In Congressman Urges Vote-Buying Inquiry the Washington Post reports that,
Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.), the House majority whip, said the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct should open a probe into statements by Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.) that GOP colleagues offered to funnel donations to his son's congressional campaign if Smith voted for the Medicare bill — and threatened to work against the son's bid if Smith voted against it
This is fairly nuclear, since,
His comments appear to undo an informal truce between Republicans and Democrats on ethics matters. Under a 1997 rule change, only members of Congress are allowed to make formal ethics complaints. On some occasions in recent years, the House ethics panel has acted only after criminal courts rendered judgments against members.
Of course, the Post really buried the leed, since the article contains the bombshell disclosure that the same government which can open a Breast Investigation in minutes, and promise to prosecute it quickly, can't find a Congressman to interview him even after six weeks have passed:
The Justice Department said in December that it was reviewing complaints filed by the Democratic National Committee and two independent groups about Smith's assertions. But Smith's chief of staff, Kurt Schmautz, said the congressman — who has promised to cooperate with any official inquiry — has not been interviewed by the Justice Department.
