THERE aren’t many policies established by outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi … that Republicans are likely to embrace, but tough scrutiny of members’ ethics should be one of them. Incoming Speaker John A. Boehner … must commit himself to continuing the independent Office of Congressional Ethics, which serves as a kind of grand jury for the House Ethics Committee…. The office, created in 2008, isn’t perfect: too many former members of Congress sit on its board…. But OCE, as it’s known, has made it harder for the Ethics Committee to engage in backdoor cover-ups and deal-making.

That was the case with Rep Maxine Waters … whom OCE investigated when she was accused of intervening improperly on behalf of a bank on whose board her husband served and in which he owned stock. …Under Democratic control, there were efforts to rein in OCE, some based on the Congressional Black Caucus’ complaint that the office had targeted African Americans. That argument, however, is spurious; the disproportionate number of black members who have been investigated could reflect the fact that black members are often veteran lawmakers from safe seats, traditionally the group most susceptible to ethical lapses.

Now supporters of OCE are alarmed by reports that Republicans guiding the transition are considering abolishing the office. …One goad to keeping OCE may be the ‘tea party’ movement. Fred Wertheimer, a campaign reform and ethics activist, noted in a letter to Boehner that the Ohio Liberty Council, the main umbrella organisation for 58 tea party groups in the state, supports efforts to strengthen it. …Presumably the new Republican majority wants to claim the title … “the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history”. Earning that accolade requires the Republicans to preserve and protect a robust Office of Congressional Ethics. — (Nov 26)