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CREW: House Ethics Committee Must Be Dissolved and Rebuilt

Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Executive Director Melanie Sloan sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Speaker Designate John Boehner (R-OH) suggesting the committee be entirely repopulated in the 112^th Congress and the investigation into the conduct of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) begin anew next year.  CREW based its letter on press reports indicating the committee has descended into near chaos.

"The American people need to have confidence that the members of the Ethics Committee are dedicated to keeping Congress honest," said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan.  "Instead, the committee is in utter turmoil, leaving it incapable of meeting its mission of upholding ethical conduct. Under these circumstances, how can members or the public trust anything coming out of the committee?"

 In support of its request, CREW cited: the clear breakdown of relations between Committee Chair Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and committee staff, the complaints and cross-complaints by Rep. Lofgren and Ranking Member Jo Bonner (R-AL), the revelation that Rep. Bonner ordered the Capitol Police to block the doors of the committee offices for a week, reports that committee members and staff argued about what documents should be subpoenaed, the unexplained and troubling suspensions of two staff investigators, intimations that Rep. Lofgren had undermined staff efforts to prepare a fair and thorough case, and the committee's failure to obtain and review clearly relevant documents from Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and the staff of the House Financial Services Committee.

 CREW also suggested the House leaders authorize an investigation into exactly what has happened during the course of the Waters inquiry, including whether members or staff deliberately declined to obtain or produce either incriminating or exculpatory evidence.

 "Faith in the House ethics process is already historically low and the information slowly leaking highlighting the committee's dysfunction is sure to further diminish its reputation," said Sloan. "As deeply divided as the House is, Republicans and Democrats will have to work together next Congress to reinvigorate and instill confidence in the ethics process."