The House Ethics Committee investigated Democratic Rep. Jim Costa of California in 2023 over allegations that he made inappropriate advances to two congressional interns. The panel voted against a formal probe, but the four women on the committee pushed to admonish Costa publicly.
Ultimately, the majority-male committee never disclosed the investigation.
This episode — described to NOTUS by two people familiar with the discussions — underscores what women in Congress say should be addressed: The Ethics Committee is and has always been dominated by men, which could limit its ability to police sexual misconduct. Women in Congress want that to change. It probably won’t.