House ethics panel to charge Democrat Maxine Waters

House Democrats could be headed into another August of raucous town hall meetings. In addition to the Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) situation, AP is reporting this morning that Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) could be slapped with ethics charges next week.

Waters, one of the most liberal members of Congress and a prominent member of the House Finance Committee, has been under investigation for a conflict of interest involving a bank seeking federal assistance. Waters' husband owned shares in the bank and once served on its board.

Rangel was the chairman of the powerful Ways and Means committee, the tax-writing body of the House.

The charges against Waters will likely hamper Democrats' efforts to use its Wall Street reform bill as a celebratory campaign tool this fall.

In 2006 then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi vowed to "drain the swamp" in the lower chamber. In fact, she claims she really did drain it.

Voters will have the final say in November.

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