During the Christmas break last month we looked at the rather odd story of an air traveler who was bumped from her first class seat on a United Flight from Texas to Washington by Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. The passenger in question was Jean-Marie Simon, and United claimed that she had mistakenly canceled her own flight using the app on her phone and then reassigned the newly open, first-row seat to Jackson Lee. The congresswoman initially blamed it on racism (of course), which was an odd charge considering that Simon is a human rights activist.
After a non-apology from the airline and an offer of a voucher in exchange for her troubles, Simon was still not satisfied with the treatment she had received. And now, according to her Twitter feed, she’s asked the Congressional Ethics Committee to look into the matter.
Since United didn't respond to my letters re treatment on flight #788, I've filed complaint with Office of Congressional Ethics. No case number, + according to OCE rules it cannot even disclose whether it will consider case, but I think it's important to keep this going forward. pic.twitter.com/eiqu9S8YJx
— Jean-Marie Simon (@JeanMarieSimon1) January 7, 2018
As Simon indicates, it’s uncertain if the committee will even take up the question, but it might be worth a look. If Jackson Lee actually did ask to bump someone and cooperated with United to take Simon’s seat, that’s probably not a criminal offense, but it certainly sounds unethical. But even if the version of the story being told by United is true, there are still questions to be raised. Did the Congresswoman originally book a coach flight and then pay for an upgrade or was it a courtesy move on the part of the airline? If the latter, that constitutes a “gift” with significant cash value. And if it was paid for, then the taxpayers shelled out a considerable amount of dough for Jackson Lee to have the best seat on the plane. Was that recorded in her expense report?
These “representatives” don’t think laws apply to themselves, why would they think rules or ethics apply? The media doesn’t care unless it’s a Republican, so their constituents (usually ignorant to begin with) never realize what their “representatives” actually think of them.
Meanwhile, garbage like this call for Trump to be removed because he is “unfit”.
She can be Oprahs running mate!
EVERYONE GETS 1st CLASS AIRFARE
Rep. Lee sits on the Committee on Homeland Security and serves as the ranking member of the subcommittee on transportation security, giving her control over airlines.
Therefore it wouldn’t surprise me if the incident is a case where the airline, United, gets someone to “fall on his/her sword” in behalf of Rep. Lee.
Rep. Lee will be able to skate thru as if her queenly demands are simply tacitly taken care of without her having to be bothered by details of who pays the price.
Lee and Oprah i can already see the signs MELEFICENT & URSULA 2020