The Nation - News from June 12, 1989

Members of the House Ethics Committee, not former Speaker Jim Wright, initiated an attempt to strike a deal and negotiate his resignation, the Dallas Times Herald reported. The newspaper reported that sources who asked not to be named said that Ethics Committee Chairman Julian C. Dixon (D-Los Angeles) phoned Rep. Louis Stokes (D-Ohio), the former ethics chairman, and said that Wright’s resignation would “spare the House a harsh and divisive confrontation.” Wright reportedly authorized negotiations but did not approach the committee to discuss a deal when it convened later. Wright announced his plans to resign in a speech May 31.