Ethics investigators at the time accused her of improperly trying to facilitate federal bailout financing and do special favors for a Boston-based bank, OneUnited, at a time when her husband had stock in the company worth about $200,000.

The ethics inquiry has been sidetracked for nearly a year, however, after charges by Ms. Waters and her supporters that staff lawyers for the committee had themselves violated House rules in their inquiry and shown a bias against her.