Just as Rep.-Elect George Santos Comes into Office, House GOP Considers Rules That Could Hamper the Ethics Committee – By Adam Klasfeld (Law & Crime) / Jan 3, 2023
Under scrutiny by U.S. and Brazilian prosecutors, Rep.-elect George Santos of New York is expected to take the oath of office today under the watchful eyes of no fewer than four jurisdictions.
One of the non-prosecutorial bodies looking into the Republican may start its tenure hobbled.
Sparking alarm from advocacy groups, the House GOP intends to vote on a provision slipped into the rules of the 118th Congress that would effectively change the composition and resources of the House Ethics Committee. A bipartisan watchdog, the Committee historically has had a 5-5 breakdown between the two major parties.
The rules proposed by the new Congress, which will be under Republican control, do not alter that fundamental structure. Two of the changes, however, could effectively oust the current Democratic members and make it harder to hire staff necessary to conduct investigations.
