Judicial Watch: House Republicans ‘Trying to Destroy’ Office of Congressional Ethics

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton is thundering against the House Republican effort to dismantle the Office of Congressional Ethics.

In a strongly worded statement, Fitton says: “It is shameful that House Republicans are trying to destroy the Office of Congressional Ethics, the most significant ethics reform in Congress when it was established nearly a decade ago.”

Judicial Watch focuses on the transparency, accountability and integrity in government and politics and remained a thorn in the side of the Obama administration, the Clintons, and Democrats for many years.

“This drive-by effort to eliminate the Office of Congressional Ethics, which provides appropriate independence and transparency to the House ethics process, is a poor way for the Republican majority to begin ‘draining the swamp,’” Fitton says.

Although the office was created under then Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2008, Judicial Watch worked with her to create an investigative body with independent power.

“The American people will see this latest push to undermine congressional ethics enforcement as shady and corrupt,” Fitton said. “The full House should seriously consider whether it wants to bear the brunt of public outrage and go through with the rule change this afternoon.”

Although House Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy reportedly opposed the rule changes, they allowed the vote to take place.