The bipartisan House Ethics Committee is facing scrutiny over its pace on investigations as misconduct scandals have rocked Congress, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Critics say the panel, which leads probes into lawmakers, works too slowly and often doesn’t publish a report if a member leaves.
The ethics process "must be reformed to act faster, enforce accountability, and let elected officials focus on serving the American people, not cleaning up misconduct," said Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.
Freshman Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., a former federal prosecutor, told the Journal that "some of these investigations may be delayed for political reasons, and we need clear rules that require a conclusion" to probes.
The panel has recently opened investigations into former Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales after sexual misconduct allegations came to light through media reports.
But both evaded an expected expulsion on the House floor after resigning, like Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the Florida Democrat who was found guilty of multiple ethics violations by the panel and resigned this week, minutes before the panel was set to meet to recommend punishment.
Cherfilus-McCormick’s ethics case started in 2023.
Lawmakers are pushing for an inquiry into Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., who is being investigated by the committee after being accused of various improprieties, including illicitly engaging in federal contracts while in federal office, to move quickly.
“If you’re beating up women, I don’t think that you should be a representative in Congress,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo. On Mills’s denials, she said: "I mean, who hasn’t denied allegations."
The inquiry involves allegations of "sexual misconduct and/or dating violence."
The committee in a statement defended itself.
"Over the last decade, the Committee has adopted a more aggressive and robust approach to allegations of sexual misconduct," it said.
"Since 2017, the Committee has initiated investigations in 20 matters involving allegations of sexual misconduct by a Member. The Committee has also investigated several Members for their handling of allegations of sexual misconduct by their senior staff."
Rep. Mark DeSaulnier of California, the top Democrat on the panel, told the Journal he’s speaking with colleagues about ways to "make our investigations more efficient" while protecting victims and due process.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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