Legislative Ethics

Today’s verdict confirms that Congresswoman Brown exploited the generosity of her constituents, other Floridians and contributors outside the state to enrich herself with funds those donors understood would provide scholarships for needy students. Her disgraceful conduct betrayed her solemn promise to “bear true faith and allegiance” to the Constitution and “faithfully discharge the duties” of her office.

The House Oversight Committee has requested information from President Trump’s lawyer concerning the “implementation and timing of the Trump Organization’s announced plans to donate profits of foreign government payments to the U.S. Treasury.” The U.S. Constitution forbids government officers from receiving emoluments (gifts or money) from foreign governments and officials. The Trump Organization announced the plan in January but has offered no supporting materials to date.

A lawsuit filed Wednesday by Common Cause North Carolina and 10 Carolinians asks a state court to nullify two bills passed at a special session of the state legislature last December because legislative leaders provided no advance public notice of their meeting.

House Intelligence Committee chair Devin Nunes, R-CA, this morning surrendered leadership of the committee’s investigation of Russia’s involvement in last year’s election.

Common Cause continues to call for Rep. Nunes to step down as House Intelligence Committee Chair and for Congress to create a special commission to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election.

The White House is going to increasing and troubling lengths to influence and undermine the investigations of possible coordination between the Trump presidential campaign and the Russian government. It is becoming increasingly disturbingly clear that the White House will do anything to try to change headlines President Trump doesn’t like. Instead of taking the Russian interference in the 2016 election seriously, President Trump, White House staff, and House Intelligence Committee chairman Devin Nunes are playing partisan games to try to distract Americans from the truth.