Roll Call: Members of Congress have $15,000 in unpaid tickets

No one is immune from parking and traffic tickets. Not even Members of Congress.

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But a recent Roll Call article found that members owe D.C. thousands of dollars in unpaid tickets.

Roll Call says the actual number is something like $15,000 in unpaid tickets.

ABC7's Rebecca Cooper went to Capitol Hill today to find out what Members of Congress and citizens had to say about this.

She found lots of government vehicles parked illegally, but members have designated spaces.

Rep. Gene Greene of Texas says it's tough to know which rules to follow.

"I think it's confusing, because when I first came up here in the 90's we were told that Members of Congress can park along the street as long as you don't park in a tow away zone or a fire zone or something like that.

That's still true, but even with all the special privileges, tickets for speeding, fire zone parking, and expired meters often go unpaid.

Members from Maryland have unpaid tickets in the thousands.

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett says that's just wrong.

"I don't think I've ever gotten a speeding ticket and I don't remember the last time I got a parking ticket, so I really can't empathize with them very much," Bartlett said. "But I think we need to set an example for the people that we need to obey the law."

Most D.C. residents she spoke with said Congress should focus on making laws, not breaking them.

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