House Will Reverse Secret Decision To Kill Disclosure Of Private-Paid Trips

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/house-ethics-all-expense-trips-disclosure-reversed


House Will Reverse Secret Decision To Kill Disclosure Of Private-Paid Trips

Dylan Scott – July 3, 2014, 12:14 PM EDT


The House Ethics Committee plans to reverse its decision to eliminate the disclosure of all-expense-trips on annual finance reports, after a report on the change by the National Journal sparked widespread outrage.

The Journal reported that committee chair Michael Conaway (R-TX) said Thursday that the panel would reinstate the disclosure requirement.

"We will reverse that decision," Conaway said on a local radio show, according to the Journal.

The original decision, made without public announcement, had eliminated the requirement that House members disclose trips paid for by private groups on their annual financial disclosure forms. The Journal called that form the "chief document" used by journalists and watchdogs.

The trips would have still been disclosed to the House clerk's office, but a top watchdog called the change "an obvious effort to avoid responsibility."