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August 11, 2010

Waters’ Attorneys Accuse Ethics Panel of Double Standard
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Another Black Caucus member, Maxine Waters of California, is also facing
an upcoming ethics trial over allegations she sought to help One United
Bank receive federal bailout funds at a time when her husband owned
stock in the bank and served on its board. Waters isn’t accused of any
direct actions, but rather that she failed to instruct her chief of
staff not assist or consult with One United after she reported the
potential conflict of interest. The allegation that Waters sought to
help One United Bank stems from the fact that it’s a member of the
National Bankers Association, a group of minority-owned banks. Waters
had asked the Treasury to meet with the group over concerns
minority-owned banks were being sidelined during the Wall Street
bailout. Speaking to the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Waters rejected the
charges and said she would welcome a trial.

Rep. Maxine Waters: "I’m not guilty of any violations. And if you’re
going to wrap this all around, creating these violations because I
failed to supervise my staff, it doesn’t hold water. They don’t have any
proof of that. And I maintain that I want to go to trial, or whatever
they want to call it, a judicatory hearing, because I think I don’t
deserve this."

Waters’s attorneys also said Tuesday the ethics panel is applying a
double standard in charging her despite exonerating Republican Sam
Graves of Wyoming in a comparable case last year.



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