Common Cause statement on the resignation of Representative “Duke” Cunningham

The following is the statement by Common Cause President Chellie Pingree in response to Representative “Duke” Cunningham’s resignation today:

“The criminal investigation of Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham has come and gone. And even though we have known about these allegations for some time, the House Ethics Committee never even started an investigation.

“There is a growing list of members in Congress whose votes seem to be bought and sold by men like Jack Abramoff. And yet, in the midst of what could be the biggest ethics scandal in years, the committees that should be running around with their hair on fire – the ethics committees – have done nothing.

“This is proof that there is no ethics oversight on Capitol Hill. Maybe the prospect of jail time for Rep. Cunningham will be a wake up call to Congress that it cannot continue to ignore the ethical misconduct of its members.”