Ethics Committee investigating former members for leaking to the media: report

The House Ethics Committee has sent letters to former committee members asking them to provide information about leaks stemming from a case that was later dismissed, according to a new report. NOTUS reported on Wednesday that the Ethics Committee is investigating leaks stemming from allegations of impropriety against Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA). Costa was accused of making inappropriate advances toward staff members in 2023, and details of the case were later leaked to NOTUS. A person who was in the room during the committee’s deliberations on Costa previously told NOTUS that some of the members had expressed concern about the congressman’s behavior, the report reads in part. Now, according to another source, the committee is asking members who were present during those deliberations if they disclosed any information and telling them their responses must be provided under oath.The report was published at a time when the Ethics Committee has faced growing scrutiny for its handling of the investigations into Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Tony Gonzales (R-TX), both of whom later resigned from Congress. Members of both parties have claimed the committee does not move fast enough to investigate allegations of wrongdoing by lawmakers, NOTUS reported. The Republican Women’s Caucus and the Democratic Women’s Caucus launched a task force aimed at providing recommendations by summer recess on how to overhaul the House Ethics process and how allegations are reported.