Wright Refutes Charges of Misconduct

WASHINGTON--With his position as the nation's highest elected Democrat in jeopardy, House Speaker Jim Wright mounted an emotional defense yesterday against serious ethics charges and declared he would "fight to the last ounce of conviction and energy that I possess."

In a 30-minute counteroffensive delivered to reporters and television cameras, Wright sought to rebut point by point the charges being lodged against him by the House ethics committee, which was writing its final report after a 10-month, $1.5 million investigation of his finances.

Flanked by members of his leadership team and Texas colleagues, Wright's voice choked with emotion as he defended his wife, Betty, against the charge that her $18,000-a-year salary from a Fort Worth business partner amounts to an improper gift.

He said his wife was "a good decent, caring, thoroughly honorable person" and he would "damn well fight to protect her honor and integrity from any challenge from any source whatever the cost."

"Whether I'm speaker of the house, which is the greatest honor I've ever had, is not important," Wright said. "What is important is that Congress move swiftly--and I'm prepared to move very swiftly--to get distractive matters of this kind behind us so that we can concentrate on the really important things that affect this country of ours."

He said his reputation "is the most important thing and the only really important thing. For my good name, which I intend to leave my children and my grandchildren, I will fight to the last ounce of conviction and energy that I possess."

Wright declined to field questions after his statement. After his impassioned public defense, Wright returned to the business of the House, appearing in the chamber to push for a vote on a $49.7 million Contra aid package.

Rep. Charles Wilson (D-Tex.), who was among the three dozen or so of the 260 House Democrats to attend Wright's speech, said the event "serves to brace everybody up for a good, hard tough fight." But he added," We haven't hit bottom yet."

The ethics committee continued its work behind closed doors and chair Julian Dixon, (D-Calif.), said no public announcement of its conclusions was expected until next week.

But sources familiar with the deliberations said all crucial votes already had been taken and had gone against Wright on the two most serious charges: that he violated House rules by accepting gifts from a business partner with an interest in legislation and that he evaded limits on collecting speaking fees through bulk sales of his book Reflections of a Public Man.

The committee decisions essentially closed the $1.5 million investigation and sent the case into a new, more open and more political phase which could lead to a disciplinary hearing and a range of punishments.

Wright began his day Wednesday with a 10-minute, highly personal speech to his strongest supporters at a closed-door leadership meeting, and was given a standing ovation, according to participants.

Later, alluding to charges that his wife had done little work for a salary she was paid by a Fort Worth business partner, Wright said: "My wife's reputation is very precious to me. And I'm damn well, darn well, not going to let that be sacrificed."

Democrats were somber in the face of difficult political decisions the report will force on whether to uphold their party's most visible official, who stands third in line of succession to the White House.