Pubdate: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 Source: Reuters Author: Vicki Allen HOUSE PUSHES TIGHTER ETHICS FOR U.S. PROSECUTORS WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Charging that too many federal prosecutors -- including independent counsels -- are abusing their powers, the House Wednesday voted to tighten controls on Justice Department prosecutors. The House approved a plan that would order federal prosecutors to comply with ethical standards of the individual states in which they were operating and to set up an independent review board for complaints on prosecutors' conduct. A number of Democrats took the opportunity to blast independent counsel Kenneth Starr, who was appointed by Attorney General Janet Reno to probe accusations against President Clinton. Rep. Maxine Waters of California called him "the poster-boy for unethical prosecutors. What we are talking about is individuals who have run wild, who have trampled on our rights." "For months we have heard complaints about prosecutorial misconduct, including leaks, by Independent Counsel Starr," said Rep. John Conyers, a Michigan Democrat who sponsored the measure to include the independent counsel. Conyers said he had been "frustrated by the inability to obtain a fair process to review these allegations," and said the House "has spoken clearly and unambiguously that such complaints should and will be heard in the future." The House voted 249-182 for an amendment to specify that independent counsels or special prosecutors would be under the new controls, then voted 345-82 against an amendment to strip the new ethics controls from the $33 billion spending bill for the Commerce, Justice and State departments the House was considering. Critics said this plan -- opposed by Reno -- would undermine multi-state investigations of racketeering and drug operations, hamstringing prosecutors with conflicting state standards and the threat of the oversight board that could make their entire cases public. "This is a law enforcement issue. This would jeopardize our fight in the war against drugs. The winner would be the drug cartels, fraudulent telemarketing operations and Internet pornographers," said Arkansas Republican Rep. Asa Hutchinson, who said law enforcement organizations such as police, sheriffs, and drug enforcement groups oppose the change. Tennessee Republican Rep. Ed Bryant said the under the plan, "allegations of bringing discredit on the (Justice) department could stop a prosecution, diverting attention from the underlaying investigation to the misconduct investigation." But backers offered the case of Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Joseph McDade, a co-sponsor of the measure who was acquitted in 1996 after an eight-year legal battle over charges he accepted gifts from defense contractors in return for helping them get federal contracts. "I sat beside the gentleman from Pennsylvania for eight years while he was under under persecution" by federal prosecutors, Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat, said. "What chance would an individual have against the Justice Department if they would go after one of the most prominent members of Congress?" Murtha said. Murtha claimed that federal prosecutors hounded McDade, using leaks and other unethical methods. Tom Murlowski Associate Director/Webmaster The November Coalition 5150 Balboa Arms Drive #E14 San Diego, CA 92117 E-mail: Web: http://www.november.org "If at first you don't succeed, you're not using a big enough hammer." - --- Checked-by: "Rolf Ernst"