Office of Congressional Conduct

Reps. Kat Cammack and Teresa Leger Fernández are spearheading bipartisan legislation to fundamentally reform misconduct investigation rules in Congress, aiming to create a single reporting point for staffers. Proposals include prohibiting intimate relationships between members and staff, while also seeking to codify the Office of Congressional Conduct into law and guarantee stronger consequences for lawmakers. The reforms face lawmaker resistance and jurisdictional hurdles, such as securing Senate buy-in.

A bipartisan House effort, involving Reps. Kat Cammack and Teresa Leger Fernández, aims to fundamentally change how sexual misconduct and other bad behavior are investigated in Congress. They have been working on legislation that plans to reform the Ethics Committee's functions and streamline complaint reporting processes for staffers. The proposals build on previous efforts like the 2018 law and seek support from figures such as Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

The House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Lance Gooden, a four-term Texas Republican, following findings from the Office of Congressional Conduct referred on June 10. An update on the investigation is expected by November 9. A 2021 complaint by the Campaign Legal Center regarding unreported stock trades under the STOCK Act was sent to the OCC.

The House Ethics Committee is facing a surge in misconduct allegations and needs more resources to investigate claims efficiently. Two lawmakers resigned last month amid sexual misconduct allegations, and others are being investigated. The committee's chairman, Michael Guest, wants to bring the Office of Congressional Conduct under the committee's umbrella to access more staff.

Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over unspecified allegations, authorized by Chair Michael Guest and ranking member Mark DeSaulnier. The probe could impact Edwards' re-election prospects amid a politically charged environment, as three other House members have recently resigned under similar Ethics investigations.

Former Rep. Eric Swalwell faces a new ethics complaint alleging he used his congressional position to promote his AI fundraising startup, Findraiser, alongside his chief of staff and co-founder, Yardena Wolf. The complaint from the conservative watchdog FACT joins ongoing investigations into sexual misconduct allegations against Swalwell.

Rep. Ilhan Omar's financial disclosure was revised from $30 million to under $100,000 due to an accounting error, with her office asserting she is not a millionaire. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer criticized the discrepancy, alleging potential influence-peddling, while Omar's team dismissed the scrutiny as politically motivated.

Rep. Ilhan Omar's office clarified she is not a millionaire after a revised financial disclosure reduced her and her husband's assets from $6M–$30M to $18K–$95K. The error was attributed to accountants, and House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer criticized the sudden asset surge as suspicious. Omar's office dismissed the scrutiny as politically motivated.