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Letter sent to Speaker Ryan opposing Rep. Goodlatte's proposed amendment to eviscerate the Office of Congressional Ethics.
Letter to House Representatives opposing Rep. Goodlatte's proposal to eviscerate the Office of Congressional Ethics.
Today, the Campaing Legal Center signed onto a letter encouraging Speaker Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi to re-authorize the Office of Congressional Ethics in 2017 and fill the vacant seat on the board.
The Campaign Legal Center joined with a bipartisan group of signers, including past Republican and Democratic White House Counsels, in a letter to President-elect Donald Trump calling on him to divest his business enterprises into a true blind trust managed by an independent trustee with no family relationship. Trump will announce his plans regarding his and his family’s financial stake in his business on December 15, 2017.
A coalition of government watchdog groups and individuals released a letter to President-elect Donald Trump.
The Campaign Legal Center joined in a lawsuit alleging widespread corruption in the awarding of contracts by the Houston Independent School District (HISD). The Legal Center joined the legal team representing a Houston construction contractor who was locked out of the school district’s construction contracts after refusing to participate in the Board of Trustees’ widespread “pay-to-play” scheme.
The complaint alleges that GEO Corrections Holdings Inc. broke the law by making the contribution, and Rebuilding America Now also violated the law by accepting it.
On July 4th, 2016, CLC President Trevor Potter delivered the following speech at The Chautauqua Institution, a non-profit organization. It is a historic lakeside community dedicated to the exploration of the best in human values and the enrichment of life.
We strongly urge Representatives to vote against the amendment expected to be offered by Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) to reduce the proposed budget of the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) and keep it at its FY16 levels. This effort is nothing more than sour grapes from a Member who has had a several interactions with the Office. The OCE has played a critically important role in restoring public credibility of the congressional ethics process. The Pearce amendment should be rejected on a bipartisan basis.
The attached Fact Sheet outlines the growing problem, highlights a number of notable abuses of the current LDA by high-profile un-registered lobbyists and offers solutions to help make the lobbying industry more accountable to the taxpayers whose tax dollars it seeks on behalf of clients.
A group of experts and close observers of Congress sent a letter urging Congress to form a Joint Committee on the Capacity of Congress to examine and improve congressional operation, which is suffering from understaffing and underfunding.
WASHINGTON – The Campaign Legal Center urged the Senate and House Ethics Committees to issue new, more detailed guidance for members of Congress to limit the appearance of special treatment or legislative favors for political donors in a post-Citizens United era.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed by voice vote H.R. 1069, the Presidential Library Donation Reform Act, to reveal the identities of donors to presidential libraries, prompted by reports raising concerns about sitting Presidents fundraising for such institutions. H.R. 1069 was introduced by Rep. John Duncan (R-TN). A companion bill, S. 558, introduced by Sen. Thomas Carper (D-DE), has been reported out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and is awaiting final action on the Senate floor.
The Campaign Legal Center again urged the House Ethics Committee and the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) to establish a Task Force to review and recommend changes to clarify House rules concerning recusal and conflicts of interest by Members. In a letter to Ethics Committee Chair Charles Dent (R-PA) and Ranking Member Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and OCE Co-Chairs David Skaggs and Judy Biggert, CLC offered new accounts that raise questions of potential Member conflicts on a large scale in the fields of biomedicine and healthcare.
The Campaign Legal Center urged the House Ethics Committee and the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) to review the actions taken by Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) in offering an amendment that would benefit his own business during House consideration of the transportation reauthorization legislation. In a letter to Ethics Committee Chair Charles Dent (R-PA) and Ranking Member Linda Sanchez (D-CA) and OCE Co-Chairs David Skaggs and Judy Biggert, CLC urged a review of Rep. Williams’ conduct and further urged the Committee to recommend changes to clarify House rules concerning recusal and conflicts of interest by Members.
The Campaign Legal Center, joined by Common Cause, Democracy 21 and Public Citizen urged the Committee on House Administration to adopt new rules making clear that expenditures from Members’ Representation Allowances (MRAs) are subject to review and approval by the Committee. Lax oversight of Members’ expenses has led to a series of scandals, the most recent leading to the resignation of Rep. Aaron Schock. The letter also urged the Committee to allow MRA budgets to be periodically audited for compliance with the Members’ Congressional Handbook and House ethics rules.