Ethical standards are nonpartisan

I have been reading in dismay about Monday’s vote in the House of Representatives on changes to the Office of Congressional Ethics. These changes could have eliminated investigations and reviews of unethical behavior by those holding office on the federal level had not a firestorm of objections and calls of disapproval from the public not happened.

Regardless, I want to express my opinion on this very important matter. To be very clear, although I write in opposition to this proposal while chairing the Florida Commission on Ethics, this opinion belongs to me and not the commission as a whole, as the Florida Commission on Ethics has not taken a stand or vote on this matter.

This is important for me to make clear. It is also important to me to know there may be times to speak up as an individual and even as the chairman on issues I believe to be important. This I do know: If the Florida Commission on Ethics did not exist, with its powers of investigation, adjudication, and ever-present deterrence, thousands of ethical violations and trespasses of good government would have occurred, continuing to diminish what little trust the people have left in government.

So on the federal level, where elected members of Congress do their work farther away from home, an independent Office of Congressional Ethics is more important than ever. In addition, the optics of this could not be worse.

So, I felt compelled to offer my sole opinion of this tragic proposal. Ethics is nonpartisan. Violation of ethical standards happen to members of both parties. The good news is there are leaders in Congress from both sides of the aisle who oppose the weakening of the federal ethics watchdog. Perhaps find out who they are and give a call of encouragement.

This story was originally published January 4, 2017 at 4:41 PM with the headline "Ethical standards are nonpartisan."