Name: Omar Ashmawy; Role: Staff director and chief counsel of the Office of Congressional Ethics; Age: 38; College: George Washington University; Hometown: Westfield, N.J.
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Tell me a little about yourself and how you got to the Hill:
I went to college and law school in Washington, and then joined the military. That took me on an unanticipated path because I joined six months before 9/11. The world obviously changed dramatically just after I joined the service. That brought eventually brought me back to DC and to the Office of Congressional Ethics where I work now.
We help the House uphold ethical standards by investigating allegations of misconduct by members, staff or officers of the House.
I had always thought about the military. It was always something that was in the back of my mind. For various reasons, the timing never seemed to work out. I graduated high school at 17. I ended up graduating college a year early. I was very focused on my academics. That was my principal focus. As I got to law school, I realized I was running out of time to serve, and if I wanted to do it, I had to do it now. I sought out a recruiter, and eventually made the decision to join the Air Force.
Why the Air Force?
You know, the real answer to that is that the recruiter for the Navy never returned my phone calls. That said, the more I learned about the Air Force, it was a more ideal match for my background, my academics. Additionally, when I decided to join, I’d also found a love for litigation and the Air Force was very well-suited for someone who wanted to litigate.
In my heart, I ended up being a do-gooder, and I like the idea of using my time and energies to make the place better. A real part of my identity is that I’m a first generation American; my mom was born in Italy, my dad was born in Egypt, and they both came here with very little. Both created lives for themselves and a life for me here, and I do feel a debt to the United States. It’s a big part of why I joined the military, and that desire to give back hasn’t left me.
When you got out of the military, how did you find your way to OCE?
I was getting out of the Air Force in February of 2009. It was January and I was still looking for positions. I just finished up two trials down in Guantanamo Bay. I was actually just sent a posting for the investigative counsel position. I was intrigued right away: There was something entrepreneurial about it, the opportunity to build an office from scratch. I really enjoyed investigations when I was in the military; that was some of my favorite work. The OCE seemed like a great way to continue my public service, which I wanted to do, but also do something I loved.
What has been the most meaningful experience you’ve had at the OCE?
Helping to build a team of unique professionals who are able to do a difficult job and do it with a degree of professionalism and a commitment to accuracy. That’s something that’s not always associated with Washington, D.C., but our office has that quality. In the past, as is the nature of the military, I’ve always been working for someone, supporting someone else — a commander, a superior officer. At the OCE, we have a board of directors, but I have a lot of responsibility to make sure the work we do is consistent with what’s expected of us: We can’t get it wrong; we have to be fair. We’re operating in a political city, in a world in which politics is everything, and we’re doing a job that can’t be influenced by politics. It’s what makes this office unique and what makes my role unique. I have to ensure that the pressures that can exist in a city like this don’t in this office. And the thing I’m proudest of is to say that they haven’t. I can stand by our board and our findings.
It’s something I’m amazed at every day: We were created in March of 2008. We are one of the youngest institutions in D.C., even in the United States. And yet, I think we’ve had a profound, positive impact on the culture of the House of Representatives. I can only take so much credit for that; the credit has to be shared with our board and our staff.
What do you do in your spare time?
Most of my disposable income goes to travel and trying new restaurants. My favorite spot is the Palm. When I need to work off the chicken parmesan there, I spend the rest of the time going hiking in Great Falls and the Shenandoah.
This article appears in the Oct. 5 edition of the Washington Examiner magazine.
