Maxine Waters Faces Three Ethics Charges

The House ethics committee announced three counts of alleged ethics violations against another of its members today, further damaging the Democrats' prospects and emboldening Republicans heading into congressional elections in November. The charges against Democrat Maxine Waters include an allegation that she requested federal help for a bank in which her husband owned stock; he had also served on its board.

Waters, a 20-year rep from Los Angeles, has denied any wrongdoing and had urged the committee to provide details of the charges so that she can defend herself in a trial expected later this year. That trial would be the second handled by the ethics committee. Another senior Democrat, Charles Rangel, faces 13 counts, including failing to disclose assets and income and delayed payment of federal taxes. (More Maxine Waters stories.)