Committee InfoDescriptionThe Senate Select Committee on Ethics is a 6-person bipartisan committee charged with the review and investigation of all allegations filed by Senate members, staffers, employees, as well as those made by a group or individual directed at one of the previously mentioned groups. The committee was developed as a means to standardize the rules governing conduct as well as the investigation process regarding allegations of misconduct. Beyond maintaining the order of the Senate Code of Official Conduct and recommending disciplinary action when appropriate, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics continues to revise and revisit standards of ethical conduct among Senators and staffers. Interestingly enough, all but three of the thirty-eight Senators investigated since the committee’s inception in 1964 were implicated after 1977. Issues concerning multiple Senators have involved unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information, discrimination, and campaign contributions. The first official rules discussed outside employment, use of campaign funds, fundraising activities, and annual financial disclosures of candidates, members, officers. Over the decades, the committee has developed and reformed the official code of conduct, forming a comprehensive body in use today. The Senate Select Committee on Ethics is responsible for investigating misconduct by Senators and staff and subsequently judging the evidence and recommending penalties. Misconduct refers to behaviors which discredit the Senate, violate the law, or violate the Senate Code of Official Conduct or rules of the senate. The committee may make recommendations to the Senate regarding appropriate sanctions against a Senator, including censure, expulsion, discipline, or financial restitution, however the committee cannot directly take action. The committee is also authorized to provide advisory opinions on actions permissible under Senate rules of conduct and the application of Senate rules. The Senate ethics committee recently rebuked Democratic Senator Roland Burris for giving misleading information about the circumstances surrounding his appointment to Barack Obama’s former Senate seat. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who appointed Burris, was impeached after being accused of trying to sell the seat. On November 20th, the committee issued a “Public Letter of Qualified Admonition” which rebuked the senator for failing to fully disclose his relationship with the former governor to investigators. In particular, the committee criticized the senator’s conduct with regards to a phone conversation he had with the governor’s brother where he expressed his interest in the senate seat and his willingness to raise funds for the governor. We hope that you will take advantage of the unique jurisdiction of this committee when preparing your bills for Penn Model Congress 2010. In order to more fully explore the scope of the Committee’s jurisdiction, you may find it useful to search the Library of Congress’ database of bills: http://thomas.loc.gov/ and the committee’s website http://ethics.senate.gov/ -------------------- My name is Tuua Ruutiainen and I'm a senior in the College majoring in the Biological Basis of Behavior and minoring in French. I'm originally from Finland, but I now I live in Monkton, MD. This will be my fourth year chairing for Penn Model Congress. Outside of model congress, I enjoy playing the harp and editing for the Penn Bioethics Journal. Please feel free to contact me anytime if you have questions about your bill or the conference in general. My email is tuua@sas.upenn.edu. I look forward to meeting all of you at the conference! Hey Everyone! My name is Ariella Chivil and I am a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. I am a Politics, Philosophy, and Economics(PPE) major with a minor in Consumer Psychology. This is my second year chairing a conference and I am incredibly excited! In addition to Greek life and a host of other clubs, I’m involved in two branches of student government at Penn, the Undergraduate Assembly and 2012 Class Board(VP Finance). In my spare time, I enjoy running and hip-hop dance. If you have any questions about the committee, politics, or anything Penn-related, feel free to contact me at achivil@sas.upenn.edu. I look forward to working with you. Chairs
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Account LoginConference DatesMarch 31 - April 3, 2011 RegistrationRegistration is now closed. InformationClick here for more details about PENNMC 2011! Check us out on Facebook!
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