Legislative Ethics

House Speaker Paul Ryan should suspend privately-funded foreign travel by House members and staff and launch a formal review of the rules governing it, Common Cause and other advocacy organizations said today.

The indictment returned against Sen. Bob Menendez today alleges a gross abuse of the public trust. While he is of course presumed innocent at this point, Sen. Menendez should step aside from his position as ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee until this matter is resolved.

The resignation of Rep. Aaron Schock makes an open and shut case for stronger ethics enforcement and training in Congress, Common Cause said today.

The resignation of Rep. Aaron Schock makes an open and shut case for stronger ethics enforcement and training in Congress, Common Cause said today.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s week started with a bad case of foot-in-mouth during his three-day trip to England, and went downhill from there, reaching new lows for ethics and good, open government – even for New Jersey. But his woes are about more than the Governor; they’re a reminder of the the yawning gap between the political machinations America gets and the democracy it deserves.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today his support for important ethics and campaign finance changes proposed by Common Cause New York and other public interest allies in the wake of the arrest of New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.