Ernest Istook: “this body will investigate anyone but ourselves when it comes to scandals and impropriety. Got suspicious activity in…”

“this body will investigate anyone but ourselves when it comes to scandals and impropriety. Got suspicious activity in foreign banks? We will have hearings. Something up with Iran-Contra? We will have hearings. Got a Senator accused of sexual harassment? They will have hearings. But when Members of this House are implicated for embezzling through the House Post Office? We will defer to the Justice Department. Maybe they will bury it for us. It is a national embarrassment. A sworn confession from the former House Postmaster, Robert Rota, says he helped several Members of this body to embezzle taxpayer money from the House Post Office. He pleaded guilty to being a conspirator with Congressmen. That is far stronger evidence than is usually used to spark a congressional investigation. But no investigation this time, because it hits too close to home. It is past time to face this issue. The House Ethics Committee must get to the bottom of this. Millions of Americans are disgusted with Congress, and this is a big reason why. We must clean up our own house.”