House ethics investigators have scrutinized the activities of more than 30 lawmakers and several aides in inquiries about issues including defense lobbying and corporate influence peddling, according to a confidential House ethics committee report prepared in July. Full Story »
Posted by Jo Bobenhouse Smith - via Washington Post , Memeorandum
Perhaps most importantly for a story involving leaked documents, the Washington Post is transparent about how it obtained the report, devoting several paragraphs at the end of the story to discuss the leak and offering officials a chance to comment.
Interesting report about the accidental disclosure of secret investigations under way by the House ethics committee. This article is largely based on a document found on a file-sharing network, but this breach was confirmed by leading committee members. Nothing really earth-shattering, but this helps increase the transparency of activities from this secretive committee.
I'd call this an example of "heads-up" journalism. Someone discovered these documents and reported on them, and I think this works to the good. The piece seems to show that the House ethics group is doing their job; indeed, from what's reported here, they're doing a better job than some people give them credit for.
I'm glad to see that the House ethics investigators seem to be doing their job, and from what is apparent here they're doing it appropriately and responsibly. News leaks such as this one all too often show that something is rotten in Denmark. This one suggests that the good guys in the House are winning. That means we win, too.
The article offers quite interesting new information about ethics inquiry. Not much of what is mentioned reaches the public normally, and we are assured that this also will not be the case in the future.
I think ethics investigations of the kind mentioned hold some value, and it is understandable that these investigations are usually not disclosed to the public. The way the Washington Post presents the facts should find approval.
Because of the secretive nature of the ethics committee, it was difficult to assess the current status of the investigations cited in the July document. More »
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