An independent ethics board has begun investigations into eight new cases involving House members, according to the panel’s quarterly report issued Monday and at least one subject of inquiry is refusing to cooperate.
The Office of Congressional Ethics was created by the House last year to make recommendations to the House ethics committee, which is made up of lawmakers and is the only body empowered with meting out punishment. While the ethics committee can punish members with censure to expulsion for various misdeeds, they rarely do anything at all when it comes to disciplining its own members, which is what led to the outcry for the creation of the independent ethics board.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been involved in ethics scandals recently, including House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., who the ethics committee is probing over nonpayment of taxes and other matters.
The newly created board began examining cases beginning in March and has so far referred five cases to the House ethics committee although in the past quarter they referred none.
Instead, it opened eight new cases in the past three months, “terminated” four cases and commenced more serious reviews of two cases involving House members or their staff. The board does not disclose any of the details about who is being investigated, or why, and they can field complaints from members or the public.
According to a statement from the board, it has opened a total of 24 investigations since March.
“With one exception, member cooperation has been timely,” the statement says.
