Latta votes against stripping power from ethics office

Congressmen Bob Latta and Jason Chaffetz talk during annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner in Bowling Green last year.

Behind closed doors Monday night, House Republicans voted 119 to 74 to weaken the Office of Congressional Ethics – which has served as an independent watchdog on ethical wrongdoing.

Congressman Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green, stuck with House GOP leaders and voted against the plans to usurp the power of the ethics office.

Then after President-elect Donald Trump tweeted his annoyance with that being the first action of the 115th Congress, the plan was scrapped by the House.

“It was stripped out today,” said Drew Griffin, press secretary to Latta in Washington, D.C.

Latta was not available, but Griffin said he was fielding several calls about the ethics issue.

“Obviously we’re starting to get requests on this,” Griffin said.

The ethics office was established in 2008 under House Democrats in the aftermath of corruption scandals that sent three members of Congress to jail.