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Corrupt-o-twin powers, activate! L: Rep. Maxine Waters; R: Rep. Laura Richardson

Readers of this blog are quite familiar with the corruption scandals involving California Democrats Maxine Waters and Laura Richardson.

Back in March 2009, I spotlighted Waters, her husband, and their smelly involvement with minority-owned bank called OneUnited.

And dating back to May 2008 through July 2009, this site chronicled the financial shenanigans of Richardson, who defaulted six times on her home loans and has left a trail of unpaid bills in her wake.

Well, lookee here: The House is investigating both. These probes rarely amount to anything more than wrist slaps. But “RAAAACISM” charges are inevitable before, during, and after the investigation:

The House ethics committee announced Thursday it is investigating two California Democratic lawmakers, but its embarrassed leaders then had to explain that other members—named in a confidential memo that a hacker posted online—may have committed no wrongdoing.

The committee said it is investigating whether Rep. Maxine Waters used her influence to help a bank in which her husband owned stock, and whether the couple benefited as a result. Separately, the panel is investigating whether Rep. Laura Richardson failed to disclose required information on her financial disclosure forms and received special treatment from a lender.

Wait, there’s more:

The Post reported that nearly half the members of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee were under scrutiny.

The previously disclosed inquiry involves lawmakers who steered appropriations to clients of a now-defunct lobbying firm and received campaign contributions from the firm and its clients.

The names included three lawmakers previously identified in the inquiry: the chairman of the defense subcommittee, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa.; and Reps. Peter Visclosky, D-Ind., and James Moran, D-Va.

The Post said others whose names were in the report included Reps. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, C.W. Bill Young, R-Fla., and Todd Tiahrt, R-Kan.

The committee, however, has not announced an investigation of any of these lawmakers.

Which reminds me of the Bess Myerson quote that I included at the beginning of Culture of Corruption: “The accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference.”

Contact the House ethics committee here:

Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
HT-2, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-7103
Fax: 202-225-7392
Office Hours: Monday- Friday 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Committee letters on Waters and Richardson here.

More on the defense subcommittee investigations here.