Ashley Woolard calls on G.K. Butterfield to resign from the House Ethics Committee | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: Submitted as a press release from the Ashley Woolard Campaign.

    GOP First District Congressional candidate Ashley Woolard will call on Congressman G.K. Butterfield to resign from the House Ethics Committee or face investigation, in a series of press conferences Tuesday.

    Woolard will appear at the NCGOP Headquarters in Raleigh at 10:00 a.m.; the train station in Rocky Mount at 12:30 p.m.; and the Craven County GOP Headquarters in New Bern, NC at 3:00 p.m.

    Butterfield is a member of the House Ethics Committee judging embattled Congressman Charlie Rangel on charges of tax evasion and corruption in a September House trial. The House Ethics Committee met last Thursday and charged Rangel with 13 counts of violating House rules. Butterfield joined Rangel on a Caribbean junket in November 2005 that has been the subject of investigation.

    "How can Congressman Butterfield act as an impartial judge of Rangel's illegal behavior when he took those same trips?" Woolard said Monday. "Unlike his House colleagues, Butterfield has refused to return tainted contributions from Rangel that have the appearances of a bribe for a favorable verdict."

    According to Opensecrets.org, Rangel contributed $4000 to Butterfield. Butterfield was first elected to congress in a 2004 Special Election to fill the unexpired term of convicted felon Frank Balance, who pled guilty to embezzling taxpayer monies through a legislative money-laundering scheme.

    "If Congressman Butterfield does not recuse himself from the Rangel trial after keeping this money, he is an accessory to these crimes. The linkage is just too strong for him to remain impartial in this affair -- as the evidence increasingly indicates a sophisticated obstruction of justice conspiracy is unfolding," Woolard said.

    "If Congress will not impartially investigate themselves, I feel certain the Justice Department will. Congressman Butterfield plays a dangerous game by refusing to do the right thing and step down. This is just another example of the need for a more independent ethics body to enforce the rules of Congress," Woolard said.

For further information:

    Bill Tarpenning
    Woolard For Congress
    PO Box 1116
    107 Gladden Street
    Washington, NC 27889
    Phone 252-944-5377