[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 28, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S432-S433]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
U.S. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS ANNUAL REPORT
Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, for myself as
chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics and for Senator Coons, vice
chairman of the committee, that the annual report of the Select
Committee on Ethics for calendar year 2024 be printed in the Record.
The committee issued this report on January 31, 2025, as required by
the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Annual Report of the Select Committee on Ethics
119th Congress, First Session
January 31, 2025
The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (the
Act) calls for the Select Committee on Ethics of the United
States Senate to issue an annual report no later than January
31st of each year providing information in certain categories
describing its activities for the preceding year. Reported
below is the information describing the Committee's
activities in 2024 in the categories set forth in the Act:
(1) The number of alleged violations of Senate rules
received from any source, including the number raised by a
Senator or staff of the Committee--158. (In addition, 6
alleged violations from previous years were carried into
2024.)
(2) The number of alleged violations that were dismissed--
(A) For lack of subject matter jurisdiction or in which,
even if the allegations in the complaint are true, no
violation of Senate rules would exist: 142.
(B) Because they failed to provide sufficient facts as to
any material violation of the Senate rules beyond mere
allegation or assertion: 7.
(3) The number of alleged violations for which the
Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry: 15. (This
figure includes 6 matters from previous years carried into
2024.)
(4) The number of alleged violations for which the
Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry that resulted
in an adjudicatory review: 1.
(5) The number of alleged violations for which the
Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry and the
Committee dismissed the matter for lack of substantial
[[Page S433]]
merit or because it was inadvertent, technical or otherwise
of a de minimis nature: 8.
(6) The number of alleged violations for which the
Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry and the
Committee issued private or public letters of admonition: 1.
(7) The number of matters resulting in a disciplinary
sanction: 0.
(8) Any other information deemed by the Committee to be
appropriate to describe its activities in the previous year:
In 2024, the Committee staff conducted 16 Member and office
campaign activity briefings; 19 employee code of conduct
training sessions; 5 public financial disclosure clinics,
seminars, and webinars; 29 ethics seminars and customized
briefings for Member DC offices, state offices, and Senate
committees; 2 private sector ethics briefings, and 3
international briefings.
In 2024, the Committee staff handled approximately 11,082
inquiries (via telephone and email) for ethics advice and
guidance.
In 2024, the Committee wrote approximately 968 ethics
advisory letters and responses including, but not limited to,
776 travel and gifts matters (Senate Rule 35) and 161
conflict of interest matters (Senate Rule 37).
In 2024, the Committee received 4,323 public financial
disclosure and periodic disclosure of financial transactions
reports.
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