Apprehended again in dubious ethical circumstances, Bill Frist has assured the nation that he is faultless. Although he is suddenly under suspicion of insider trading for dumping his stock in Hospital Corporation of America, the Senate Majority Leader predicts that he will be vindicated when probes by the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission are completed.

Whatever those investigations may conclude, however, the facts that have emerged so far cast a deep shadow on the integrity of Dr. Frist and the standards of the U.S. Senate.

Ever since the telegenic surgeon from Tennessee entered the Senate in 1995, he has been plagued by questions about H.C.A., the gigantic, highly profitable hospital and insurance conglomerate founded by his father and brother. While Dr. Frist billed himself as a health-care expert with a “free-market” orientation, he also had tens of millions of dollars invested in H.C.A. stock.