United States House ethics inquiry into Jim Wright
E1040920
The United States House ethics inquiry into Jim Wright was a late-1980s investigation into then–Speaker of the House Jim Wright’s alleged ethical violations, particularly involving financial arrangements and book sales, that ultimately led to his resignation.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
congressional ethics investigation
ⓘ
political scandal ⓘ |
| accusedPerson | Jim Wright NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| charge |
alleged circumvention of House limits on outside income
ⓘ
alleged financial improprieties ⓘ alleged improper book sales arrangements ⓘ alleged improper gifts and benefits ⓘ |
| complainant | Newt Gingrich NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| context | partisan conflict in the United States House of Representatives in the 1980s ⓘ |
| country |
United States of America
ⓘ
surface form:
United States
|
| endCause | Jim Wright’s resignation ⓘ |
| endTime | 1989 ⓘ |
| ethicsCommitteeChair | Julian C. Dixon NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| ethicsCommitteeRankingMember | John T. Myers NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| focus |
bulk purchases of Jim Wright’s book "Reflections of a Public Man"
ⓘ
relationship with business interests in Texas ⓘ use of book royalties as substitute for speaking fees ⓘ |
| followedBy | renewed focus on ethics of House leaders in the 1990s ⓘ |
| genre | political ethics controversy ⓘ |
| hasEffectOn |
public perception of congressional corruption
ⓘ
subsequent enforcement of House ethics rules ⓘ |
| impact |
heightened scrutiny of congressional ethics rules
ⓘ
precedent for later ethics actions against congressional leaders ⓘ |
| initiatedBy |
House Ethics Committee
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
United States House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| legalNature | non-criminal congressional ethics proceeding ⓘ |
| legislativeBody | United States House of Representatives ⓘ |
| mainSubject | alleged ethical violations by Jim Wright ⓘ |
| mediaCoverage | extensive national press coverage ⓘ |
| notableFor | first resignation of a sitting Speaker of the House under ethics pressure in modern times ⓘ |
| opponentPoliticalPartyOfComplainant | Republican Party NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| oversightMechanism |
House ethics rules on outside income
ⓘ
House rules on gifts and honoraria ⓘ |
| politicalPartyOfAccused | Democratic Party NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| positionHeldByAccused |
Democratic Representative from Texas
ⓘ
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| precededBy | earlier, less formal complaints about Jim Wright’s finances ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
history of political scandals in the United States
ⓘ
speakership of Jim Wright ⓘ |
| result |
resignation of Jim Wright as Speaker of the House
ⓘ
resignation of Jim Wright from the United States House of Representatives ⓘ |
| significantEvent |
Jim Wright’s resignation speech on the House floor
ⓘ
announcement of ethics charges against Jim Wright ⓘ |
| startTime | 1988 ⓘ |
| subject | Jim Wright NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| timePeriod | late 1980s ⓘ |
Referenced by (1)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.