Eighty-four ethics
charges were filed against Gingrich during his term as speaker. After extensive
investigation and negotiation by the House
Ethics Committee, Gingrich was sanctioned $300,000 by a 395–28 House vote.
It was the first time in history a speaker was disciplined for ethical
wrongdoing.[Yang, John E. (August 5, 1998). "House
Reprimands, Penalizes Speaker". The Washington Post: p. A1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/govt/leadership/stories/012297.htm. ]
In January 1997, Gingrich said "I did not
manage the effort intensely enough to thoroughly direct or review information
being submitted to the committee on my behalf. In my name and over my
signature, inaccurate, incomplete and unreliable statements were given to the
committee, but I did not intend to mislead the committee."[ Clymer, Adam (December 22, 1996). "Panel
Concludes Gingrich Violated Rules on Ethics". The New York Times] Most of the charges were
dropped, in one case because there was no evidence that Gingrich was still
violating, as of the time of the investigation, the rule that he was found to
have violated in the past. [Anderson, Curt (October 11, 1998). "Ethics
Committee Drops Last of 84 Charges Against Gingrich". The Washington Post. Associated Press.
"The House ethics committee dropped the three remaining ethics charges
against Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) yesterday, despite finding that Gingrich
repeatedly violated one rule by using a political consultant to develop the
Republican legislative agenda. The ethics panel decided to take no further
action because there is no evidence that 'Rule 45' violations are continuing in
the speaker's office, a post Gingrich has held since 1995."] The one
charge not dropped was a charge of claiming tax-exempt status for a college
course run for political purposes. In addition, the House Ethics Committee
concluded that inaccurate information supplied to investigators represented
"intentional or ... reckless" disregard of House rules.
[Yang, John E.; Dewar, Helen (January 18, 1997).
"Ethics
Panel Supports Reprimand of Gingrich". The Washington Post: p. A01. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/govt/leadership/stories/011897.htm. ]Special Counsel James M. Cole concluded that Gingrich violated federal tax law and had lied to the ethics panel in an effort to force the committee to dismiss the complaint against him. The full committee panel did not agree whether tax law had been violated and left that issue up to the IRS. [Yang, John E.; Dewar, Helen (January 18, 1997). "Ethics Panel Supports Reprimand of Gingrich". The Washington Post: p. A01. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/govt/leadership/stories/011897.htm. ] In 1999, the IRS cleared the organizations connected with the "Renewing American Civilization" courses under investigation for possible tax violations. [Rosenbaum, David E. (February 4, 1999). "I.R.S. Clears Foundation Linked to Gingrich's Ethics Dispute". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE7D61138F937A35751C0A96F958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1. ]
According to notes written by Gingrich in 1993, which were included in the House report in 1997 and published by Slate in 2011, Gingrich had a 25-year plan. [Stanley, Tim (December 9, 2011). "According to his doodles, Newt Gingrich wants to bring civilisation to the dark continent of America". The Daily Telegraph. London. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100123087/according-to-his-doodles-newt-gingrich-wants-to-bring-civilisation-to-the-dark-continent-of-america/.] As Gingrich's "primary mission", the notes list, "advocate of civilization", "definer of civilization", "teacher of the rules of civilization", "arouser of those who form civilization", "organizer of the pro-civilization activists", and "leader (possibly) of the civilizing forces".[ibid ]According to the plan, Gingrich would write a series of books and make public appearances to present "Gingrich the historian applying the lessons of history to public life".[ibid ]
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