WASHINGTON — Both Republicans on the House ethics subcommittee investigating the Mark Foley scandal have financial ties to Speaker Dennis Hastert, whose handling of the former congressman's lurid Internet messages to House pages is under scrutiny.

Ethics Chairman Doc Hastings received $2,500 during the 2000 campaign from Hastert's political action committee, Keep Our Majority, according to PoliticalMoneyLine, which tracks money in politics. The six-term Washington Republican, who became ethics chairman last year, will lead the Foley investigation.

Rep. Judy Biggert of Illinois, received $6,000 from Hastert's PAC and $2,000 from Hastert's own re-election fund during the 2002 campaign, according to PoliticalMoneyLine.

Biggert, whose district neighbors Hastert's, said personal relationships and financial ties will not affect the investigation: "I think that all of us on this committee were chosen because we are thought to be fair."

Fred Wertheimer, president of the watchdog group Democracy 21, said the Hastert contributions undermine the subcommittee's credibility. "They should have brought in an outside counsel," he said.

Two Democrats, Howard Berman of California and Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, round out the Foley investigative panel.

Berman, who is in his 12th term, is the top Democrat on the full ethics committee. Berman recently replaced Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., on the ethics panel. Mollohan stepped down amid charges that he funneled federal money to home-state foundations and increased his own wealth. He has denied wrongdoing.

Tubbs Jones is a former municipal and county judge in Cleveland and served as the elected Cuyahoga County prosecutor.

Ethics members have a job to do "regardless of relationships," she said. "My reputation is too important to put it aside for purposes of some friendship."

The panel will be aided by William O'Reilly, the committee's staff director and counsel.

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