In these turbulent political times where no one on the Left seems to agree with anyone on the Right, there appears to be agreement that Members of Congress will sooner – or later, get swept up in an ethics probe. Of course, I am making light of a serious situation because we should all be concerned with the frequency with which our politicians are hauled before the Ethics Committee.
In October 2021, the committee announced three Republicans and one Democrat Congress person were under investigation separately violated ethics laws and forwarded the probes to the House Ethics Committee. That panel has not provided any public updates on its investigations in those lawmakers.
In the latest scandal, Forbes writers Zach Everson and Michela Tindera reported (January 25, 2022) that Representatives Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) and Marie Newman (D-Ill.) had most recently violated ethics laws. The writers pointed out that (they): “broke an assortment of ethics laws…alleged offenses include misusing official resources, soliciting or accepting improper gifts, and offering federal employment to a primary opponent.”
Naturally, when caught the typical response is that the politicians will cooperate fully with the probes. The House Committee on Ethics “can subpoena and sanction House members.”
Of the charges themselves, it appears as though Lamborn was accepting bribes of some type to influence his voting, while the charges against Newman are potentially more serious.
“The committee’s referral is related to a lawsuit that Newman…alleged that she bribed a potential primary challenger named Iymen Chehade so that he would not run against her in her 2020 House race.”
In essence, the accusation is that she bought off a challenger. The potential for abuse in that matter are huge. While I cannot minimize the potential bribes Lamborn may have taken, the charge against Newman suggests that the electoral process was not independent, but influenced by internal favors.
Nothing New
These types of ethical violations are hardly new and indeed, such behavior has long been associated with politics. This suggests that ethics probes are not seriously taken. Why then, do these probes even exist?
Before we go into any depth, it is important to note that overwhelmingly our congress people are lawyers. They intellectually should understand what unethical behavior is – and is not. However, they also understand nuance (gray areas) and they learn to thrive in those areas.
As I have pointed out when I talk of unethical behavior in business or even sports, all types of fraud usually come to life when there is a lack of oversite. It is the opportunity of it all. Aside from innuendo and accusation, most of us have no idea of what occurs behind closed doors in the political world. The entire legislative wheeling and dealing process is often a convoluted, Byzantine mess only accessible to a select few insiders. It is why Congress has such an incredibly low approval rating. Is it unfair? In a way, yes. For there are politicians who are ethical and serious in discharging their duties.
Why do some politicians commit fraud? They have a need, either for power or money or both. Most of us understand that in some form or another, a politician with a fairly modest salary somehow leaves office (sooner or later) a wealthy individual.
How do they rationalize their behavior when caught? It is precisely in that gray area. The area in which most of us are unable to penetrate or understand. They learn to navigate it until “one of their own” blows a whistle.
How Much is Lost?
As an ethics speaker and consultant who has talked to representatives of thousands of organizations, I fear that when one or two unethical members of a complex organization are discovered, there are many more “undiscovered.”
There is no telling how many acts of “gray-area fraud” occur nor how much money is ultimately drained from the taxpayers. However, it is much more than money. Could it be that there are numerous, ethical violations that frequently affect policy, balances of power, and politics themselves?
How much is lost through acts of unethical behavior? I fear there are numerous violations and I think Congress knows this as well.
There are easy answers, of course, but “easy” is not working. Maybe it never has. Money corrupts. Power corrupts. When oversite lags, what is left? It is past due to open up a national dialog on ethics. Barring that, when politicians who are lawyers are caught, perhaps it is time to increase the penalties to the point of disbarment from practicing law. If they are not lawyers then perhaps the imposition of major fines and other penalties.
Ethics dictate that we should have new solutions to this old problem. It has never seemed as though Congress as a body wants to pursue this route; it prefers to police itself. Is that the best route to take? Speaking of police, if most communities want more transparency in how the law is enforced, should we not police those who pass those laws? And if police forces are commonly wearing “body-cams,” should individual Congressional offices be monitored in a similar manner?
It is past-due to make sure the ethics committees are fully doing their jobs.
