After a rough early start, presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has clawed back. He has won South Carolina and CBS Miami reports he's gaining in Florida polls.
At the height of his influence after becoming Speaker of the House in 1995, Gingrich sailed into a political and ethical downdraft that forced him to leave Congress.
How many ethics violations were alleged against Gingrich?
There were 84 ethics charges levied against Gingrich. All were dropped but one. Gingrich blames his lawyers for inaccurate and misleading information given to investigators.
So if most of the allegations were dropped, why the fuss?
A 1998 Associated Press story reports the House ethics committee dropped the final three ethics charges. Gingrich behaved improperly while serving as minority whip. The committee determined Gingrich hired outside consultant Jeffrey Eisenach to develop the GOP legislative agenda. Eisenach was a consultant for GOPAC, a Republican political group Gingrich once headed.
Didn't Gingrich pay a $300,000 fine?
In 1997, Democrats accused Gingrich of cheating the IRS by making tax-exempt donations to an organization that was not tax-exempt. Gingrich admitted he provided inaccurate statements to investigators but blamed it on his lawyers. He paid $300,000 to cover the costs of the investigation, but investigators found nothing illegal in his activities.
What happened to the Federal Election Committee lawsuit against GOPAC?
GOPAC contributed $250,000 to "Newt Support" and investigators said Gingrich should have reported it as taxable income. The Federal Elections Committee also charged GOPAC broke election laws by contributing to Gingrich's 1990 election campaign. The FEC lawsuit was thrown out of court by a federal judge, and the House ethics committee went along with that decision and dropped the income tax evasion charges against Gingrich.
Weren't there other income tax violations alleged against Gingrich?
After three years, the IRS decided to drop charges that Progress and Freedom Foundation's contributions to Gingrich's course were not tax exempt. The determination was based on whether the content of the course Gingrich taught was partisan and political or academic and educational. The IRS ruled in Gingrich's favor, determining that the courses taught by Gingrich were educational in content. The donations remained tax-exempt.
So the ethics investigations should pose no problems for Gingrich in 2012?
Gingrich supporters say there should be no problem to voters. The Illinois Review encapsulates the viewpoint of Gingrich supporters. They say Gingrich was "vindicated." The $300,000 paid by Gingrich as the result of the investigations was not a "fine," notes the publication but rather a "cost assessment."
Why are opponents still raising the issue?
With an employment relationship with Freddie Mac and with his Center for Health Transformation, Gingrich raises questions regarding the appearance of improper political access and influence. Such allegations are not new. A detailed letter, sent in 1995 to the House ethics committee, accuses Gingrich of providing "special favors" to telecommunications industry entrepreneur Donald Jones and others, in violation of House Rule 45.
Anthony Ventre is a freelance writer who has written for weekly and daily newspapers and several online publications. He is a frequent Yahoo contributor, concentrating in news and financial writing.
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