethics cases this year differently than she, in a 1988 letter, said such cases should be treated. In 1988, Chairman Johnson insisted that the committee conduct a full inquiry into every complaint against then Speaker Jim Wright. Mrs. Johnson's explanation in the article is that, and I quote from the article, ``This is Newt speaking.'' In 1988, she said that. Yes, the very man today who is of a different opinion now than he was then; than he and Committee on Standards of Official Conduct Chair Johnson were then. Madam Speaker, if in 1988 we should have had a full, no-subject-areas-ignored-and-avoided inquiry, then we should today. We should do it the same today as they insisted we do it in 1988.”