House Ethics wants reinforcements as misconduct probes pile up

The House Ethics Committee is facing one of its busiest stretches in years as lawmakers confront a growing pileup of misconduct allegations . "He has had a great challenge, the chairman of Ethics Committee, that committee is very busy right now," Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told Axios on Friday. Why it matters: Pressure is growing on Congress to prove it can police itself amid a wave of misconduct allegations. But top lawmakers say the panel tasked with investigating those claims needs more resources to keep up. Two lawmakers — Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) — resigned last month amid sexual misconduct allegations. Swalwell denied wrongdoing, while Gonzales acknowledged an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide. Reps. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.) are also being investigated by the panel over sexual harassment and sexual misconduct. Both deny any wrongdoing. Driving the news: Ethics Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) told Axios last month that his committee needs more resources to "move matters more quickly." Guest said he wants to have conversations with Democratic and Republican leadership about bringing the Office of Congressional Conduct under the House Ethics umbrella, giving the committee access to their staff. "We'll dedicate whatever resources are necessary to ensure the House Ethics Committee does its job as it should," Johnson told Axios on Friday. "There's lots of allegations flying around, so we'll make sure that they have everything they need to get the job done," the speaker added. The big picture: Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) announced a bipartisan "partnership" Wednesday to overhaul how Congress handles misconduct cases. The two top leaders tapped the chairs of the Republican and Democratic women's caucuses — Reps. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) and Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) — to lead the effort. "We all are in agreement, Ethics moves too slow...

Original source: Axios