Category Archives: ethics investigations

“Office of Congressional Ethics Cites Possible Violations by Alan Grayson”

April 6, 2016, 7:32 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

NYT: Representative Alan Grayson, Democrat of Florida, may have improperly used his House office and staff to handle personal financial matters involving a family-run hedge fund as well as political activities related to his bid for the United States Senate,… Continue reading

“Tighter Lid on Records Threatens to Weaken Government Watchdogs”

November 27, 2015, 8:37 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

What happened to the Obama administration’s commitment to be the most transparent Administration? Not looking good. NYT: The continuing Honduran inquiry is one of at least 20 investigations across the government that have been slowed, stymied or sometimes closed… Continue reading

“Watchdogs Press for New Rules Allowing Review and Audits of Taxpayer–Funded Expenditures by Members of Congress”

October 30, 2015, 7:44 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Release: Today, the Campaign Legal Center, joined by Common Cause, Democracy 21 and Public Citizen urged the Committee on House Administration to adopt new rules making clear that expenditures from Members’ Representation Allowances (MRAs) are subject to review and… Continue reading

“Scott Walker signs bill limiting Doe probes as records released”

October 23, 2015, 3:59 pmcampaign finance, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Patrick Marley: Gov. Scott Walker signed legislation Friday curtailing the ability of district attorneys to use the John Doe law to launch investigations like the probes they have conducted of his campaign and his aides and associates. The GOP… Continue reading

“San Jose commission will investigate nearly the entire City Council”

September 10, 2015, 9:10 amcampaign finance, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

San Jose Mercury News: In what can only be described as a legal quagmire and a political nightmare for public officials, the city’s Ethics Commission decided Wednesday to launch an investigation of nearly 40 City Council members and candidates… Continue reading

“Ethics probe finds California Rep. Honda may have mixed official and campaign business”

September 3, 2015, 11:02 pmcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

WaPo: A congressional ethics panel announced Thursday that Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) may have improperly used tax-payer funded congressional staff and resources for campaign activity in 2012 and 2014. A report from the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) found… Continue reading

“Scott Walker Proposes Shutting Wisconsin Ethics Board”

July 21, 2015, 7:49 amcampaign finance, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

NYT reports.

“Lawmakers Introduce Solution to Wall Street Conflicts of Interest; New Public Citizen Report Highlights Extent of Problem”

July 15, 2015, 2:55 pmcampaign finance, conflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

Release: In an effort to rein in conflicts of interest and revolving door abuses within financial regulatory agencies, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) today introduced the Financial Services Conflict of Interest Act – a… Continue reading

Bauer on #SCOTUS Renzi Petition and Congressional Self-Policing

June 23, 2015, 8:25 amethics investigations, Speech or Debate Clause, Supreme CourtRick Hasen

interesting.

“Unfounded accusations should not distract from OCE’s successful record (The Hill)”

June 1, 2015, 1:44 pmethics investigations, legislation and legislaturesRick Hasen

Meredith McGehee writes.

“10 members of Congress took trip secretly funded by foreign government”

May 13, 2015, 9:40 amconflict of interest laws, ethics investigationsRick Hasen

WaPo: The state-owned oil company of Azerbaijan secretly funded an all-expenses-paid trip to a conference at Baku on the Caspian Sea in 2013 for 10 members of Congress and 32 staff members, according to a confidential ethics report obtained… Continue reading