Substitute ethics panel blasts regular members

WASHINGTON (AP) — The substitute House Ethics Committee that took over the investigation of California Rep. Maxine Waters has ended its work with a blast at the permanent panel that polices member wrongdoing.

The temporary committee said the ethics panel needs to step out of the partisanship that pervades normal House operations when judging the conduct of members.

The warnings came in nine recommendations on how the committee should conduct itself. The temporary panel was appointed in February after internal partisanship caused all five Republicans and the senior Democrat to step aside from the Waters case. Four Democrats from the permanent panel remained.

Last week, the temporary committee announced that it found no wrongdoing by Waters, who was accused of trying to steer bailout money to a bank where her husband owns stock.