News broke today that the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics is refusing to pursue Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), who admitted to purposely breaking Senate rules by making confidential records public on then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s time as a White House counsel. The documents were marked “Committee confidential,” meaning the public was not permitted to see them.
Judicial Watch’s September 2018 complaint to the chairman and co-chairman of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics called for an investigation after Sen. Booker admitted to violating Senate rules in releasing the confidential material. Ethics Committee Chief Counsel and Staff Director Deborah Sue Mayer responded last week:
The Select Committee on Ethics (the Committee) has reviewed the complaint you filed against Senator Cory A. Booker, dated September 12, 2018. The Committee carefully evaluated the allegations in the complaint and, based on all the information before it, determined that no further action is appropriate. Thank you for your correspondence with the Committee.
Sen. Booker admitted breaking Senate rules when he issued a tweet on Friday, September 7 saying:
Weds—I broke committee rules by reading from “Committee confidential” docs.
Also, Sen. Booker then posted the following entry on his Facebook account on Sunday, September 9:
And the classification of many documents as “Committee confidential” is a sham… I willfully violate these sham rules. I fully accept any consequences that might arise from my actions including expulsion.
Judicial Watch noted in its complaint that Sen. Booker also uploaded “Committee confidential” records to a publicly accessible Dropbox account with the heading “Booker Confidential – Kavanaugh Hearing Documents”.
By violating the rules in releasing Committee confidential records, Sen. Booker appeared to have violated provisions 5 and/or 6 of Rule 29 of the Standing Rules of the Senate (Rev. Jan. 24, 2013), which stipulate that he should be subject to expulsion from the Senate:
- Any Senator, officer or employee of the Senate who shall disclose the secret or confidential business or proceedings of the Senate, including the business and proceedings of the committees, subcommittees and offices of the Senate shall be liable, if a Senator, to suffer expulsion from the body; and if an officer or employee, to dismissal from the service of the Senate, and to punishment for contempt.
- Whenever, by the request of the Senate or any committee thereof, any documents or papers shall be communicated to the Senate by the President or the head of any department relating to any matter pending in the Senate, the proceedings in regard to which are secret or confidential under the rules, said documents and papers shall be considered as confidential, and shall not be disclosed without leave of the Senate.
(See pp. 48-49: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CDOC-113sdoc18/pdf/CDOC-113sdoc18.pdf )
The Senate Ethics Committee is evenly split, with three Republicans and three Democrats. The Committee members are Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Brian Schatz (D-HI), James Risch (R-ID), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
“It is an absolute disgrace that the Senate Ethics Committee is giving Senator Booker a pass for willfully violating Senate rules by leaking confidential information to smear Justice Kavanaugh,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The Senate continues the abuse of Kavanaugh and his family by refusing to act against a Senator who, pretending to be Spartacus, violated the rule of law and our Constitution in trying to destroy him.”
source: judicialwatch.org
Not a surprise that the disgraceful Congress, mostly demorats and RINOs, protect the rules violators, especially those of the leftist, demorat persuasion. Rules mean nothing to this bunch. Is there any wonder that Congress has the lowest ratings of any group in the U.S., including used car salesmen? Just remember dems, that this stunt can be turned around and used on you now that the precedent has been set by Dem Sen Booker. How are you gonna charge a Republican with violating the rules that dems routinely break and are never punished for doing? We are not a nation of laws, laws are not for the elites, especially the elitist dems.
This is an absolute joke but not unusual because he is a democrat GOON. That racists bastard belongs to the party that can break all rules and get off free of any punishment. This is a travesty but even more so proof that this imbecile should NEVER be allowed to serve as President. We have enough of these idiots that think they are above the law. Time to hold these worthless bums accountable for their actions.
Typical of the gutless republicans. It’s too bad that only the liberals know how to wield power.
It is NOW time for the PEOPLE to take back OUT country!!! These FU@KING people in Washington ONLY know how to kiss each others A$$E$!!! Booker is a RACIST and a MORON!!! He needs to be IMPEACHED and REMOVED from office!!! he is a WORTHLESS POS!!!!
there is two reasons the ethics committee won’t do anything to booker. 1 he is a minority an no.2 is he is a democrate there always has been a double standard for either one of the two an he is both.
He’s a Democrap…they DON’T have to play by the rules/laws.
The Senate Ethics Committee are just a bunch of Liberal Swamp Rats.
Different rules for different fools!
The Senate couldn’t possibly hold themselves accountable for much of anything! Sure enough, they can’t, won’t and will not. It must be a professional courtesy, one group of thieves of the notion that Senators are far, far, far above being held accountable. Indeed, Congress is a gaggle of CROOKS!
What do you think the DEMOWHORES where going to do?
Not just NO, but he’ll no.
Nothing can be done as the vote was probably split, 3-3. Dumbocrats will do anything to protect their own!! No ethics for them. Talk about a joke for the ethics committee!!
Even if the senate ethics committee did take up Booker’s criminal activity nothing would happen as it would disappear into the fog like all other ethics investigations.
I think this is absultly a shame This god dam a$$ can break the law and gets away with it that shows me that if you are black , Mexican, islam, and a dam democrate you wont be punished and that you are above the law.
I guess the Ethics Committee has been bought off. Booker should be
removed from Congress. Actually, there are many of the Left in Congress
that could not stand up to an investigation. The Left is composed of less than
stellar individuals. It is horrid that our government is run by such bottom
feeders.
WHAT A CROCK! IF HE WAS A REPUBLICAN THEY’D ALREADY HAVE THE SUPPOENAS DRAWN UP TO EVICERATE HIS BUTT. THIS NATION IS GOING TO THE DOGS OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND IT’S NOT PRETTY. YOU ARE RUINING THIS COUNTRY! YOU’D SELL YOUR OWN MOTHER’S TO GET THE GREED AND POWER YOU THRIVE ON. WE THE PEOPLE DON’T NEED THE LIKES OF YOU AND YOUR TIME IS LIMITED. WE WILL REPLACE YOU ALL.
That is totally wrong that the Senate Ethics Committee won’t reprimand Cory Booker after Judicial Watch
brought forth items against him that were in their rules and Cory confessed up that he broke the rules.Also Feinstein needed to be brought up to the Ethics Committee for her under handling crap against Judge Kavanaugh. As an American taxpayer when rules are not followed by corrupt politicians and these Committees look other way and don’t do their job in Reprimanding these offenders, what’s the sense of having an Ethics Committee? They are part of the sewer smell! Why have an Ethics Committee?
Booker is a scumbag. The Senate ethic committee and Senate member should be ashamed
Just shows they’re all crooked as we suspected all along.
“And the classification of many documents as “Committee confidential” is a sham… I willfully violate these sham rules. I fully accept any consequences that might arise from my actions including expulsion.”
THIS IS A BLATENT DISREGARD OF THE LAW! Yet, they do nothing? We sure do need to clean out these leftist radicals! If the State Ethics Commitee cannot do thei jobs, they need to be replaced. He basically slapped them in the face as they sat there and took it!
RULE III
OATHS
The oaths or affirmations required by the Constitution and prescribed by law shall be taken and subscribed by each Senator, in
open Senate, before entering upon his duties.
OATH REQUIRED BY THE CONSTITUTION AND BY LAW TO BE
TAKEN BY SENATORS
‘‘I, A—— B—— do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support
and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any
mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and
faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to
enter: So help me God.’’ (5 U.S.C. 3331.)
So, we were right, Democrats have special protections from BREAKING our LAWS~~~~~~just like Hillary and Comey, and Most of Obama’s Administration????????????? Just wait, you Communists, when President Trump’s new REAL Attorney General takes over…………Dems will be taken down under our LAWS legally~ Yep, even old lady Hillary, and old big ears himself……..and all that surround him……
Why is it that the Democrat can do anything they want and get away with it. Never looked at by the committee or legal system that should investigate it. Only the people that are trying to do something good for the Country are hounded by the legal system. Need to get rid of the Deep State that has taken over our Government.
Why is Booker above the law? People are going in front of Judges left and right over bullcrap and HE actually broke the law on video, almost daring them to. Wrong! He should be let go of his duties!
If he were a grass roots republican, the ethics committee would have him buried already. They should face expulsion right along with him. Maybe the A.G. should look into Deborah Mayers legal responsibility as director of the ethics committee, then (like special prosecutor Robert Mueller ) investigate her all the way back to what brand of diaper she wore. Even swap ain’t no swindle, what goes around, comes around. If they don’t abide by the RULE OF LAW, why should any one else?