[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 3136]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           SELECT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2016

  Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent on behalf of 
Senator Isakson, chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics, and for 
myself as vice chairman of the committee, that the annual report of the 
Select Committee on Ethics for calendar year 2016 be printed in the 
Record. The committee issued this report on January 27, 2017, 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, 115th Congress, First 
                                Session

       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 2016 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: 63. (In addition, 2 
     alleged violations from the previous year were carried into 
     2016.)
       (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: 43.
       (B) Because they failed to provide sufficient facts as to 
     any material violation of the Senate rules beyond mere 
     allegation or assertion: 14.
       (3) The number of alleged violations for which the 
     Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry: 5. (This 
     figure includes 2 matters from the previous calendar year 
     carried into 2016.)
       (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 
     or because it was inadvertent, technical or otherwise of a de 
     minimis nature: 3.
       (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 2016, the Committee staff conducted one new Member and 
     staff ethics training session; 29 Member and committee office 
     campaign briefings (includes one remedial training session); 
     21 employee code of conduct training sessions (includes one 
     remedial training session); 8 public financial disclosure 
     clinics, seminars, and webinars; 18 ethics seminars and 
     customized briefings for Member DC offices, state offices, 
     and Senate committees; seven private sector ethics briefings; 
     and seven international briefings.
       In 2016, the Committee staff handled approximately 9,736 
     telephone inquiries and 1,580 inquiries by email for ethics 
     advice and guidance.
       In 2016, the Committee wrote approximately 825 ethics 
     advisory letters and responses including, but not limited to, 
     691 travel and gifts matters (Senate Rule 35) and 93 conflict 
     of interest matters (Senate Rule 37).
       In 2016, the Committee received 3,198 public financial 
     disclosure and periodic disclosure of financial transactions 
     reports.

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