FALLS CHURCH, Va., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --- Peter Flaherty, President of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), today belittled House Democratic and Republican proposals to establish an Office of Congressional Ethics.

Flaherty said, "Members of Congress propose to establish yet another structure to enforce ethics, even as they subvert and circumvent the existing House Ethics Committee. There are some immediate and less grandiose steps that can be taken by the leadership of the House to demonstrate a commitment to ethics."

Last year, NLPC and Taxpayers for Common Sense, two of the nation's leading Congressional watchdogs, jointly called for fundamental reforms in the Financial Disclosure Reports filed by Members of Congress:

-- disclosure of financial information on personal residences

-- disclosure of business partners and co-investors

-- disclosure of spousal income

-- eliminate the use of broad ranges for financial information

-- require disclosure of 1040 Adjusted Gross Income and investments

-- random professional auditing of Financial Disclosure Reports

Flaherty continued, "These reforms would increase transparency dramatically. Increasingly, Congressional graft involves partnerships and real estate transactions."

"Speaker Pelosi can take other immediate steps to promote ethics. For instance, she forced Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV) to resign as Chairman of the Ethics Committee, but he continues to serve on the Appropriations Committee. Because Mollohan is under federal investigation, he should be relieved of that post as well."

"If Congress were serious about ethics, it would reduce government spending, the inducement for special interests to seek influence. It would also end earmarking. This practice has allowed the leadership of both parties to corrupt the rank-and-file, the Democrats to corrupt the Republicans and vice-versa, and the Appropriations Committee to corrupt everyone."

"The only idea we find of merit in either of the current proposals is allowing outside individuals and groups to file Complaints with the ethics committee."

NLPC promotes ethics in public life, and sponsors the Government Integrity Project.

Source: National Legal and Policy Center