Posted 5:07 PM by Robert

Senate Ethics Committee To Torricelli

Today the Senate Ethics Committee "severly admonished" Senator Robert Torricelli (Democratic - New Jersey) for accepting gifts from David Chang, a Torricelli friend, supporter, campaign contributor and businessman that the lawmaker aided. The committee said in a three-page letter to Torricelli:

"Your actions and failure to act led to violations of Senate rules – and related statutes – and created at least the appearance of impropriety." .... "[We are] troubled by incongruities, inconsistencies and conflicts, particularly concerning actions taken by you which were or could have been of potential benefit [to David Chang.]"

New Jersey voters decide in November whether Mr. Torricelli will continue to be their United States Senator.

If New Jersey voters can't figure this one out, that State deserves all the jokes the New Yorkers tell.

But will the New York Times editors be able to figure it out? That's not so clear.