Representative Robert Filner Watch: House Ethics Committee Slaps Filner on the Wrist Over Airport Assault

Representative Robert Filner D-California

Well, before the House of Representatives adjourned for the year the House Ethics Committee delivered a mild rebuke to California Democrat Representative Robert Filner.

The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, which established an investigative subcommittee earlier this fall to look into an incident between the congressman and an airline employee, ruled that Filner “demonstrated poor judgment” when he got into an altercation with a United employee at Dulles airport over the summer.

Filner entered a so-called Alford plea to trespassing in November, days before he was scheduled to appear before a Virginia judge, meaning he acknowledged the evidence against him without officially admitting his guilt. He also wrote a letter apologizing to the airline employee and paid a $100 fine.

In light of those actions, the House ethics panel refrained from any further action.

The committee concluded, “Notwithstanding this determination, the investigative subcommittee agreed unanimously that Rep. Filner’s conduct demonstrated poor judgment on his part, and that he is responsible for creating a situation that implicated the reputation of the House of Representatives.”

Hell, if you or I would have assaulted an airport employee in this manner we would have been arrested, booked and sentenced to either jail, community service or both. But, Filner as a member of Congress gets away with a “slap on the wrist.”

No wonder the public has so little regard for the Congress – among other things, of course.

But, with the gerrymandered Congessional Districts in California, unless a well-heeled Democrat decides to challenge Filner next year in a primary election, he will be re-elected easily, despite being an asshole bully.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93RJR7pGbpE&eurl=http://flapsblog.com/?cat=370[/youtube]

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