Capuano defends ethics proposal from GOP critics

Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.), who chairs the House ethics task force, is standing by his latest proposal for an outside ethics entity despite a Republican campaign to derail it before its official release.

{mosads}“I recognize and expect that some Members will not accept any independent entity, regardless of how it is constituted, and do not support increased transparency,” he said in a statement Friday night.  

“I understand those concerns but I do not agree with them. Nevertheless, I remain committed to a bipartisan effort although I understand that there may be issues upon which we simply agree to disagree".

Capuano was responding to GOP criticism of his proposal that began Thursday when Republicans circulated a memo titled “Arguments Against” along with the latest version of the Democratic proposal for an outside ethics panel.

Capuano said some of provisions targeted in the GOP memo originated from Republicans on the task force.

For example, according to a two-page summary of the proposal obtained by The Hill, a six-member board would oversee the new Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) and be appointed jointly if the speaker and minority leader can agree on the choices. If they cannot, the board members would be named through “partisan appointments.”

"We have worked diligently to address all of the issues raised by Republican members of the task force over many months and many meetings, and will continue to do so,” Capuano said. “We have adopted many of their suggestions, including joint appointments [by the Speaker and Minority Leader] to the OCE Board."

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tapped Capuano to head the bipartisan panel, which was charged with deciding whether to create an outside ethics office to supplement the work of the House ethics committee. Many watchdogs and political observers regard the existing ethics panel as a paper tiger that did nothing to prevent several wide-ranging corruption scandals involving House members in recent years.

Capuano explained that the proposal calls for each party leader to make his or her own appointment only if a bipartisan agreement cannot be reached after 90 days.

“Absent such a deadline, the rejection of all suggested appointees by either the Speaker or the Minority Leader would render the entire board inoperable and is therefore unacceptable to those of us who support the concept of an independent process,” he said.

Capuano also defended criticism about provisions that would require virtually all of the new ethics office’s reports and findings to be released publicly.

"The most essential aspect of any proposal to establish an independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) must be transparency; otherwise the public will not have faith in its work,” he said.

GOP lawmakers are particularly unhappy with a provision that would allow any two members of the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) to initiate an investigation into charges against a member, arguing that it would enable partisan witch-hunts.