(AP) House reviewing ethics complaint against Berkley
By KEVIN FREKING
Associated Press
WASHINGTON
The House Ethics Committee confirmed Friday that it’s looking into allegations made against Democratic U.S. Rep. Shelley Berkley of Las Vegas that reportedly revolve around whether she used her office to help her husband’s medical practice.
Ethics committee Chairman Jo Bonner, R-Ala., said Friday that the committee’s leaders had “decided to extend the matter” regarding Berkley. It will determine whether to conduct a full investigation on or before July 9.
The announcement was the first official indication that the committee is reviewing allegations made by the Nevada GOP that Berkley tried to influence federal reimbursement rates for dialysis providers and lobbied to save a kidney transplant program in Las Vegas to help her husband, Dr. Larry Lehrner, who administers kidney care at University Medical Center in Las Vegas.
The committee’s review comes as Berkley is running for the U.S. Senate against Republican Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) in a race that is expected to be one of the closest in the country. Republicans used the news Friday to question her integrity.
“The people of Nevada deserve someone in the United States Senate who they can trust to work on their behalf and not someone like Shelley Berkley who puts her own financial and political interests first,” said Brian Walsh, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
The Berkley campaign said she was merely doing what other members of the congressional delegation were doing when she called on federal officials to reverse a decision to close the kidney transplant program at University Medical Center.
“As the committee reviews this complaint, they will determine that Congresswoman Shelley Berkley’s only concern is for the well-being of Nevada’s patients,” said Berkley’s campaign manager, Jessica Mackler.
Mackler said Republican Reps. Jon Porter and Heller also joined her in that effort. Heller has since gone on to the Senate, with his appointment following the resignation of Sen. John Ensign. He declined to comment on the Ethics Committee’s announcement.
The state GOP’s complaint against Berkley followed a New York Times report about actions that she took in in pushing legislation and in twisting the arms of federal regulators in pursuit of an agenda that was aligned with the business interests of her husband. She sponsored bills that would expand federal reimbursement for kidney care and wrote letters to block enforcing rules.
The Office of Congressional Ethics reviewed the complaint and forwarded it to the House Ethics Committee. Walsh said that if the complaint were as frivolous as Berkley has maintained, it would have simply been dismissed rather than forwarded to the committee.
Berkley has maintained that her efforts were focused on helping Nevada patients maintain access to quality medical care. The closure of UMC would have left Nevada without a kidney transplant center, and her efforts to keep it open were often highlighted in the media and undertaken with help from other members of the state’s congressional delegation.
Her office has also noted that she has consistently worked over the year to prevent Medicare from reducing reimbursement rates for doctors out of concern that such cuts would reduce access to care.
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Associated Press writer Cristina Silva in Las Vegas contributed to this report.
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