Lofgren: Ethics Report Leak Result of Hacking

The chairwoman of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct—commonly called the Ethics Committee—took to the floor of the House late Thursday to address the bombshell disclosure that more than two dozen House members are being investigated for allegations of influence peddling.

The investigations came to light, according to Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat, as the result of a "cyberhacking incident of a confidential document of the committee." In an effort to reassure House members, she went on to say that the leak was an "isolated incident that to our knowledge has only occurred once." Lofgren said that the security system had not been breached.

In her one-minute address to the House, Lofgren quickly addressed the allegations themselves, explaining that at any one time "dozens of members' names are on our weekly report, and no inference should be made as to incorrect behavior on the part of those members." The Washington Post reported that House ethics investigators have been "scrutinizing" the activities of some 30 lawmakers for activities that include allegedly steering lucrative earmarks towards defense contractors in exchange for campaign contributions.

Lofgren downplayed the disclosure, noting that the committee is "obliged" to explore "extraneous matters that come to our attention, anything from a stray newspaper article to a comment involving members or staff, to make sure that there is nothing serious."

In the course of emphasizing this point on the House floor, she added, "For instance, when a colleague calls and asks about whether they can take a trip, their names would appear on this weekly report that the chair and ranking member receive. That doesn't mean that they are doing anything other than following the rules of the House to inquire whether they should take that trip or whether it is permissible."

A statement later released by the committee, Lofgren and ranking Republican member Jo Bonner of Alabama noted that an initial review suggested that "this unlawful access" to the confidential report which appeared in the Washington Post was the result of the use of file-sharing software by a junior staffer while working from home.

That staffer, according to the statement, "is no longer employed by the committee."