In one of the first acts of the House Republican caucus, its members voted to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics. The office was created in 2008 after the lobbying scandals involving "Black Bag" Jack Abramoff. The secret vote was held on Monday, a national holiday, at a secret meeting of the caucus.
The office currently has free rein, enabling investigators to pursue allegations and then recommend further action to the House Ethics Committee as they see fit.
Now, the office would be under the thumb of lawmakers themselves. The proposal also appears to limit the scope of the office’s work by barring them from considering anonymous tips against lawmakers. And it would stop the office from disclosing the findings of some of their investigations, as they currently do after the recommendations go to House Ethics.
The vote to declaw the OCE was orchestrated by several members who felt they had been wrongfully accused of unethical behavior by the OCE, according to several sources in the room. The sources said several members currently or formerly under the OCE's microscope stood up to support the pitch, which was eventually adopted by a vote of 119 to 74.Led by their most egregious grifters, the House Republicans are eagerly setting the tone for neo- fascist con artist Donald "Rump" Trump's Russo- Republican kleptocratic administration.
They have met The Swamp and it is them. Same as it ever was; same as it ever was.
UPDATE: The Republicans' move was so manifestly sleazy, even "Black Bag" Jack called it out.
UPDATE II: The worms turn --
Following a public outcry, and criticism from President-elect Donald Trump, House Republicans reversed course Tuesday on drastic changes to the independent Office of Congressional Ethics. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) offered a motion to restore the current OCE rules, and that was accepted by the GOP conference.The Graft Store will open at a later date when the heat is off.
UPDATE III: And you know who the dimwit, normalizing media is crediting with this reversal, right? Meanwhile, here's the real reason they backed down.
(Image: via Wonkette)
