Watchdog Group Hits Maxine Waters with Ethics Complaint After Calls for 'Mob Violence'
A conservative watchdog group has filed an ethics complaint with the House Office of Congressional Ethics against California Rep. Maxine for “inciting mob violence” against Trump officials, Fox News reported.
The complaint was in response to remarks Waters made last month in Los Angeles calling for her supporters to harass Trump officials.
“If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them! And you tell them that they are not welcome, anymore, anywhere,” Waters said.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton has asked the ethics committee to investigate whether Waters violated House ethics rules by her comment.
In a letter on June 25, two days after Waters remarks, Judicial Watch directed the complaint to the chairman and co-chairman of the House Office of Congressional Ethics.
In the letter, Fitton wrote that Waters’ remarks were in violation of House rules that require representatives to conduct themselves “in a manner that shall reflect credibly on the House.”
The House rule in question — 23, clause 1 — states, “A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, officer, or employee of the House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House.”
“When you’re out there … inciting mob violence against sitting Trump Cabinet members, that doesn’t obviously reflect credibly on the House,” Fitton told “Fox & Friends.”
“And the House has to decide whether they’re going to allow its members to use the House as a platform and its power and position to attack and incite violence.”
Fitton noted that Waters’ comments haven’t come without consequence.
“You can bet there is an increase in security costs for all Cabinet officials as a result of her rhetoric and comments,” he said.
He also urged Trump supporters to take action by asking their representatives to reprimand Waters.
“It is so dangerous out there in my view for Trump supporters generally and Trump public officials that someone has to step in and rein them in and the House has an opportunity here,” he said.
Waters has refused to back down from her comments.
She also took aim at fellow Democrats who condemned what she said.
“One of the things I recognize, being an elected official, is in the final analysis, leadership … will do anything that they think is necessary to protect their leadership and so what I have to do is not focus on them,” she said.
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