Tag: House Ethics Committee

Ethics panel investigating New York Rep. Tom Reed over groping allegation

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Reed, citing fight with alcoholism, has said he won’t run for another term

New York Republican Tom Reed is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee after a former lobbyist said he drunkenly groped her in 2017.

Reed, who is married and 20 years older than the woman, initially said the account was not accurate. Two days later, he apologized and said he would neither challenge Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo nor run for reelection in the House.

“Simply put, my behavior caused her pain, showed her disrespect and was unprofessional. I was wrong, I am sorry, and I take full responsibility,” Reed said in a statement March 21. He noted at the time of the misconduct he was “struggling” with alcoholism and received treatment that year, acknowledging he is “powerless over alcohol.” Continue reading.

GOP ‘storm the SCIF’ stunt could jeopardize classified briefings

Bipartisan memo warns lawmakers of consequences for them and the House

The House Ethics Committee responded this week to efforts by House Republicans to access the secure facility in the basement of the Capitol during a closed-door impeachment deposition on Oct. 23, issuing a memo about breaches of security and warning lawmakers of potential consequences.

The memo, dated Thursday, reminds lawmakers that all members and staff who have access to classified information take an oath to not disclose any such information and that access to classified information and secure areas are on a “need to know” basis.

“House personnel should not attempt to gain access to classified information or controlled areas unless they have a need to access the area or information,” Ethics Chairman Ted Deutch, a Florida Democrat, and ranking member Kenny Marchant, a Texas Republican, wrote in the memo.

View the complete November 15 article by Katherine Tully-McManus on The Roll Call website here.

House Ethics Committee investigating Gaetz over Cohen threats

The Hill logoThe House Ethics Committee announced Friday that it is formally investigating whether Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) attempted to intimidate President Trump‘s former lawyer Michael Cohen ahead of his testimony to Congress earlier this year.

In a statement, Ethics Committee Chairman Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and Rep. Kenny Marchant (Texas), the panel’s ranking Republican, said that Gaetz declined their request to appear before the committee for an in-person interview in May.

The Ethics Committee said it told Gaetz that it wouldn’t be able to resolve the ethics complaint against him without his testimony and warned that if it couldn’t dispose of the complaint by June 24, the rules would require formally opening an investigative subcommittee to review the allegations.

View the complete June 28 article by Cristina Marcos on The Hill website here.

Gowdy steps down from Ethics Committee, citing ‘challenging workload’

The following article by Max Greenwood was posted on the Hill website January 13, 2018:

Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) has resigned from his post on the House Ethics Committee, citing a challenging workload that also includes his chairmanship on the powerful House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

In a letter to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) dated Jan. 10, Gowdy said that he would “treasure” his experience on the Ethics panel, but acknowledged that it was difficult balancing that assignment with his work on other committees. Continue reading “Gowdy steps down from Ethics Committee, citing ‘challenging workload’”