Saying he is sacrificing himself to end "mindless cannibalism" by members of Congress, Jim Wright resigned Wednesday and became the first House speaker ever to give up his office in midterm amid an ethics scandal.
"Let me give you back this job that you gave me as a propitiation for all this season of bad will that has grown upon us," Wright told the House. "We must resolve to bring this period of mindless cannibalism to an end. There's been enough of it."Wright - the nation's highest-ranking elected Democrat and third in line to the presidency - made the announcement after an emotional, hour-long floor speech where he said he had violated no House rules but admitted he was guilty of occasional bad judgment.
He said his resignation as speaker would be effective upon selection of his successor. House Democrats are expected to select Majority Leader Thomas Foley of Washington state as the new speaker on Tuesday. (See related story on A2.)
Wright said he would also formally resign his House seat sometime before the end of June.
House ethics committee member Jim Hansen, R-Utah, said that panel will likely vote Thursday to suspend its investigation of Wright until he leaves office, and then it would no longer have any jurisdiction over Wright.
Wright's resignation came amid widening charges that he violated ethics rules by accepting up to $145,000 of gifts from a friend who had direct interest in legislation and that he used sales of a book to circumvent rules on outside income.
The national media also reported the Justice Department had begun a criminal investigation into Wright's activities, and Hansen said the ethics committee itself would have pursued new charges of financial impropriety against Wright if he had not resigned.
Wright's resignation also came just six days after the No. 3 Democrat in the House - Majority Whip Tony Coehlo - also resigned after revelations about his questionable financial deals, including obtaining bonds not available on the market with the help of savings and loan officials.
Also, the staff of the No. 4 Democrat - Democratic Conference Chairman William Gray - is reportedly under criminal investigation for payroll padding. Gray said reports that he is the target of the probe are "vicious lies."
Wright, 66, often brushed back tears and became flushed with emotion as he bid farewell to the House - where he served 34 years - and as he offered a parting defense against the charges against him.
He asked members to let his resignation "be a total payment for the anger and hostility" in Congress and for the parties to stop seeking revenge against each other for insults.
"Republicans, please don't get someone else because of John Tower," he said, referring to President Bush's first nominee for secretary of defense who was rejected by Senate Democrats.
"Democrats, please don't feel you need to get somebody else because of me. . . . I don't want to be a party to tearing up this institution. I love it," he said.
"Have I contributed unwittingly to this frenzy of feeding on others' reputations? My God, I hope I haven't," he said. "Have I been too partisan, too insistent, too determined to have my way? If I've offended anybody in the other party, I'm sorry. I would never have done so intentionally."
Wright said he had ached for the past year to openly defend himself against the charges he faces, but he said ethics committee rules did not permit it.
But he took that opportunity Wednesday. (See summary on A2.)
Wright also addressed criticism aimed at him - although it had nothing to do with the ethics probe - for hiring John Mack as a top aide. Mack repeatedly stabbed a woman and beat her with a hammer years ago and left her for dead. He served two years in a county jail and was released to take a job with Wright.
Wright said he knew Mack had been convicted of assault but did not know that the crime had been so violent. "I didn't know the nature of the crime, which was a mistake in judgment. . . . But it was not bad judgment to give a young man a second chance."
He said, "Have I made errors in judgment? Oh, yes."