Ethics Probe

" More than a dozen lawmakers in Washington are said to be under investigation now for ethics violations. That's according to a leaked house ethics committee series of documents that have been obtained by the Washington Post and hit by others. Of among those named in this report to California congress congress people Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson. It's important to note that everybody. That everybody we're talking about none of them has been found guilty of anything and it's only an inquiry nothing more at this point but we're told the ethics committee. Aid had a copy of the report on home computer. And somehow it ended up on line. -- now from Washington Post national reporter. Carol Carol weddings where this it's good to see Carol thank you. Thank you -- how the post come about this thing this -- series of documents."

" Well. We came across that because it was brought to our attention by a source and because of human error. An ethics committee staffer. Was. Sharing. Sharing the wrong word. Was operating in this document and working with that at a time that it's that this person had. Peer to peer sharing software on her computer and it was running and making this document accessible to the public. And this was brought to our attention by a source to -- best -- The treasure trove of information about the ethics committee investigations."

" Yet -- that that's the distance one of those weird fluke he said the circumstances because there'd been you know there have been rumors and why wouldn't -- That this is a leak because obviously could be politically damaging if somebody might have motivation do that but that's not what happened."

" You know everything that we're being told by very reliable sources -- this was just a mistake and indeed yesterday the house ethics chairwoman Zoe Lofgren told me that. Individual. Error and sloppiness is sort of the Trojan horse of everything has to do with security. Cyber security national security this was as far as we can tell individual human error."

" Seven people on the defense panel scrutinized here and I'm guessing that. This wasn't all we got -- here we throw it up in the newspaper kind of thing a lot of editorial minds working hard on and I'm guessing they'll help our viewers understand that process. Well."

" I guess you mean we don't just publish something because we have a list of names. We think we we felt really strongly here inside the newsroom and our editors. And lots of big brains including them talked a lot about how we proceed. And we wanted to make sure two things one was the information that we had -- accurate. Did it reflect the whole situation meaning when -- things that were in the document that if we knew them and reported the amount they would give a Fuller picture him. A fairer more balanced picture. And ultimately where we contacting these lawmakers involves what we wanted to be sure the lawmakers have a chance that they wanted to. Two -- express an opinion about this surprise shock dismay whatever was. All or give us some explanation for why they thought they were on this list but why did give them that chance."

" You you know I'd seems to me the hot one highlights may be years that this document offers detailed picture probably the most detailed yet as the post put it. Of a widening inquiry into the relations between lawmakers and the PM hey I would that be the highlight for you."

" Well it's a subject that I've been working on for a long time the intersection between campaign donations to members. And be cut earmarks funds that congress members can direct directly to specific companies out of the Pentagon budget. This committee. His membership is so scrutinized right now by the ethics committee. Controls. Nearly 636. Billion dollars in pentagon funding and PMA group and now defunct lobbying shop. Had a lot of -- a very unusual amount of luck in getting these members on this committee to steer funds to their clients. It was lucrative for a lot of people. And we're really interested in and it just says the department of justice's."

" Yet we all -- Carol -- used there are ways to staff. Is opposed staff writer who wrote the article today it's in Washington Post dot com and in the heart. Yes yes she did Washington Post staff writer immediately here thank you very much it's great to see it. Thank you separate all right just to."