ETHICS/LEGAL: “Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s call for ethics investigations into two Democratic senators and a Republican candidate is putting a spotlight on a Senate committee that largely operates in secret and doesn’t disclose the results of many of its investigations.
On Thursday, a woman accused Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) of sexual misconduct in a 2006 incident, and a federal judge declared a mistrial in the corruption trial of Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.). Those events prompted Mr. McConnell to issue statements calling for the Senate Ethics Committee to take up their cases.
The committee announced later that day it would resume its 2012 inquiry into Mr. Menendez that it deferred in 2013 when the Justice Department took up the case…
Taking on the cases brings scrutiny to the six-person panel that does most of its work behind closed doors. The committee generally undertakes its initial investigations without public disclosure, to respect the privacy of those facing allegations. At times, it has given updates on high-profile cases, sometimes to announce that a case has been dismissed….
While it discloses little about its casework, it is required to issue an annual report. In 2016, the committee received 63 allegations of violations of Senate rules, according to the report, 57 of which were dismissed. None of the remaining allegations resulted in an admonition or disciplinary sanction.”
-Natalie Andrews, “Senators’ Calls for Ethics Probes Puts Focus to Secretive Panel,” The Wall Street Journal online, Nov. 17, 2017 09:30am