CLC Applauds Appointment of Governing Board Members to the Office of Congressional Conduct

Washington, DC — Today, after calls from Campaign Legal Center (CLC) and its partners, U.S. House of Representatives leadership appointed members to the governing board for the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC), an independent ethics body (formerly known as the Office of Congressional Ethics) with the power to conduct investigations into members of Congress. CLC and 19 other good government partners recently sent a letter urging House leadership to appoint an OCC board so that the entity can conduct investigations and review allegations of misconduct by members of Congress. 

Kedric Payne — CLC’s vice president, general counsel, and senior director, ethics — issued the following statement in response to this development: 

“Campaign Legal Center applauds the decision by House leadership to appoint a governing board of members for the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC). 

“Since its creation, Campaign Legal Center has advocated for the OCC’s ongoing existence in the House because it's the only ethics enforcement body in Congress that conducts and publicizes investigations into members on a nonpartisan basis. 

“Today’s appointment of board members indicates that the OCC is now able to resume its vital operation of ensuring lawmakers abide by ethics rules, which is essential to our democracy. 

“Campaign Legal Center will keep pushing for key reforms on ethics enforcement in Congress. We support making this independent ethics body a permanent feature of not just the House but also the Senate. We also strive to see an OCC with more subpoena powers, increased transparency and a bipartisan confirmation process. 

“Voters have a right to know that their elected officials in Congress are putting the public first. At a time when public trust in Congress remains at a historic low, the legislative branch should work to strengthen and expand the Office of Congressional Conduct.” 

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Campaign Legal Center is a nonpartisan legal organization dedicated to solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. Founded in 2002, CLC fights for every American’s freedom to vote and participate meaningfully in the democratic process. 

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