Greg Meeks

House Ethics Orders Schmidt to Pay Back $500K In Improper Legal Fees

Susan Crabtree | August 5, 2011, 3:42PM

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)

The House Ethics Committee has cleared Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY) of charges that he took out an inappropriate loan he received from a businessman but is still investigating whether he disclosed it properly.

Likewise, the panel exonerated Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) of any wrongdoing in accepting $500,000 in legal services from the Turkish American Legal Defense Fund, a Turkish-American interest group, even though they found them to be improper gifts under House rules and are demanding she repay the attorneys. The committee also decided against pursuing an investigation into Rep. Luis Guiterrez' July 26 arrest during a immigration protest in front of the White House. Guiterrez paid a $100 fine for failing to obey a lawful order of a policeman.

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House Ethics Committee

Under Ethics Investigation: Reps. Meeks, Schmidt

Susan Crabtree | July 1, 2011, 4:19PM

Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)

The House Ethics Committee is investigating Reps. Greg Meeks (D-NY) and Jean Schmidt (R-OH) on allegations that they violated House ethics rules.

The panel announced the probe Friday afternoon in a terse letter saying only that Reps. Jo Bonner (R-AL), the committee's chairman, and Linda Sanchez (D-CA), its ranking member, have "jointly decided to extend matters" regarding Meeks and Schmidt.

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Birther

Among Birther Friendly Lawmakers, Mostly Radio Silence

Benjy Sarlin | April 27, 2011, 1:39PM

President Barack Obama's long form birth certificate.

President Obama's decision to release his long form birth certificate comes amid Donald Trump's three-ring circus on the issue, but prominent conservatives have flirted with the birther movement since its earliest inception. From insisting Obama release more records, to waffling on questions about his citizenship, to sponsoring legislation winking at conspiracy theorists, there's been no shortage of birther curious behavior over the last several years.

TPM reached out to over 20 lawmakers and public figures who have indulged in such behavior to determine whether Obama's release of the Rosetta stone of birtherism has settled the issue, receiving few responses.

TPM SLIDESHOW: There's The Birth Certificate: TPM's Best Of The Birthers

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Jean Schmidt

House Ethics Office Launches Six New Probes

Susan Crabtree | April 25, 2011, 5:24PM

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)

The House's independent ethics office launched six new investigations of lawmakers' potential ethical misbehavior in this first quarter of the year.

The Office of Congressional Ethics released its end-of-quarter report Monday as required by law, noting that it had commenced six preliminary reviews and five secondary reviews of allegations already under investigation. It also voted to terminate one review.

The office does not release the names of lawmakers under scrutiny, but the name of one of the lawmakers, Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio), leaked earlier this year.

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Government Shutdown

House GOP Women Dodge Questions on Abortion at Press Conference

Benjy Sarlin | April 8, 2011, 5:32PM

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)

Looking to counter a press conference earlier Friday by Democratic women in the Senate lambasting the GOP over their refusal to drop provisions blocking women's health funding, Republican women in the House held a gathering of their own on Friday afternoon. But the presser proved a frustrating affair for the members, who were asked over and over again without success to explain if they agreed with the policy riders or not.

In their opening remarks, the 15 congresswomen present each sought to frame the battle over a continuing resolution as one about spending, with several saying future prosperity spurred by lower debt would benefit their daughters and granddaughters -- seemingly a direct rejoinder to Democratic accusations that the GOP was targeting women and children. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said that the Democrats' spending was "economic child abuse."

But despite charging Democrats with falsely claiming negotiations were hinging on social issues, the members appeared uncomfortable even bringing up the policy riders in question by name. Not one member recited the words "Planned Parenthood" in opening remarks and only one member, Rep. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming, even mentioned the word "abortion." Several addressed Democratic charges that policy provisions regarding women's health and abortion were holding up a final deal only in the most indirect terms.

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Jean Schmidt

Rep. Jean Schmidt To 6-Year-Olds: Abortion Is Killing

Jillian Rayfield | October 27, 2010, 4:13PM

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)

A Cincinnati Catholic school sent a letter of apology to parents after Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) got a little off-topic in a speech given to elementary school students from first through eighth grade: she began talking about how abortion is killing a child in the womb.

"She defined abortion as the taking of a child's life in the mother's womb," the apology letter said. "She indicated that abortion involves the killing of a child before it is born. She was not graphic or any more detailed in this regard."

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Jean Schmidt

Rep. Jean Schmidt Tells Birther "I Agree With You"

Eric Kleefeld | September 8, 2009, 5:42PM

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)

Think Progress seems to have caught Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH) saying something very interesting to a Birther -- that Schmidt agrees with her.

The Birther spoke to Schmidt, as the Congresswoman was making a very frustrated effort to calm her down. "He cannot be a president by our Constitution," she complained.

Schmidt then ducked in close and tried to whisper something in the woman's ear -- which was picked up by the camera. "I agree with you," said Schmidt, "but the courts don't."