Joel Hefley

The House ethics committee chairman who presided over three rebukes of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) was bounced from the job Wednesday and replaced by a Republican congressman from Washington state. The new chairman is Rep. Doc Hastings, the committee's second-ranking Republican. He was named by House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to take the gavel from Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.). In addition, Hastert appointed three new members to the panel, including two -- Reps. Lamar S.

A Colorado Republican retiring after 20 years in the House said Wednesday he would not endorse the GOP primary winner, accusing him of running a "sleazy" campaign. Rep. Joel Hefley said he hoped his decision didn't hurt other Republicans on the ticket in November, but he said he would not support the Republican nominee, Doug Lamborn.

A Colorado Republican retiring after 20 years in the House said Wednesday he would not endorse the GOP primary winner, accusing him of running a "sleazy" campaign. Rep. Joel Hefley said he hoped his decision didn't hurt other Republicans on the ticket in November, but he said he would not support the Republican nominee, Doug Lamborn.

The House ethics committee chairman who presided over three rebukes of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) was bounced from the job Wednesday and replaced by a Republican congressman from Washington state. The new chairman is Rep. Doc Hastings, the committee's second-ranking Republican. He was named by House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) to take the gavel from Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.). In addition, Hastert appointed three new members to the panel, including two -- Reps. Lamar S.

Victims in a sexual assault scandal at the Air Force Academy are criticizing Rep. Joel Hefley, saying he weakened legislation signed Wednesday by President Bush that was aimed at holding academy leaders accountable. Hefley, a Colorado Republican, had changed an amendment written earlier this month by a group of senators in response to public outcry over allegations that the academy ignored or punished dozens of victims.

When he became chairman of the House ethics committee, Rep. Joel Hefley took on perhaps the most thankless job in Congress: investigating his colleagues and meting out discipline. But after issuing three rebukes last year to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, the chamber's second-ranking Republican, Hefley is fighting to keep the committee gavel that few of his colleagues would want. On Thursday, the Colorado Republican didn't think he was likely to hold onto it.

The Internet, which has become a fixture in the homes and offices of tens of millions of Americans, may finally be coming to Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.). Hefley, once called one of the 10 most "obscure" members of Congress by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, is the last Web site holdout on Capitol Hill.

The House voted to deny military aid to Indonesia until that country fully investigates an ambush that killed two Americans in August 2002. Teachers from the Tembagapura International School were headed to a picnic in Papua when the two were killed in an ambush. Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.) said the Indonesian police have been removed from the case and responsibility assigned to the military. Initial reports said the military may have been involved, but it has since exonerated itself.

The House ethics committee unanimously rebuked Rep. Earl F. Hilliard (D-Ala.) for campaign finance violations but gave him the mildest punishment available because he admitted wrongdoing. Hilliard was given a letter Thursday condemning his conduct, signed by the Republican chairman and the ranking Democrat on the 10-member Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

Comments during debate and after the decision to expel Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. (D-Ohio): "My people elected me, and I don't think you should take their representative away .... Vote your conscience. Nothing personal." --Traficant * "I'm prepared to lose everything. I'm prepared to go to jail. You go ahead and expel me." --Traficant * "None of us ever wants to sit in judgment of our peers.

When he became chairman of the House ethics committee, Rep. Joel Hefley took on perhaps the most thankless job in Congress: investigating his colleagues and meting out discipline. But after issuing three rebukes last year to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, the chamber's second-ranking Republican, Hefley is fighting to keep the committee gavel that few of his colleagues would want. On Thursday, the Colorado Republican didn't think he was likely to hold onto it.

Victims in a sexual assault scandal at the Air Force Academy are criticizing Rep. Joel Hefley, saying he weakened legislation signed Wednesday by President Bush that was aimed at holding academy leaders accountable. Hefley, a Colorado Republican, had changed an amendment written earlier this month by a group of senators in response to public outcry over allegations that the academy ignored or punished dozens of victims.

The Internet, which has become a fixture in the homes and offices of tens of millions of Americans, may finally be coming to Rep. Joel Hefley (R-Colo.). Hefley, once called one of the 10 most "obscure" members of Congress by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, is the last Web site holdout on Capitol Hill.

The House ethics committee will investigate Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) to determine whether he violated standards of conduct when an illegally recorded telephone conversation was leaked to reporters during a committee investigation. Committee Chairman Joel Hefley (R-Colo.) and ranking Democrat Alan B. Mollohan of West Virginia formed a four-member investigative subcommittee Tuesday to investigate the 1997 incident.

Confrontational to the end, Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. on Wednesday accused House ethics panel lawyers of lying, the federal government of a vendetta and the jury that convicted him of not liking him because of his attitude. "I've been railroaded once and I'll be damned if I'll be railroaded again," Traficant shouted over the pounding gavel of House Ethics Chairman Joel Hefley (R-Colo.), who tried futilely to get the Ohio Democrat to calm down.