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Vitter Faces New Charges for Breaking the Law

David Vitter faces new charges that he broke the law by soliciting prostitutes after Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed a bar complaint today accusing Louisiana's junior Senator of violating the state's rules of professional conduct for lawyers.
 
In the complaint, CREW, a Washington, DC-based government watchdog group, asks the Louisiana Office of Disciplinary Counsel to investigate and discipline Vitter for repeatedly breaking the law.  The group notes that at least three women have accused Vitter of soliciting prostitution in Washington, DC and Louisiana. Soliciting prostitution is a crime in both jurisdictions, CREW said.
 
If he is found guilty, Vitter faces penalties including a private admonition, public reprimand, suspension of his law license or outright disbarment, according to the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board's website. The American Bar Association's Standards for Imposing Lawyer Sanctions requires the disciplining of lawyers to be public, except in minor cases.
 
"David Vitter put his hand on a Bible and swore an oath to uphold the laws of the United States, but he chose to disregard that solemn promise by repeatedly breaking the law," said Louisiana Democratic Party Spokesman Kevin Franck.
 
Last week, the Louisiana Democratic Party launched an online petition to defund David Vitter. The petition urges Congress to pass a resolution acknowledging Vitter's criminal past, ineffective legislative record and history of political grandstanding and resolving that David Vitter should be prohibited from receiving federal funds.
 
"David Vitter says taxpayer money should not go to people who break the law and we agree," Franck said. "It's time for Congress to defund David Vitter and if they don't do it, we'll have to defund Vitter at the ballot box next November."