Defiant Maxine Waters: I'm Innocent

Maxine Waters made her position very clear today: "I did not violate any House rules," the California congresswoman insisted at a Washington press conference, reports ABC News. "No benefit, no improper action, no failure to disclose, no one influenced: no case." The House ethics panel has accused her of using improper influence to get the Treasury Department to help a bank whose board included her husband.

"This case is not just about me," said Waters, who's angry that no hearing has been scheduled. "This case is also about access. It's about access for those who are not heard by decision makers, whether it's having their questions answered or their concerns addressed." The Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, weighs in with a critical story on the bank in question, OneUnited, which has been under fire for its record on lending to minorities. (More Maxine Waters stories.)