CREW Condemns Ethics Committee for Shutting Down Ethics Process

Washington, D.C. — Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington ("CREW") condemned the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct for trying to further cut back on ethics complaints. Last night, the Ethics Committee sent a letter to Rep. Chris Bell (D-TX) explaining that committee rules prohibit complaints from including "innuendo, speculative assertions, or conclusory statements." The Ethics Committee publicly released the letter to inform members that, in the future, the Committee would not accept complaints that include such statements, and that the Committee may even sanction members who submit complaints that include such statements.

Melanie Sloan, CREW's executive director and a former federal prosecutor expressed dismay at the Committee's statement. "It will be nearly impossible for anyone to file a complaint that meets the Committee's new standard," said Sloan. "This provision effectively prohibits anyone from filing a complaint based on a reasonable belief that an ethics violation occurred. Apparently, the Committee will only review complaints that demonstrate a violation a 'beyond a reasonable doubt,' thus eliminating the need for the Committee to conduct any independent investigations."

Sloan explained that in their individual capacities, Members of Congress do not have subpoena power and, therefore, cannot compel witnesses to testify and cannot compel the production of documents. That power is reserved for the Ethics Committee. Without the evidence that can be discovered only through the use of subpoena power, it is unlikely that a Member can put together a complaint that includes no "innuendo, speculative assertions or conclusory statements."

Sloan stated, "it appears that the House wasn't satisfied with merely preventing non-members from filing complaints. Now, the House has decided to prevent Members from filing complaints as well." Sloan continued, "viewed in conjunction with the Republican conference's decision to allow indicted Members to maintain leadership posts" it is abundantly clear that in the House of Representatives, ethics are dead. The only thing left to do is disband the Ethics Committee altogether and drop the pretense that the House takes ethics seriously."