Two Republican congressmen withdraw from DeLay inquiry

WASHINGTON – Two Republicans on the House ethics committee will not participate in any investigation of Majority Leader Tom DeLay because they contributed to DeLay’s legal defense funds, the committee’s chairman said Wednesday.

Rep. Doc Hastings said the committee members – Reps. Lamar Smith of Texas and Tom Cole of Oklahoma – agreed that the past contributions “raised doubts – however unwarranted – about whether those members would be able to judge fairly allegations of impropriety against Mr. DeLay.”

DeLay, R-Texas, has asked the committee to review his travel records and said he would turn over a decade’s worth of documents to the committee. DeLay also has asked to appear before the committee.

Before a deal on the committee’s investigative rules, Hastings, R-Wash., had offered to begin a formal investigation of DeLay. But it is expected that any inquiry at this point would begin with a preliminary review before a formal investigation.

The withdrawal of Smith and Cole from the case would lead Hastings to ask House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., to designate two House members to fill in temporarily in any investigation of DeLay. The House will have a 20-member pool, 10 members from each party, to allow the speaker to chose temporary committee members.

The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that lobbyist Jack Abramoff initially paid travel expenses for DeLay and some of his aides as well as for some Democratic lawmakers.

While House members and employees are barred from accepting trip expenses from lobbyists, DeLay and others said they were not aware that Abramoff was paying the bill.

Abramoff, who had ties with numerous members of Congress and DeLay, is now under federal investigation for his representation of Indian tribes with casinos.