Barney Frank’s 1989 Near-Ouster Reminds Congress: Pause, Investigate, Let Voters Decide

An op-ed argues that Barney Frank’s near-ouster in 1989 over his involvement with a male sex worker shows why Congress should pause, adjudicate, and let voters decide rather than rush to force resignations; it contrasts Frank with later cases like Franken, Hill, Studds, Crane, and the Swalwell situation to argue that due process and voter accountability, though imperfect, are a healthier guardrail for ethics in Congress.