The Office of Congressional Ethics on Wednesday released a comprehensive report of its activities since Congress created it in the wake of scandals, some of which ended in lawmakers and staffers going to jail.
Since getting off the ground in February of 2009, the office has issued quarterly reports. But the fourth quarter report issued Wednesday is much broader, possibly a response to criticism from lawmakers that convinced Republicans to make the independent entity less autonomous. The GOP backed down amid severe public backlash and a scolding via Twitter from President Trump.
A handful of Republican lawmakers whose behavior the Office of Congressional Ethics has scrutinized essentially argued that they were treated unfairly in enduring public shaming. They complained about unfounded “anonymous” complaints triggering probes and “leaks” about still confidential investigations.
The Office of Congressional Ethics addressed those concerns head on in the report’s final paragraphs.
“Information about alleged violations comes to the OCE from various sources, including submissions from the public, from other third-party sources, and from information reported in the press,” the report reads. “The OCE does not take ‘anonymous complaints’ or ‘complaints’ of any kind. “The OCE accepts information from the public; however a submission of information does not itself trigger a review. The decision to begin an investigation lies solely with the Board, requiring at least two members of the OCE Board to request, in writing, that the staff look into a matter.”
The Office of Congressional Ethics has a professional staff that investigates allegations of wrongdoing and presents a case to an eight-member board, which then decides whether to refer the matter to the bipartisan House Ethics Committee for adjudication.
“When information about a possible violation is received, the staff reviews it; when warranted, staff then may consider the legal basis for the allegation and review other publicly available information to determine whether to recommend that the Board authorize a preliminary review,” the report explains about the body’s process.
The new report also includes a section titled “citizen communication,” which outlines how the office interacts with the public.
“Any member of the public may bring a matter of suspected misconduct involving a Member [of Congress], officer or staff of the House to the attention of the OCE,” it said.
In the last Congress alone, the office interacted with approximately 6,285 citizens. Some were just seeking information about how the Office of Congressional Ethics works, while others alleged misconduct.
Since getting off the ground through the end of 2016, the Office of Congressional Ethics had more than 18,000 interactions, according to the report.
Shortly before the controversial move, outside watchdog groups were talking about how to improve the Office of Congressional Ethics and make it more efficient. After the close call, such groups are now focused on remaining vigilant to ensure the Office of Congressional Ethics remains and not negatively altered by Congress.
