Thinknews
Jan 01, 2026

House Votes 357-65 to Block Public Release of Misconduct Reports

House Votes 357-65 to Block Public Release of Misconduct Reports

The House of Representatives decisively rejected an effort on Wednesday to force the public disclosure of internal investigations into sexual harassment and improper relationships on Capitol Hill. The resolution, introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), was derailed in a 357-65-1 vote, with lawmakers opting to refer the measure to the House Ethics Committee—a move that effectively stalls the push for transparency.

The resolution sought to require the Ethics Committee to release "all reports, including any conclusions, draft reports, recommendations, and exhibits" related to investigations into sexual misconduct between members of Congress and their staff within 60 days.


"No More Hiding"

Mace framed the resolution as a necessary step to dismantle a "culture of secrecy" that she claims protects abusers at the expense of victims and taxpayers.

“Congress has been sweeping this under the rug for far too long. Staff deserve to come to work without being harassed by their bosses,” Mace stated earlier this week. “The American people deserve to know when their so-called ‘representative’ is abusing power. No more hiding. No more excuses.”

She specifically cited the ongoing situation involving Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) as a recent example. The Ethics Committee formally opened an investigation into allegations against Gonzales on Wednesday morning, just one day after his Texas primary results pushed him into a May runoff.


The Ethics Committee's Warning

Shortly before the vote, the Ethics Committee issued a formal statement opposing the measure, arguing that a wholesale release of investigative materials would "chill victim cooperation" and undermine the integrity of future probes.

“House Resolution 1072 could have a negative impact on the Committee’s ability to investigate and eliminate sexual misconduct in the House,” the panel warned, urging members to stick to existing protocols.

While House rules were updated in 2018 to strictly prohibit sexual relationships between members and their office staff, the committee is currently not required to release every complaint or internal document it reviews, unless a case is fully substantiated.


A Move Toward Limited Disclosure

Despite the defeat of the main resolution, Mace found partial success in the House Oversight Committee. Lawmakers there advanced a motion to subpoena the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights for records of settlements paid prior to December 2018.

An amendment from Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) limited the scope of the subpoena to settlements involving members of Congress specifically, rather than staff, while still requiring reporting on total settlement amounts. Prior to 2018, the names of offices involved in misconduct settlements were not required to be made public.

The lopsided vote on the House floor underscores a significant, bipartisan reluctance to mandate the release of raw investigative data, even as the 2026 election cycle places increased scrutiny on congressional ethics and accountability.

Former FBI Agent: Bondi Has ‘Slam Dunk’ Conspiracy Case Against Obama Feds

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Attorney General Pam Bondi is reportedly sitting on what legal experts and former investigators are calling a "slam dunk" conspiracy case against a coordinated group of federal agents and prosecutors. According to Jonathan Gilliam, a former FBI agent and Navy SEAL, recently uncovered documents provide irrefutable evidence that high-ranking officials weaponized the Justice Department to target Donald Trump while actively suppressing investigations into the Clinton Family Foundation.

Appearing on the Just the News, No Noise television program, Gilliam argued that the evidence—now in the hands of Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel—shows a pattern of behavior that mirrors a mafia-style enterprise. He suggested that the "same cast of characters" has been involved in multiple conspiracies to falsify information against Trump for the purpose of overthrowing an election.


The Mafia-Style Conspiracy: Cartels and Cover-ups

Gilliam proposed that the Justice Department treat these rogue actors as a criminal organization. "If this was a mafia case, and we had this clear-cut of an example of a group of people committing two or more crimes for the furtherance of their political group... this would be a slam dunk case for any U.S. Attorney," Gilliam stated.

  • Falsified Evidence: Documents reportedly show agents were encouraged to "create and falsify" evidence to justify investigations into Trump.

  • Mar-a-Lago Oversight: Gilliam noted that agents were overruled when they advised that there was insufficient probable cause for the 2022 search of Trump’s Florida residence.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon echoed these concerns, stating she believes there is sufficient evidence to allege a coordinated effort between federal and state prosecutors to violate the civil liberties of the President and his supporters.

Obama-Era DEA Official Arrested in Cartel Sting

Adding fuel to the fire regarding federal corruption, news broke this week of the arrest of Paul Campo, a former high-level DEA official who served during the Obama administration. Campo, the former deputy chief of the Office for Financial Operations, was caught in an undercover sting operation.

  • The Allegations: Prosecutors say Campo believed he was helping the Jalisco New Generation Cartel move cocaine and offered to launder millions of dollars for the organization.

  • The Sting: Campo and his accomplice were caught interacting with an undercover operative posing as a cartel member in late 2024.

  • The Legacy: Campo’s 25-year career ending in a cartel indictment has become a rallying cry for the Trump administration’s claim that federal agencies were allowed to rot under previous leadership.

“We need real investigators under a 'justice czar' to look at these people and criminally investigate and charge them,” Gilliam said, warning that the crimes could potentially reach the level of sedition or even treason.

Looking Ahead to the 2026 Midterms

The "slam dunk" conspiracy case is set to be a cornerstone of the GOP platform for the 2026 Midterm cycle. As Pam Bondi prepares to move forward with potential indictments, the political stakes for both parties are at an all-time high.

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) added in a press gaggle, “The era of using the law as a political weapon is coming to a close. If you broke the law to stop a political candidate, you will face justice. The American people will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice any longer.”

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