CREW, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, has filed a complaint against Rep Louis Gohmert(R-TX) with the Office of Congressional Ethics for “conduct that reflects discreditably upon the House” stemming from an incident over a parking ticket at the Lincoln memorial issued in the late-evening hours of March 13th, 2013.
In the report, initially picked up by Politico, they explain:
On March 13, 2013, shortly after 11:00 p.m., Rep. Gohmert was issued a citation for parking his black Ford SUV in a spot reserved for National Park Service vehicles. Rep. Gohmert removed the ticket from his windshield and placed it on a police car along with his business card. He included the written message: “Oversight of Park Service is my job! Natural Resources Thus the Congressional Plate in window.” According to officers at the scene, Rep. Gohmert was “rude and irate,” and “ranting.” Further, Rep. Gohmert told an officer he “did not have time to deal with the issue,” and said to officers, “I left my business card with the ticket and I am not paying for the ticket.”
It’s funny because a) It’s Louis Gohmert ranting at a cop at the Lincoln Memorial, and b) he is said to have admitted to entertaining family members for dinner prior to the altercation with police in which he claimed he was late for official business.
The report goes on:
Under District of Columbia law, “members of Congress may park their vehicles in any available curb space when used by the member of Congress on official business. Members may not park in spots reserved specifically for National Park Service vehicles.”
Busted!
According to the report, the parking violation, for disobeying an official sign, carries a $25 fine.
To be fair, though, Louis’s money is all tied up in candy corn and the tears of Native Americans.