Here in the United States, Democratic Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi has announced she’s passed over Congressmember Alcee Hastings to chair the House Intelligence Committee. Hastings was considered next in line for the post when the new Democratically controlled Congress convenes in January. But he was dogged by ethics questions. In the 1980s, Hastings was the subject of a bribery investigation when he served as a federal judge. He was ultimately removed from the bench, though he was eventually acquitted of criminal charges. Hastings is the Democrats’ number two on the Intelligence Committee and was supported by the Congressional Black Caucus.