For Immediate Release: For More Information Contact:
Wednesday, September 4, 1996 Gary Ruskin (202) 296-2787
Nader Says Gingrich Ethics Report Should Be Made Public
Ralph Nader urged House ethics committee Chairwoman Nancy Johnson (R-CT) and
investigative subcommittee Chairman Porter Goss (R-FL) to publicly release copies of Special
Counsel James Coles's report regarding whether Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) violated tax
laws in producing is his college course, "Renewing American Civilization."
"Taxpayers spent half a million dollars to produce this report. We ought to be able to read it now,
not next year," Nader said. "What are Nancy Johnson and Porter Goss hiding?"
"Nancy Johnson and Porter Goss should release the Gingrich report today," said Gary Ruskin,
Director of the Congressional Accountability Project. "Their failure to release the report is just
one more reason why you can't trust politicians to police themselves. We citizens should be able
to read the report and evidence ourselves, and come to our own conclusions."
According to the New York Times, "The report, understood to be more than 100 pages long and
accompanied by exhibits of evidence, follows dozens of interviews and subpoenas for thousands
for thousands of pages of documents" regarding Gingrich's possible misuse of tax-exempt funds
for partisan political purposes.
The Cole report does not cover the April 22, 1996 Congressional Accountability Project ethics
complaint against Speaker Gingrich for allowing a telecommunications executive to work on
telecommunications legislation and other matters in Gingrich's office, with an official
Congressional ID. That complaint is still pending before the ethics committee.
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