In a January 3, 2011 New Yorker piece, "Casualties of Justice," regarding the prosecution of now-deceased Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), Jeffrey Toobin calls the case a "profoundly unjust use of government power against an individual." While there is no argument that the Department of Justice spectacularly...

As the dust settles after the midterms, Speaker-elect John Boehner (R-Ohio) is considering the radically changed political situation and deciding what to do next. One uncomfortable issue he is soon to confront is how to handle the House ethics process.

To avoid returning to the bad old days...

"The political and commercial morals of the United States are not merely food for laughter, they are an entire banquet." -- Mark Twain

In a way, Mark Twain was born in Nevada. Samuel Clemens first used the penname there in 1863. Twain would have appreciated the...

In the past few weeks, we have been bombarded with advertisements across the political spectrum. In fact, according to a recent study by the Wesleyan Media Project, more than $198 million has been spent on ads for federal races in just the past 5 weeks. President Obama

Corrupt lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are polluting the United States Capitol. These members highlight the need for increased oversight by the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), as well as the need for a similar independent ethics watchdog in the Senate. Today my organization, Citizens for...

Note: this article is also cross-posted on The Hill.

Prior to 2005, it would be safe to assume 99% of Americans had never heard of Ketchikan, Alaska. That changed when Congressman Don Young (R-AK) and the late Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) steered $ 400 million in...

Following Christine O'Donnell's surprising upset victory over Congressman Mike Castle, I learned that in the last days before the primary election, Ms. O'Donnell's former campaign manager, Kristin Murray, made robocalls informing voters that Ms. O'Donnell "was living on campaign donations -- using them for rent and personal expenses, while leaving...

Louisiana residents have had more than their share of embarrassing politicians: Huey Long, William Edwin Edwards and William Jefferson to name a few. But even among that lot, Senator David Vitter (R) stands out. Senator Vitter, who has an avowed affinity for...

Years ago, George Costanza of Seinfeld fame educated us all about life in the land of opposites. Up was down, black was white, good was bad. George reached this epiphany by "completely ignoring every urge towards common sense and good judgment" he ever had. Clearly John...

Earlier this month, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a scathing report about the for-profit college industry. After conducting undercover tests at 15 for-profit colleges, the GAO found that representatives of four colleges had encouraged applicants to engage in fraud to secure government college loans and that representatives...

"Drain the swamp we did, because this was a terrible place,"--Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

It's a nice talking point, but with two senior members of Congress facing serious ethics charges in the coming weeks this seems a little premature. To be sure, we've come a long way from the days of...

Tomorrow, President Obama and dozens of members of Congress will attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC. Unbeknownst to most, this seemingly innocuous event is hosted by a shadowy religious organization known as "the Fellowship," or alternatively, "the Family." They should not go.

The Fellowship has been cultivating...

The Obama administration is touting its success in its first effort at making government more accessible and accountable, pointing to the nearly 300 data sets posted by agencies last Friday in response to the administration's December 8, 2009 Open Government Directive (OGD). This directive required all agencies within...

Inside the Beltway, the term "ethics enforcement" has almost become an oxymoron over the past decade. For this reason, it is good news to hear that FBI agents have begun interviewing people connected to the scandal surrounding Sen. John Ensign (R-NV). This revelation, combined with the fact that...

While change was the key to the 2008 elections, 2010 may be shaping up as a return to same old, same old. Several ethically compromised current or ex-officeholders -- including at least two convicted on corruption charges -- are planning or considering races for Congress or governor.

Former Rep. James...

World leaders, scientists and activists have gathered in Copenhagen this week to discuss global efforts to address the challenges posed by climate change. Hopes are high that these decision-makers will leave the conference with concrete ideas that will encourage substantive debate back in their respective countries.

Here in America, however,...

In light of continuing stories exposing Rep. John Murtha's egregious activities, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) called on Rep. Murtha to step down from his position as chairman of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee pending the outcome of a federal grand jury investigation into the lawmaker's earmarking...

The outrage expressed over Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's conduct is a little hard to swallow. Of course, attempting to sell a U.S. Senate seat is bad. Ditto, trying to force a newspaper to fire a testy newspaper editor. And trading government action for campaign contributions? I am shocked, shocked, shocked,...

Today, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has told the nation that she refuses to cooperate with the abuse of power investigation underway in her home state.

While vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin claims the mantle of a reformer, she is subverting the investigation into her unethical conduct authorized unanimously by a...

Two weeks ago, the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Inspector General and Office of Professional Responsibility released a report entitled "An Investigation of Allegations of Politicized Hiring in the Department of Justice Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program." A pdf version of the DOJ Report can be found...