Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Domenici handed 'qualified admonition'

|
|
 
  
Published: April 24, 2008 at 11:34 PM

WASHINGTON, April 24 (UPI) -- The Senate Ethics Committee has handed Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., a "qualified admonition" for contacting a U.S. attorney about a corruption investigation.

Domenici acknowledged in March 2007 he contacted the prosecutor, asking about the status of an investigation involving Democrats.

McClatchy Newspapers had reported that Domenici and Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., pressured former U.S. Attorney for New Mexico David C. Iglesias to expedite indictments of a Democratic politician prior to the 2006 election.

Wilson was involved at the time in a hotly contested re-election campaign, which she won by 875 votes out of more than 210,000 cast.

After saying he didn't know what Iglesias was talking about, Domenici admitted making a call but denying he pressured the former prosecutor.

"In retrospect, I regret making that call and I apologize," Domenici said.

The ethics panel's decision to issue a "qualified admonition" means it did not feel the evidence was strong enough to take stronger action, but was not prepared to let Domenici off without consequences, The Politico reported.

Domenici has said he urged Justice Department officials to replace Iglesias, but he said that occurred before he called Iglesias about the corruption investigation.

Topics: Heather Wilson, Pete Domenici
Recommended Stories
© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
Notable deaths of 2012 Scripps National Spelling Bee AmfAR Cinema Against AIDS gala
Indianapolis 500 Presidential Medal of Freedom Memorial Day around the nation
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 27
Snigdha Nandipati of San Diego wins Finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee
View Caption
Snigdha Nandipati of San Diego, California watches confetti rain down as she wins the two-day Scripps National Spelling Bee championship, May 31, 2012, in National Harbor, Maryland. Nandipati successfully spelled the word .* guetapens *, meaning to lure or ambush. UPI/Mike Theiler
fark
Driving drunk and unlicensed, with a kid not even buckled let alone in a safety seat, en route to...
Man killed in Spencer fire. The lava lamps must have ignited the blacklight posters
Passenger jet crashes into apartment building in Nigerian capitol. Over 150 princes, bank officials,...
I'll see your zombie apocalypse, and raise you "swarms of deadly spiders" invading a town in India...
Photoshop this woman at the wheel
New book is full of girls in their bedrooms, will be read by people who need to have a seat right...