[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 832]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS

  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, the Honest Leadership and Open 
Government Act of 2007 calls for the Select Committee on Ethics of the 
United States Senate to issue an annual report not later than January 
31 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 2012 in the 
categories set forth in the Act:

       (1) The number of alleged violations of Senate rules 
     received from any source, including those raised by a Senator 
     or staff of the Committee: 47. In addition, two alleged 
     violations from the previous year were carried into 2012.
       (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: 36.
       (B) Because they failed to provide sufficient facts as to 
     any material violation of the Senate rules beyond mere 
     allegation or assertion: 8.
       (3) The number of alleged violations for which the 
     Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry: 5. The 
     figure includes two matters from the previous calendar year 
     carried into 2012.
       (4) The number of alleged violations for which the 
     Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry that resulted 
     in an adjudicatory review. 0.
       (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 merit: 
     1.
       (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. 2.
       (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 2012, the Committee staff conducted three new Member 
     ethics training sessions; 33 Member and committee office 
     campaign briefings; 18 employee code of conduct training 
     sessions; 11 Member, spouse, and employee STOCK (Stop Trading 
     on Congressional Knowledge) Act briefings; eight public 
     financial disclosure seminars and clinics; 24 ethics seminars 
     and customized briefings for Member DC offices, state 
     offices, and Senate committees; six private sector ethics 
     briefings; and 15 international briefings.
       In 2012, the Committee staff handled approximately 9,616 
     telephone inquiries and 2,097 email inquiries by email for 
     ethics advice and guidance.
       In 2012, the Committee wrote approximately 761 ethics 
     advisory letters, including 576 letters regarding travel and 
     gifts matters (Senate Rule 35) and 113 letters regarding 
     conflict of interest matters (Senate Rule 37).
       In 2012, the Committee received and reviewed approximately 
     3,142 Periodic Disclosure of Financial Transactions reports 
     filed by Members, officers, and employees of the Senate.
       In 2012, the Committee issued 3,259 advisory letters 
     concerning financial disclosure filings by Senators, staff, 
     and Senate candidates and reviewed 1,915 reports.

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