Congressional Republicans change minds, keep ethics office

WASHINGTON — Connecticut Democrats on Capitol Hill gasped at news that the House Republican majority would scuttle the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, but their chagrin turned to head-scratching wonder as Republicans abruptly reversed course Tuesday.

Republicans had voted in a closed-door meeting Monday to bring the OCE under the control of the GOP-dominated House Ethics Committee, which Democrats and ethics advocates condemned as flying in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to “drain the swamp.’’

With Trump himself Tweeting criticism of the plan and House Speaker Paul Ryan also opposed, the Republican caucus ultimately shelved it Tuesday and permitted the OCE to continue.

“The timing was just disastrous,’’ said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., “I didn’t expect to agree with Trump on the first day of Congress.’’

The ethics reversal provided the dominant story line on the day lawmakers reconvened in Washington to be sworn in for the 115th Congress. At a minimum, it put something of a damper on Republican celebrations and planning for total control of the White House and Congress as of Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

“With President-elect Trump’s own ethical issues and his refusal to explain to the American people how he plans to divest from his company, we cannot afford to remove other sources of accountability in our nation’s government,’’ said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn. “The House must set a high standard in how it conducts its business and I am pleased that House Republicans reversed course to keep this office.’’

The Office of Congressional Ethics was created in 2008 under the leadership of then House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., amid a series of scandals, many of them involving Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The OCE was set up to be something of an alternative to the politically controlled House Ethics Committee. It was empowered to issue reports on ethics investigations even if the ethics committee declined to take action against a member.

In addition to bringing OCE under the thumb of the ethics committee, the proposal of House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., would have barred any OCE investigation based on anonymous complaints. Goodlatte and other Republicans viewed the issue as one of guaranteeing due process to accused lawmakers of either party.

In a closed-door, Republicans-only meeting Monday, GOP House members voted 119-74 for reining in the OCE.

But an outcry by Democrats and ethics advocates, coupled with opposition from Trump, Ryan and other Republican leaders, led to a hasty and abrupt reversal Tuesday.

“It was a day of many surprises,’’ said Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn. “I was not at all surprised that Republicans changed their minds. But the speed with which this all unraveled is indicative of the kind of volatility and unpredictability we saw throughout campaign. And it may be an early example of what we can expect in this Congress.’’