News
WASHINGTON — Senators debated the best way to handle the Coconut Road earmark scandal Wednesday, with Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., calling for an immediate U.S. Department of Justice investigation and jail time for those who might have violated federal law.
“I’m so sick about this,” said Boxer, chairwoman of the Senate Ethics Committee. “I’m so angry about this. I think it’s very possible people ought to go to jail.”
Boxer said involving the Department of Justice to examine whether someone had violated federal criminal law would show the seriousness of the violation and take the decision out of politicians’ hands.
Boxer’s announcement came a day after several senators, including the three remaining presidential candidates, and Florida senators, Republican Mel Martinez and Democrat Bill Nelson, joined Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to co-sponsor an amendment that called for a special eight-member, bipartisan committee to examine the $10 million earmark.
The committee would include Senators and Representatives.
“We ought to be the ones to fix it,” Coburn said. “We ought to take responsibility for our actions.”
Calls for the investigation stem from a 2005 U.S. highway bill the House and Senate passed. Initially, the legislation included $10 million to widen and improve Interstate 75 in Lee and Collier counties.
But that item was changed sometime during the bill’s route for final approval by President George W. Bush. Instead of widening I-75, the money was allocated to study an I-75 interchange near Coconut Road, a smaller road in south Lee County.
During discussions Wednesday, Boxer said the money would be reallocated for widening and improvements to I-75 but lawmakers had not voted on a technical corrections bill by press time.
The money has since been reallocated to widening the highway.
Reports have linked Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, to the change in language. Young has ties to Daniel Aronoff, a part-time Naples resident who owns about 4,000 acres of land east of Coconut road.
But Coburn insisted it was unclear who made the change and why it was made. It could have been a simple clerical error, he said.
“We don’t know how this happened,” Coburn said. “What we do know is it did occur.”
He said a committee of four Republicans and four Democrats could uncover the truth.
But Nelson said Coburn’s amendment could run into problems if House representatives didn’t agree to the investigation. He said, however, the tampering “needs to be exposed to the light of day.”
Boxer’s words were more pointed. She said the language change could include serious crimes, including bribery, and feared partisan politics would only create more problems. She said watching a legislator walking away in handcuffs is the best way to send legislators a strong message.
“I want to avoid a circus,” Boxer said. “I want to put somebody in jail if they did something wrong.”
“I’m so sick about this,” said Boxer, chairwoman of the Senate Ethics Committee. “I’m so angry about this. I think it’s very possible people ought to go to jail.”
Boxer said involving the Department of Justice to examine whether someone had violated federal criminal law would show the seriousness of the violation and take the decision out of politicians’ hands.
Boxer’s announcement came a day after several senators, including the three remaining presidential candidates, and Florida senators, Republican Mel Martinez and Democrat Bill Nelson, joined Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to co-sponsor an amendment that called for a special eight-member, bipartisan committee to examine the $10 million earmark.
The committee would include Senators and Representatives.
“We ought to be the ones to fix it,” Coburn said. “We ought to take responsibility for our actions.”
Calls for the investigation stem from a 2005 U.S. highway bill the House and Senate passed. Initially, the legislation included $10 million to widen and improve Interstate 75 in Lee and Collier counties.
But that item was changed sometime during the bill’s route for final approval by President George W. Bush. Instead of widening I-75, the money was allocated to study an I-75 interchange near Coconut Road, a smaller road in south Lee County.
During discussions Wednesday, Boxer said the money would be reallocated for widening and improvements to I-75 but lawmakers had not voted on a technical corrections bill by press time.
The money has since been reallocated to widening the highway.
Reports have linked Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, to the change in language. Young has ties to Daniel Aronoff, a part-time Naples resident who owns about 4,000 acres of land east of Coconut road.
But Coburn insisted it was unclear who made the change and why it was made. It could have been a simple clerical error, he said.
“We don’t know how this happened,” Coburn said. “What we do know is it did occur.”
He said a committee of four Republicans and four Democrats could uncover the truth.
But Nelson said Coburn’s amendment could run into problems if House representatives didn’t agree to the investigation. He said, however, the tampering “needs to be exposed to the light of day.”
Boxer’s words were more pointed. She said the language change could include serious crimes, including bribery, and feared partisan politics would only create more problems. She said watching a legislator walking away in handcuffs is the best way to send legislators a strong message.
“I want to avoid a circus,” Boxer said. “I want to put somebody in jail if they did something wrong.”
