Boehner Hit With Ethics Problem First Week On The Job

Less than a week into his new position as House Majority Leader, Rep. John Boehner is being confronted with a potentially serious ethical problem. According to a report set to run in today's edition of the Washington Post, Boehner has been renting a Hill apartment from a lobbyist with whom he as worked closely on legislation whose clients have an interest in legislation Boehner has sponsored. Americablog has an exerpt from a story set to run in today's edition of the Washington Post:

Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, who was elected House majority leader last week, is renting his Capitol Hill apartment from a veteran lobbyist whose clients have direct stakes in legislation Boehner has co-written and that he has overseen as chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

The relationship between Boehner, John D. Milne and Milne's wife, Debra R. Anderson, underscores how intertwined senior lawmakers have become with the lobbyists paid to influence legislation. Boehner's primary residence is in West Chester, Ohio, but for $1,600 a month, he rents a two-bedroom basement apartment near the House office buildings on Capitol Hill owned by Milne, Boehner spokesman Don Seymour said Tuesday. Boehner's monthly rent appears to be similar to other rentals of two-bedroom English basement apartments close to the House side of the Capitol in Southeast, based on a review of apartment listings.

Hopefully, Rep. Boehner can show us the cancelled checks proving he is paying the rent.