Shawn: Holdout Loertscher Has Point

So it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that (Rep. Tom) Loertscher is ethically dim. Craven. Corrupt. I had my brickbats ready. But then, as we talked about it, I started seeing his point. Sort of. “I’m not a fan of Phil Hart’s, but I think he deserves a fair shake in this,” he said. “By that, I mean I’m not trying to defend him or his behavior. I don’t think that’s appropriate for me to do. I think it’s up to the voters. … I would not have pursued this as he did.” Loertscher says the ethics committee has already ruled on the tax question, and he’s right, however lousy that ruling was. He’s one of the people responsible for its lousiness. As for the theft of the logs, it did happen 14 years ago, before Hart was a lawmaker. Still, I’m not persuaded/ Shawn Vestal , SR. More here .

Question: Should Tom Loertscher be chairing the House Ethics Committee hearing into a complaint about Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol?