Departure of OCE Staff Director Leo Wise: Statement of Meredith McGehee, Policy Director

As Staff Director of the Office of Congressional Ethics, Leo Wise served the House with distinction and deserves great credit for putting the OCE on the right track from the beginning.  His unwavering commitment to fair and impartial investigations brought new credibility to an ethics process in Congress that had come unhinged and frankly had become a public laughingstock. 

Leo approached his job professionally and without public fanfare, allowing the facts, rather than political considerations, to be his guide. We are sorry to see him go but wish him well in his new position at the Department of Justice.   We also commend OCE Co-Chairs David Skaggs and Porter Goss for allowing Leo to do his job effectively and without political interference.   It is critical that Mr. Wise’s replacement maintain the same high standards.