The Hill News

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Tuesday expressed cautious optimism about the ethics case of his colleague, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

The House ethics committee charged Waters on Monday with violating three counts of House rules and federal ethics codes for her 2008 effort to direct bailout funds to a bank in which her husband held significant stock.

{mosads}Asked by MSNBC's Joe Scarborough if he thinks Waters is "going to be OK," Hoyer replied, "Well, we will see. I hope she is and I think she will be OK."

After the House returns from August recess, Democrats will likely endure two ethics trials of their own members: those of Waters and of veteran Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), who is accused of ! violating 13 House ethics rules.

Both Waters and Rangel have maintained their innocence and have pushed for full ethics trials so they can exonerate themselves. 

House Democratic leaders, who have insisted they are running an ethical Congress, have generally been cautious in talking about the proceedings of the ethics committee.

In the days leading up to the public announcement of charges against Rangel, Hoyer said it was up to the Harlem lawmaker whether or not he would try to reach a settlement with the panel.

Late last month, Hoyer also made it clear he did not use Speak! er Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) phrase that Democrats would "drain the swamp," but insisted that the Democrats' ethics process is working.

"I think what this is evidence of is the process is working as it is designed to make sure this Congress and its members are operating in a way the American people can have trust in its operations," he told MSNBC Tuesday.

"We need to be very cautious. What has been done is they have looked at these and say there is reason to believe that we ought to look more closely at the allegations that have been made," Hoyer added. "Nobody has been found guilty of anything or violated yet the rules of the House."