Bad Ethics Bombshell Coincides With Poll Of Lawmakers: Our Ethics Enforcement Is Good Enough

A confidential ethics committee report leaked to the Washington Post reveals that more than 30 members of the House are currently facing ethics investigations, including seven members of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

The Post's big scoop comes less than a week after the National Journal's poll of lawmakers that shows both Democrat and GOP lawmakers are confident in the ethics oversight of their own party.

The National Journal asked members of Congress, "Are your party's leaders doing enough to police congressional ethics in your own party?"

Of the 37 Democrats polled, 62 percent said they were, in fact, confident in their party's ethics policing. Republicans, meanwhile, are even more confident -- of the 36 lawmakers polled, 81 percent voted yes.

The mag also provided some choice quotes from lawmakers. One Dem said, "Let's not forget: It wasn't until the Democrats took over the majority that Congress adopted strengthened rules of ethical oversight."

A Republican said, "We've had more than our share of issues, but Boehner has shown he's willing to ask members to step aside when it becomes necessary. Dems can't say the same."

Some of the cases disclosed in the ethics committee's confidential report were already known, such as inquiries into lawmakers with connections to the defunct lobbying firm PMA Group. But the report reveals that the investigation is broader than previously thought.

Those seven defense subcommittee members funneled more than $200 million in earmarks to PMA Group clients over the last two years and received more than $6.2 million in campaign contributions from PMA over the last decade, the Post reported.