U.S. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS ANNUAL REPORT

On 2026-01-29, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) delivered a floor speech titled "U.S. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS ANNUAL REPORT" in the Senate. The speech addressed foreign policy and also covered ethics. It referenced legislation including S374, S375.

U.S. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS ANNUAL REPORT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 21 (Thursday, January 29, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 21 (Thursday, January 29, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S374-S375] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] U.S. SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON ETHICS ANNUAL REPORT Mr. LANKFORD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent, for myself as chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics and for Senator Coons, vice chairman of the committee, that the annual report of the Select Committee on Ethics for calendar year 2025 be printed in the Record. The committee issued this report on January 31, 2026, as required by the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: [Jan. 31, 2026] Annual Report of the Select Committee on Ethics 119th Congress, Second Session The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (the Act) calls for the Select Committee on Ethics of the United States Senate to issue an annual report no later than January 31st of each year providing information in certain categories describing its activities for the preceding year. Reported below is the information describing the Committee's activities in 2025 in the categories set forth in the Act: (1) The number of alleged violations of Senate rules received from any source, including the number raised by a Senator or [[Page S375]] staff of the Committee--181. (In addition, 5 alleged violations from previous years were carried into 2025.) (2) The number of alleged violations that were dismissed-- (A) For lack of subject matter jurisdiction or in which, even if the allegations in the complaint are true, no violation of Senate rules would exist: 150. (B) Because they failed to provide sufficient facts as to any material violation of the Senate rules beyond mere allegation or assertion: 10. (3) The number of alleged violations for which the Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry: 27. (This figure includes 5 matters from previous years carried into 2025.) (4) The number of alleged violations for which the Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry that resulted in an adjudicatory review: 0. (5) The number of alleged violations for which the Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry and the Committee dismissed the matter for lack of substantial merit or because it was inadvertent, technical or otherwise of a de minimis nature: 18. (6) The number of alleged violations for which the Committee staff conducted a preliminary inquiry and the Committee issued private or public letters of admonition: 0. (7) The number of matters resulting in a disciplinary sanction: 0. (8) Any other information deemed by the Committee to be appropriate to describe its activities in the previous year: In 2025, the Committee staff conducted 20 Member and office campaign activity briefings; 26 employee code of conduct training sessions; 3 public financial disclosure clinics, seminars, and webinars; 32 ethics seminars and customized briefings for Member DC offices, state offices, and Senate committees; and 1 private sector ethics briefing. In 2025, the Committee staff handled approximately 12,974 inquiries (via telephone and email) for ethics advice and guidance. In 2025, the Committee wrote approximately 1,023 ethics advisory letters and responses including, but not limited to, 822 travel and gifts matters (Senate Rule 35) and 143 conflict of interest matters (Senate Rule 37). In 2025, the Committee received 4,485 public financial disclosure reports including periodic transaction reports. ____________________