Recently elected Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma) has until September 30 to close his medical practice because an ethics panel has determined it conflicts with his official duties, The Washington Post reports.

Coburn plans to fight the decision, saying he can't abandon his clients, some of whom are indigent. He says he has to maintain his skills and his medical license during his six-year Senate term.

Coburn defeated former Congressman Brad Carson (D), a member of the Cherokee Nation, last November. His practice became an issue during the campaign when a former patient accused him of an unauthorized sterilization.

Get the Story:
Ethics Panel Finds Conflict With Senator's Job as Physician (The Washington Post 4/6)
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