Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2001 13:37:28 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: MAXXAM's House task force ethics violation

Congressman Pombo May be Guilty of House Ethics Violations for Release of report on MAXXAM's Failed S&L

Headwaters, Steelworker and anti-MAXXAM compatriots and members of the media:

A serious breach of Congressional ethics has taken place with the release of Congressman Pombo's report from his Resources sub-committee task force on how the debt for nature idea supposedly inspired the banking regulators to file court actions against Hurwitz, MAXXAM and United Savings.

The breach is this: The task force which Pombo chaired is defunct--it no longer exists. Further, no vote of the resources committee occured to release the report. Instead, Pombo snuck it through to the public record by simply entering into the congressional record.

In other words, a rogue Congressman Pombo, without any authorization at all entered a report declaring poor Charles Hurwitz to be a victim of a conspiracy between federal banking regulators and "eco-terrorists" to deprive him of his redwoods. News accounts even point to the highly unusual method of entering this into the public record.

Last year, MAXXAM made contributions to many members of the task force, banking committee, and the Bush Inaugural that activists believe bought and paid for the Republican-led task force.

The following people are contacts to determine whether a House Ethics Committee Probe will be launched.

Ethics Committee staff chief Robert Walker (Republican) 202/225 7103. Ask him if a breach has been reported and if this seems like a breach of ethics.

Rick Healy, staffer for Rep. George Miller (Democrat) on Resources Committee. Ask him if Miller will refer this matter to Ethics.

Allan Freemayer staffer for Rep. James Hansen (republican). Hansen if a moderate. Ask Freemayer if they will report this as an ethics breach. 202 225 2761.

Bari Schwartz, Staffer for Congressman Howard Berman, ranking Democrat of the Ethics Committee. She's familiar with this issue. Ask her if the ethics committee is looking into this: 202/225 4695.

Jim Zoia, ranking staffer for Congressman Nick Rahal (Ranking democrat on Resources). Ask Mr. Zoia to report this breach to the ethics committee. 202/225 6065.