Ethics panel probes House members, aides

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. House ethics panel is investigating dozens of members and aides on matters of defense lobbying and corporate influence, a committee report indicated.

The confidential report, prepared in July, was posted by accident on a publicly accessible file-sharing computer network, and a copy was provided to The Washington Post by someone not involved in the investigations.

The document indicated the inquiry was broader than first thought and included a review of seven members on the House Appropriations defense subcommittee who allegedly received large campaign contributions and steered federal money to clients of PMA Group, a now-closed lobbying firm, the Post reported Friday.

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., interrupted floor voting to alert House members about the matter, cautioning that some panel activities were preliminary, not a conclusive finding.

"No inference should be made as to any member," she said.

Rep. Jo Bonner, R-Ala., the committee's ranking Republican, said the breach was an isolated incident.

The "Committee on Standards Weekly Summary Report" summarized investigations into the conduct of 19 lawmakers and several staff members. It also briefed work of the Office of Congressional Ethics, a quasi-independent body that starts investigations and offers recommendations to the Ethics Committee. The document indicated the office was reviewing the activities of 14 other lawmakers.