[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 1473]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           SELECT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2014

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, for myself as 
chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics and for Senator Boxer as 
vice chairman of the committee, that the following ``Annual Report for 
2014-Select Committee on Ethics'' be printed in the Record. The 
committee issues this report today 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

       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 not 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 2014 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: 45. (In addition, one 
     alleged violation from the previous year was carried into 
     2014.)
       (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: 27.
       (B) Because they failed to provide sufficient facts as to 
     any material violation of the Senate rules beyond mere 
     allegation or assertion: 17.
       (3) The number of alleged violations for which the 
     Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry: 2. (This 
     figure includes 1 matter from the previous calendar year 
     carried into 2014.)
       (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: 
     0.
       (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: 0.
       (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 2014, the Committee staff conducted two new Member and 
     staff ethics training sessions; 16 Member and committee 
     office campaign briefings; 13 employee code of conduct 
     training sessions; five public financial disclosure clinics, 
     seminars, and webinars; 34 ethics seminars and customized 
     briefings for Member DC offices, state offices, and Senate 
     committees; one private sector ethics briefings; and 12 
     international briefings.
       In 2014, the Committee staff handled approximately 9,648 
     telephone inquiries and 1,510 inquiries by email for ethics 
     advice and guidance.
       In 2014, the Committee wrote approximately 925 ethics 
     advisory letters and responses including, but not limited to, 
     756 travel and gifts matters (Senate Rule 35) and 99 conflict 
     of interest matters (Senate Rule 37).
       In 2014, the Committee issued 3,354 letters concerning 
     financial disclosure filings by Senators, Senate staff and 
     Senate candidates and reviewed 1,650 reports.

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