Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton Is My New Hero

She is literally the only member of the House Of Representatives who acted in an honorable fashion in seeking to hold Rep. Gerald Brady accountable for his actions.

She filed the ethics complaint that precipitated the so-called ‘investigation’ into Brady’s sexist and racist remarks.  No other House member stepped forward.  Her complaint cited two violations of the Legislative Code Of Conduct, and stated that  legislators are “rightfully held to a higher standard of conduct.”

To quote Amy Cherry’s story on WDEL:

“But the committee did not agree.”

Rep. Wilson-Anton probably should have said, “Legislators should rightfully be held to a higher standard of conduct.”

They should.  Factually, however, legislators have long been held to a lesser standard of conduct. In this instance, Delaware’s least-ethical legislator was not about to impose standards on another legislator when her conduct is arguably clearly less defensible than his.

It took real guts to do what Rep. Wilson-Anton did.  Especially when the korrupt kop kabal that runs the caucus could draw her out of her district. Or at least try to.

And she didn’t stop there.  She shed light on the mutually-beneficial corruption that has driven behavior in Dover for decades. From Amy Cherry’s story:

“I was pretty disappointed in their findings…but I mean I wasn’t allowed to go to the meeting–I wasn’t invited–it was a closed-door meeting, and when we have meetings that are behind closed doors, we really shouldn’t be surprised when the outcome isn’t what we’re looking for,” she told WDEL.

“I don’t know if they even discussed it, and that’s part of why I’m disappointed. It seemed like the entire conversation was around the First Amendment and whether or not the House Ethics committee has the right to punish someone for [that].”

“He said himself that he wasn’t going to run for re-election, and that was the entirety of my complaint was that if he says he’s not running again, then, he’s saying he doesn’t think he’s worthy of that office and that’s just a bad look for all of us,” she said.

She further called the committee’s determination “embarrassing.”

“I don’t know how we can ask anyone to have confidence in a body that doesn’t even have public meetings when it comes to holding their own accountable,” she said. “It’s embarrassing.”

That it is.

Nevertheless, she has performed a tremendous public service here.  No longer can what passes for the House leadership hide behind any fig leaf of integrity.  Five white people were never going to expel someone for racism and sexism.  Not in a body where racism and sexism are still rampant.

By pursuing this complaint, and by speaking out after it was literally ‘white’washed, Rep. Madinah Wilson-Anton has made clear that any genuine reform in the House Of Representatives must come from the voters.  Starting at the very top.

Coming soon: Maps.  Soon followed by: Challengers.

We have it in our power to do it.  Rep. Wilson-Anton has helped to show us the way.  Thank you, Madinah!