The House of Representatives has a serious ethics problem

[babylonsister]

Last edited Wed Dec 29, 2021, 08:15 PM - Edit history (1)

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/12/29/2071704/-The-House-of-Representatives-has-a-serious-ethics-problem

The House of Representatives has a serious ethics problem
Joan McCarter
Daily Kos Staff
Wednesday December 29, 2021 · 1:19 PM EST


This is not a shocking story, considering the Republicans we're dealing with now.

When member of Congress go rogue, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) is supposed to step in. It’s an independent and non-partisan panel established by the House in 2009, tasked with investigating misconduct and making referrals to the House Ethics Committee. When lawmakers cooperate, that is. And increasingly, they’re not.

In 2021, 14 House lawmakers were referred to the OCE for investigation. Six of those 14 absolutely refused to cooperate with the investigation, a rate of 43%, which has never happened before. In its first year, the 111th session of Congress in 2009-10, it carried out 68 investigations and just three members refused to cooperate. This fall, OCE was investigating improper financial conduct in four separate cases, and two of the members—both Republicans—flatly refused to meet with the investigators or provide any requested documents. That’s how it works these days, apparently.

snip//

Omar Ashmawy, the staff director of the OCE, told the Times that they were seeing increased resistance by members to cooperate, but that “It has never prevented us from being able to gather the facts and determine what happened and whether or not the subject was culpable.” He also said that he thought the higher rate of resistance is because the OCE is taking on fewer, but more serious, cases. In the less serious cases, lawmakers have been anxious to clear up any problems. Not so with the real wrong-doing that’s been alleged in the cases before them now—cases that could have real consequences.

snip//

Outside observers see a breakdown of the norms and rules which has governed Congress. “There’s a trend towards not taking ethics rules seriously and also more resistance to cooperating in ethics investigations or, frankly, even acknowledging the legitimacy or authority of ethics investigation,” said Bryson B. Morgan, a lawyer at the firm Caplin & Drysdale in Washington, and a former investigative counsel for the OCE. “I think there’s been a bit of a backsliding on ethics.”

snip//

Yes, the rules should be tougher and there should be more serious consequences, particularly when you’ve got the likes of Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Green, and Jim Jordan running around the place. It’s that whole slippery slope idea: you get used to members using their insider knowledge to make some money on the stock market and turn a blind eye to it, you end up with members letting violent mobs know where to gain access to attack the Capitol and the people in it.

[peppertree]

1. Third World-style corruption - at First World prices

That's how Repugs like to roll.

[TheRealNorth]

2. If you're guilty, why would you cooperate....

When there is no penalty.

[dsc]

3. Notice that every single non cooperator mentioned was a Republican

but the entire piece was written as a both sides problem. That is how the GOP doesn't pay a price for this.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

4. Hagedorn represents MN CD-1.

That POS needs to go.

I am sorry he is battling Stage 4 kidney cancer. But all in all, he has acted unethically most of his political life.

[chowder66]

5. I'm a big fan of Nancy Pelosi but on this I disagree with her. nt