A US congressman is under investigation by the House of Representatives Committee on Ethics for taking an all-expenses-paid, eight-day trip to Taiwan.
Republican Representative Peter Roskam, 51, and his wife, Elizabeth, traveled to Taiwan in October 2011.
At the time their daughter Gracey was teaching English in Taiwan.
Roskam has said that the Chinese Culture University sponsored the visit, but the independent Office of Congressional Ethics says it was an “impermissible gift” from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US (TECRO).
The trip appeared to be “organized and conducted by the government of Taiwan, with little or no involvement by the university,” the ethics office said.
“There is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Roskam accepted payment of travel expenses for an officially connected trip to Taiwan from an impermissible source, resulting in an impermissible gift, in violation of federal law and House rules,” the office said.
“We fully complied with all laws, rules and procedures,” said Stephanie Kittredge, Roskam’s spokeswoman.
The ethics office referred the case to the House committee after an investigation concluded Roskam might have violated House rules and federal law.
The story was first reported by the Chicago Tribune on Friday last week.
The Republican chief deputy whip in the House, Roskam has been in Congress for six years and his visit to Taiwan involved meeting government officials and sightseeing.
Under US law, foreign governments cannot pay for congressional trips by unless they are authorized under the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act (MECEA), which does not allow the travel expenses of lawmakers’ spouses to be covered.
According to documents released by Kittredge, Roskam was first invited in May 2011 to join a MECEA trip sponsored by the Taiwanese government.
Only after he decided to take his wife along were the arrangements changed so that the visit could be privately sponsored by the Chinese Culture University.
The documents show that the university was a “non-cooperating witness” in the Office of Congressional Ethics’ original investigation and that TECRO would not make officials available for interviews.
The ethics committee — now in control of the case — has the power to subpoena documents and witnesses and order testimony under oath. It also has the power to sanction lawmakers who violate the law or House rules.
A committee official said the committee would decide on its “course of action” by Sept. 11.
Roskam and his lawyers maintain that the university sponsored the trip, that it was completely legal and that it was approved by the ethics committee in the first place.
The trip was routine, allowed under the law, and “vetted and approved” by the committee, Kittredge said.
“He fully expects the clear and indisputable facts of the case to speak for themselves, that both he and his staff have acted in accordance with all laws, rules and regulations,” she said.
Roskam is not the first member of the House to face an ethics committee probe over a visit to Taiwan.
In February, the committee announced it would investigate a the trip Democratic Representative Bill Owens and his wife took to Taipei in December 2011, to determine if it had been paid for by the Republic of China government and its US-based lobbyist at the time, Park Strategies.
In May last year Owens repaid the US$22,000 cost of the trip to the Chinese Culture University, which had been listed as the sponsor of the visit.
Additional reporting by staff writer
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS