Conservative activist organizations and taxpayer groups have joined together to thwart any possible attempt to shut down the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE).
A coalition of ten groups, including Judicial Watch, Taxpayers for Common Sense, the National Taxpayers Union, and a number of reform groups, are urging the incoming House leadership to continue the OCE. Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist for Public Citizen and an organizer of the preemptive strike, tells OneNewsNow some are concerned there could be an effort to weaken or undermine the office.
“We are trying to apply pressure early before [Speaker of the House-elect John] Boehner steps into office on January 5, because he will do it in one sweep on January 5 if he chooses to go ahead,” Holman explains.
The Office of Congressional Ethics is an independent, non-partisan investigative office within the House that is credited with pressuring the House Ethics Committee to do its job. But the government affairs lobbyist points out that Congressman Boehner (R-Ohio) was opposed to the OCE when it was created two years ago.
“We’re trying to remind him that…it was his last GOP Congress that he presided over that got so heavily involved in ethics scandals that brought his leadership down and brought in a Democratic majority,” Holman adds.
The advocacy groups will release research that shows an increase in activity in this Congress’ House ethics committee, which appears prompted by the work of the Office of Congressional Ethics. The OCE reports that it undertook 69 preliminary reviews in 2009 and 2010, while the House Ethics Committee gave 11 disciplinary actions in that same time. The latter committee, however, took no action during the Jack Abramoff scandals of that same period.
(Source: OneNewsNow)