In a win for government transparency and ethics enforcement, the U.S. House of Representatives just approved four nominees to the governing board of the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC).
The announcement comes on the heels of a letter Campaign Legal Center (CLC) and 19 partners sent to House leadership calling on them to approve the OCC board.
With enough board members to operate, the OCC will be able to continue its crucial role of investigating and uncovering misconduct by members of Congress.
The OCC serves an essential role in our democracy by providing independent, nonpartisan oversight of the House of Representatives, safeguarding it against corruption and providing much-needed transparency by publishing reports about their investigations upon completion.
Historically, CLC has called on the OCC, formerly known as the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), to investigate misconduct of members of Congress that is detrimental to public trust in our lawmakers. This includes the complaint we filed against 19 U.S. representatives who appeared to have accepted campaign contributions from Elon Musk in return for their actions to limit the power of federal judges.
Prior to advocacy by CLC and its partners, House leadership had effectively squashed the OCC’s ability to conduct investigations by refusing to approve the nominees to its board. This misguided action led the OCC to experience its longest period of dormancy in its nearly two-decade history.
Attempts to hamstring the OCC are deeply at odds with the will of the people; voters and members of Congress have shown on multiple occasions that they want the OCC to exist and operate effectively.
Now more than ever, we need to continue pushing for better oversight and accountability across all branches of government. CLC will continue to use the OCC as one of our many pathways to hold lawmakers accountable and ensure that our representatives are working for the public good.
Campaign Legal Center is prepared to meet the moment and, on behalf of the American people, ensure politicians are held to the highest ethical standards. Join the fight today.