House Democrats Begin Vetting Independent Ethics Commission Proposal

With the indictment of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) still roiling the House, Democratic leaders have begun a vetting a proposal with their members to create an independent commission to review ethics complaints.

Under its current iteration, the six-person panel (this may change) would have 45 days to review a complaint and then make a recommendatio to the House ethics committee on how it should handle the complaint. The ethics committee, made up of 10 sitting lawmakers, would not be required to take the commission's recommendations, but it would have to publicly disclose its actions, according to Democratic sources. The ethics committee would have 45 days to take up the complaint, dismiss it, or take some other action.