A $4.5 million book advance for Speaker-designate Newt Gingrich is giving Democrats new ammunition to challenge his conduct and raising concerns about his selection of members of the new House ethics committee.
Gingrich's two-book megadeal with a publishing house of media giant Rupert Murdoch brought instant criticism Thursday from the White House - and from a House Democratic leader who repeated his earlier demand for an ethics probe.They noted that Gingrich could have great influence over communications legislation that could affect Murdoch.
The book advance, coupled with a previous ethics complaint about tax-free donations to a college course Gingrich teaches, prompted congressional watchdog Common Cause to write the next speaker:
"We strongly urge you to publicly make clear that you will in no way be involved in appointing the members of any ethics committee that will review your activities."
Gingrich has given no indication that he would stay out of the selection process for the new ethics panel.
HarperCollins Publishers announced Thursday that Gingrich will write a book titled "To Renew America" and commentary in "The Democracy Reader," a book that will feature readings in American democracy.
"To Renew America" is scheduled for publication next fall with a first printing goal of 750,000 copies. No publication date was given for the second book.
"We won the rights to publish these books in a hotly contested bidding," said Jack McKeown, a senior vice president at HarperCollins, part of the Murdoch empire.
Murdoch, reached in Beijing, said Thursday he knew nothing about the contract with Gingrich, saying, "This is the first I've heard of this."
Howard Rubenstein, Murdoch's New York-based spokesman, said there was "no connection between this transaction and anything else he's doing."
HarperCollins would not confirm the advance figure, but congressional and publishing sources said it was about $4.5 million.
Gingrich, after speaking at his wife's old high school at Leetonia, Ohio, said, "Conservative books sell. I can't help it if liberal books don't sell."
In Washington, Gingrich spokesman Tony Blankley said the Democrats were suffering from "book envy" and added that there's a "growing public interest in modern conservative ideas."
"I would suggest that the Democrats join us in putting pen to paper, and may the best ideas win."