Accountability

Here’s why modernizing the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) should be on top of the congressional to-do list

Accountability, Congress, Federal

In the aftermath of the Watergate scandal involving President Richard Nixon, Congress established the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) in 1978 to provide oversight of the executive branch and prevent — and resolve — conflicts of interest. The agency was eventually made independent in 1989 and currently oversees ethics standards for 2.7 million civilian employees in more than 130 executive agencies and the

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Statement of Meredith McGehee: White House Refusing to Publicly Release Visitor Logs is Unfortunate

Accountability, In the News

WhiteHouse.gov Visitor Record Website

Issue One Chief of Policy Meredith McGehee’s Response to reports of the White House refusing to publicly release its visitor logs: “What an unfortunate and ill-judged decision by the White House. From dismissing decades of tradition by declining to release his tax returns to refusing to place his assets in a blind trust, President Trump seems to be going out of

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Here’s how President Trump’s Speech Should Have Addressed Draining the Swamp

Accountability, Congress, Federal, In the News

Source: C-Span

In his joint address to Congress last night, President Trump laid out a broad agenda, from jobs and health care, to taxes and national security, for change in Washington. However, it failed to address the real culprit behind gridlock in Washington: the undue influence moneyed interests have on decision-making by elected and appointed officials. While the executive order on ethics

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Things to Watch Out For: Weakening the Office of Congressional Ethics

Accountability, Congress

OCE Website

You probably remember that the Monday before the 115th Congress was sworn in, in the dead of the night on a holiday, House Republicans tried (and failed) to pass rules to weaken the independent ethics office meant to police members of Congress. Last month, however, Meredith McGehee, Issue One’s Chief of Policy, Programs and Strategy, highlighted one little-noticed rule that

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President Trump closed a door and opened a tollbooth

Accountability, In the News

In response to Trump administration advisers launching the political nonprofit group America First Policies to support President Trump’s policies, Issue One Chief of Policy, Programs and Strategy Meredith McGehee issued the following statement: “Here’s the problem: It’s a sitting president. He’s in the business of raising money for an outside entity, and it creates a very stark opportunity for access and influence

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Forget insider trading. Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) may have violated House ethics rules.

Accountability

Image by Gage Skidmore/ Flickr/ CC BY-SA 2.0

This op-ed originally appeared in The Hill. While Washington and social media are all atwitter over the STOCK Act and the confirmation hearing of Health and Human Services secretary nominee, Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), it is a provision in the House ethics rules that should receive attention today. In the past 72 hours, questions have been raised about whether Price’s purchase of stock

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Eviscerating the Office of Congressional Ethics would be a blow to voters and lawmakers both.

Accountability, Federal, News

Issue One Chief of Policy, Programs and Strategy Meredith McGehee released the following statement this morning: Today, Congress will vote on a new rules package that includes a proposal – inserted in secret last night – to gut the independent watchdog that oversees congressional ethics. “Acting in the literal dark of night while Congress was not in session, Speaker Ryan

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Statement of Nick Penniman: “We must return government to the people”

Accountability, Crony Capitalism, Disclosure, Federal

I’ve worked in Washington for more than a decade — as magazine publisher and editor and now executive director of Issue One. I’ve seen more brilliant ideas than you can imagine in this town collect dust on shelves or disappear entirely because the political parties are too busy chasing donors rather than solving problems. There are whole issues of policy

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