Bill Text: NJ AR101 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Calls for investigation into White House offers of government positions to U.S. Congressman Sestak and U.S. Senate Candidate Romanoff to abandon challenges to incumbents in U.S. Senate Democratic Party primaries in Pennsylvania and Colorado, respectively.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-07-01 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State Government Committee [AR101 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-AR101-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman AMY H. HANDLIN
District 13 (Middlesex and Monmouth)
Assemblyman DECLAN J. O'SCANLON, JR.
District 12 (Mercer and Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Calls for investigation into White House offers of government positions to U.S. Congressman Sestak and U.S. Senate Candidate Romanoff to abandon challenges to incumbents in U.S. Senate Democratic primaries in Pennsylvania and Colorado, respectively.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution calling for an investigation into White House offers of government positions to United States Congressman Joe Sestak and United States Senate Candidate Andrew Romanoff to abandon challenges to incumbents in the United States Senate Democratic Party primaries in Pennsylvania and Colorado, respectively.
Whereas, In June and July of 2009 at the urging of President Obama's White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, former President Bill Clinton asked Congressman Joe Sestak of Pennsylvania if he would be interested in service on a Presidential or other Senior Executive Branch Advisory Board according to a White House Counsel memorandum issued on May 28, 2010; and
Whereas, Recent reports allege that the offer to Congressman Sestak of an unpaid advisory role on an intelligence board was in exchange for getting him to drop his primary election bid against United States Senator Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania's recent Democratic Party primary; and
Whereas, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was repeatedly asked in the intervening months about Congressman Sestak's allegation, but deflected comment with statements that were growing more and more opaque and contrary to President Obama's claims to have a more ethical White House based on transparency and accountability; and
Whereas, Recently, it has been reported that White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jim Messina offered United States Senate Candidate Andrew Romanoff three possible government positions that would be available to him if he did not pursue his challenge to Senator Michael Bennet in the Colorado Democratic Party primary; and
Whereas, Members of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee have called on the United States Attorney General to investigate the Sestak matter, asking that an independent prosecutor look into the alleged offer, which they say may have violated federal criminal laws, including 18 U.S.C. §600, which provides that it is illegal to offer a position "as consideration, favor or reward for any political activity" or "in connection with any primary election or political convention or caucus held to select candidates for any political office"; and
Whereas, In order to promote transparency and accountability in government, it is appropriate to call for an independent investigation into the legality of these transactions; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The General Assembly of the State of New Jersey hereby calls upon the United States Attorney General to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate whether federal criminal laws were violated by offers of United States government positions to United States Congressman Joe Sestak and United States Senate Candidate Andrew Romanoff in exchange for abandoning primary bids against incumbents in the United States Senate Democratic Party primaries in Pennsylvania and Colorado, respectively.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, and attested to by the Clerk of the General Assembly, shall be transmitted to the President of the United States, the United States Attorney General, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, and to each member of the New Jersey State Congressional Delegation.
STATEMENT
This Assembly resolution calls for an independent investigation into the legality of White House offers of government positions to United States Congressman Joe Sestak and United States Senate Candidate Andrew Romanoff in exchange for their abandoning primary election bids against incumbents in United States Senate Democratic Party primaries in Pennsylvania and Colorado, respectively.
The White House has evaded providing sufficient details of these transactions, which runs contrary to the Obama Administration's claims to have a more ethical White House based on transparency and accountability. An independent investigation concerning whether federal criminal laws have been violated in these matters will provide the American people with the assurance that their government officials act in an ethical manner.
