The Ethics Committee is unique among all House committees in that it is a bipartisan committee. The Ethics Committee’s membership consists of 10 Members, five Members from the two national political parties. The Chair comes from whichever party is in the majority party in the House. All Committee staff are nonpartisan.
THE ETHICS COMMITTEE HAS THREE MAIN FUNCTIONS.
First, the office of Advice and Education is designated to answer questions and provide ethics training to House Members, officers, and employees. Contact with the Committee about the application of laws and rules to proposed conduct is welcomed and encouraged. The Committee’s advisory function is conducted in a confidential manner. The Committee rules prevent an Advice and Education inquiry from being transformed into an investigation.
The second function of the Committee is investigations. The Committee is charged with investigating and adjudicating any alleged violations of the House rules or any related statutes by House Members, officers, or employees.
The Committee’s third function is reviewing financial disclosure statements filed by Members, candidates, senior staff, and shared staff.