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The scandal is what's legal, to quote the old wag. The problem with campaign finance reform generally is that it doesn't work and probably can't, at least not without violating the first amendment. I'm not sure what the answer is - it's certainly not good that our representatives (in both parties) spend a huge amount of each day on the phone, metaphorically rattling their tin cups. I haven't been able to think of a good alternative, though I have tried. And no, outlawing everyone's freedom of speech except what's approved by the regulators is not an alternative (and that's what public financing would need to have in order to be remotely effective).
Jefferson may yet be charged, but the matter has to work its way through the system. Until then he's not technically guilty of anything, though certainly Speaker Pelosi should use her judgment about what sorts of committee assignments he gets. So far she put him on Homeland Security, which isn't the greatest idea for someone who appears to have been willing to sell his vote for money.
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