▁knowledge ▁of ▁such ▁treatment ▁and ▁gave ▁the ▁mort g age ▁disc ount ▁to ▁char ity . ▁Cit iz ens ▁for ▁Res p ons ibility ▁and ▁Eth ics ▁in ▁Washington ▁( CRE W ) ▁called ▁on ▁the ▁Senate ▁Eth ics ▁Committee ▁to ▁investigate ▁Con rad . ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁after ▁a ▁year long ▁inqu iry , ▁the ▁Eth ics ▁Committee ▁ex on er ated ▁Con rad ▁of ▁any ▁un eth ical ▁behavior ▁in ▁his ▁deal ings ▁with ▁Country wide . ▁ ▁Elect oral ▁history ▁ ▁Over view ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁election , ▁Con rad ▁defeated ▁the ▁Republican ▁inc umb ent , ▁Mark ▁Andrew s , ▁by ▁ 2 , 1 2 0 ▁votes . ▁Andrew s ▁had ▁represented ▁North ▁Dak ota ▁at ▁the ▁federal ▁level ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁( he ▁had ▁previously ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁the ▁Senate ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ). ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁campaign , ▁Con rad ▁p led ged ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁run ▁for ▁re e lection ▁if ▁the ▁federal ▁budget ▁def ic it ▁had ▁not ▁fallen ▁substantial ly ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁term . ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 2 ▁it ▁became ▁obvious ▁that ▁this ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁the ▁case , ▁and ▁although ▁pol ls ▁showed ▁that ▁the ▁elect or ate ▁would ▁have ▁wel com ed ▁his ▁ren eg ing ▁on ▁that ▁p ledge , ▁Con rad ▁considered ▁his ▁promise ▁binding ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁run ▁for ▁re e lection .