The feeling is, the Democrats have too much influence on it. Republicans feel it isn't 'independent.' They feel Democrats will use it to concoct endless 'scandals' against Trump. It'll be used to sabotage his Presidency. I mean, Democrats are gonna do that anyway. But now they'll have one less weapon.
God forbid we have an independent watchdog made up of non-politicians / non MoC to hold members accountable.
God forbid!
About – Office of Congressional Ethics
The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) is an independent, non-partisan entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against Members, officers, and staff of the United States House of Representatives and, when appropriate, referring matters to the House Committee on Ethics.
In all but one set of circumstances, the report and findings of the OCE Board must be publicly released. The OCE has a professional staff (hyperlink to staff bios) consisting primarily of attorneys and other professionals with expertise in ethics law and investigations. The mission of the OCE and its Board is to assist the House in upholding high standards of ethical conduct for its Members, officers, and staff and, in so doing, to serve the American people. Governed by an eight-person
Board of Directors, Members of the OCE Board are private citizens and cannot serve as members of Congress or work for the federal government.
History of the OCE
Established March 11, 2008, by House Resolution 895, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) is the first ever independent body overseeing the ethics of the House of Representatives. The OCE was formed after members of a congressional task force proposed an independent entity in the U.S. House to increase accountability and transparency. The OCE’s mission is to assist the U.S. House in upholding high ethical standards with an eye toward increasing transparency and providing information to the public. The OCE reviews allegations of misconduct against House Members, officers, and staff and, when appropriate, refers investigations to the House Ethics Committee for further review. While our two-stage investigative process is confidential, in almost all circumstances, OCE cases sent to the Ethics Committee must become public. Since the OCE was created, its authorizing resolution has been renewed in the 111th, 112th, 113th and 114th Congresses. The OCE has reviewed a wide variety of allegations relating to earmarks, travel, financial disclosure, and legal expense funds among other topics. The OCE
publishes a statistical summary of the Board’s actions on a quarterly basis. The reports and findings of the Board are made public according to the OCE’s authorizing resolution. These referrals are available at the
reports page. The OCE’s investigations are done in two phases. A
chart outlines this process and our
Citizen’s Guide shows how the OCE fits into the structure of government ethics enforcement. Visit our
FAQs for more details on how the OCE operates."
More Jack Abramoffs!
More Duke Cunninghams!
More Bob Ney!
More Mark Foley!
More William J. Jeffersons!
Speaking of Jack Abramoff -- Guess who is in favor of not gutting the OCE?
"Jack Abramoff, the former lobbyist whose sprawling corruption case helped prompt the creation of the Office of Congressional Ethics, on Tuesday bashed House Republicans' short-lived attempt to weaken the office.
"While there seems to be little question that some of the procedures of the Office of Congressional Ethics can and probably have created collateral political problems for innocent Members of Congress, moving to diminish oversight is exactly the opposite of what Congress should be doing," Abramoff told
Politico before House Republicans pulled the measure.
Even Jack Abramoff Says GOP Attempt To Gut Ethics Office Was A Bad Idea
