Ethics panel: Sen. Vitter undermined public trust
Mar 30, 2012, 10:28 PM
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate ethics committee says Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana undermined public trust last year by blocking a salary increase for the interior secretary.
However, the committee said Vitter’s unprecedented action raised a new issue, making it impossible to charge the Louisiana Republican with rules violations.
Vitter blocked the increase for Ken Salazar when Salazar failed to issue six permits a month for new deepwater exploratory wells.
The committee, in a letter to Vitter on Friday, said that if Salazar had agreed to the demand, it would have appeared that he was complying in order to obtain a raise.
Salazar’s salary remains $19,600 below the $199,700 salary of presidential Cabinet members.
The ethics committee said that any similar action in the future would be considered improper conduct by senators.
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