Rep. Jason Chaffetz, Republican from Utah and chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, was reportedly among the congressmen who voted in favor of gutting the Office of Congressional Ethics — along with another member of the Utah congressional delegation who has been involved in an ethics scandal.
Both Chaffetz and Rep. Mia Love voted in favor of the Republican plan to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics, according to a report by Utah Policy. While both Chaffetz and Love confirmed that they had voted for the so-called Goodlatte amendment, only Love provided an emailed statement explaining her reasoning.
"I believe members of the House should continue to be held to the highest ethical standards and the American people should have the right to submit complaints and have them taken seriously," Love wrote. "The current process has been abused and has affected both Republicans and Democrats. The Office of Congressional Ethics is in need of reform in order to improve due process, to prevent frivolous, politically motivated complaints and increase transparency. The American people should always be ahead of negative campaign tactics."
Love has had her own ethics issues in the past. In September 2015 it came out that Rep. Love billed taxpayers $1,160 for transportation costs to Washington when she was merely attending social events like the White House Correspondents' Assocation (WHCA) dinner. House rules prohibit members from using taxpayer funds "to pay for any expenses related to activities or events that are primarily social in nature."
The other members of Utah's congressional delegation, Rob Bishop and Mia Love, also voted in favor of gutting the Office of Congressional Ethics.
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