Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, May 16, 1995                   TAG: 9505160096
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Cox News Service
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

ETHICS COMPLAINT MADE AGAINST GINGRICH

In the speeches, Gingrich repeatedly promoted a project being coordinated by his political action committee, GOPAC. On one occasion, he mentioned a toll-free telephone number for GOPAC six times during a speech.

All the speeches were printed in the Congressional Record, the daily transcript of House and Senate action, at a cost of about $270 a page. Since the speeches took up all or part of 55 pages, the tab to taxpayers was about $14,850.

``Time and time again, it seems like Mr. Gingrich used taxpayer funds to promote his political empire and to advance his own personal interests,'' Bonior said.

Tony Blankley, Gingrich's spokesman, called the new charges ``frivolous'' and said Democrats would rather ``throw mud balls at Newt's ankles'' than engage in the serious debate over budget cuts that has consumed the Republicans.

Bonior's complaint is an expansion of an earlier charge he filed against Gingrich that is being considered by the House Ethics Committee. That charge criticizes the speaker for using floor speeches to announce a toll-free number to use to buy tapes of his college course.

In response to that charge, Gingrich cited several other examples of members giving toll-free numbers.

But Bonior argued Monday that the speeches involving the GOPAC event are different because they involve a partisan organization that benefits Gingrich personally. He said he learned of the speeches' existence only recently.