House leaders neglect to fill ethics office board seats

The House of Representatives has not yet appointed members to a key ethics office tasked with investigating complaints against lawmakers. This delay has left the independent Office of Congressional Conduct, formerly known as the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), without the authority to perform investigations. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are responsible for appointing the board members. However, more than two months have passed since the office was re-authorized in January, and no appointments have been made. If the positions are not filled by March 22, it will be the longest time the office has operated without a full board since it was established in 2008. Without a board in place, staff are unable to launch investigations into ethical violations. Four out of six previous board members may be willing to return, but the chair and co-chair are not. This situation raises concerns among ethics advocates, who worry about the potential weakening of ethical oversight in Congress. Experts, like Kedric Payne from the Campaign Legal Center, fear that the vacancies may lead to the office's demise. He noted that past efforts to undermine ethics bodies during the Trump administration could signal a similar trend in the current Congress. The Office of Congressional Conduct is tasked with investigating complaints about House members and staff. It can publish reports on its findings and refer issues to the House Ethics Committee for potential penalties. However, the independent nature of the office allows it to operate without political pressure, which differs from the House Ethics Committee, made up of sitting members vulnerable to such influences. Payne highlighted past incidents where political pressure affected investigations, such as that of former Rep. Matt Gaetz. He expressed concern that without proper oversight, serious ethical issues could be hidden, especially if a popular member of Congress were involved.