Letter to the Editor / GUTTING ETHICS RULES – Reversed

Roger C. Kostmayer

(note:  On Monday Jan. 2 the decision by the Republican caucus to remove independent ethics oversight was announced, but the immediate negative response by the left, right and center caused them to reverse their decision a day later.  The letter to the editor below was written prior to the reversal but it looks like a win for the people – at least for now.)

Without warning or debate, in the dark of night behind closed doors in the House of Representatives, the Republican caucus effectively killed the Office of Congressional Ethics, an act of extraordinary hypocrisy.  After trumpeting their promise to “drain the swamp” of corruption, conflicts of interest and ethical violations, the party in control of every branch of government is now pulling the teeth out of ethics rules.  If they succeed it would be good for crooks and corruption in Congress, and bad for the American people and good government.

This action comes just as hordes of corporate lobbyists descend on Washington with satchels of money to influence a new Congress and a new President (who has no experience but lots of potential conflicts of interest.)  It might not surprise you that many of the Representatives pushing hardest for removal of the only independent oversight of their behavior, have ethical and conflict of interest issues.

When a political party or politician loudly promises something (like “I’ll drain the swamp”) and then does the exact opposite behind closed doors (such as flooding the swamp and feeding the alligators) it is both hypocrisy and bait-and-switch dishonesty.

America is on the verge of an era of scandal, corruption and Constitutional violation – unless Americans of every political persuasion demand transparency, high ethical standards, the rule of law and honest public servants.

Roger C. Kostmayer