House members call for improvements to ethics panel amid recent string of resignations amid scandals

House members are calling for improvements to the chamber’s Ethics committee following a recent string of members resigning amid scandals. In just the past several days, three House members accused of serious ethical lapses were forced to resign – Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.; Tony Gonzales, R-Texas; and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Fla. 
Gonzales and Swalwell were accused of engaging in sexual misconduct with former staffers and each resigned before the committee could render findings of fault and enact punishments, according to Politico. 
Cherfilus-McCormick resigned Tuesday, moments before the committee was set to meet to consider a punishment after determining she illicitly funneled millions to support her campaign.
Committee Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., told Politico additional resources would help the panel move cases through more quickly.
“But … it has to be up to leadership,” he said. “It has to be up to the [House’s] speaker and the minority leader as to the size of the staff that they would like to see the Ethics committee command.”
Florida GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna is also among the rank-and-file House members calling for reform. 
“A lot of people are disgusted,” she told the news outlet NOTUS. “There’s still staff that are coming forward, telling me about their members, and it’s just – it’s not good. It’s unacceptable.”
The committee this week reported that since 2017 it has opened 20 investigations into sexual misconduct allegations against House members, also according to NOTUS.
Florida GOP Rep. Cory Mills is the only House member with an open investigation for “sexual misconduct and/or dating violence,” according to the document. Mills has denied wrongdoing. 

Read Full Article: https://justthenews.com/government/congress/house-members-call-improvements-ethics-committee-after-string-recent-scandals?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators