Heard Around Town, August 29, 2012

* JCOPE member Ravi Batra, who was out of the country for several days and returned on a flight late yesterday evening, missed yesterday’s meeting of the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, also missing a prime opportunity to weigh in on the spate of recent ethical mishaps in the Capitol. He had this to say though. “Any American who is accused is entitled to constitutional presumption of innocence,” he said. “As to matters that may come before JCOPE, either by complaint or via a Commission-voted upon ‘sua sponte’ investigation, I cannot and will not comment to protect the propriety of the process. Everyday citizens and public officials, however, are free to voice their views publically.”