CongressionalBadBoys.com | home | Ethics Committee 1 House Ethics Committee The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics Committee) of the House of Representatives released a report in November 2004 summarizing the cases that have come before it (and previous committees) since the beginning of the Republic.  Here's a brief summary of the actions.  Note, not all of the Members were found guilty. (Let's keep a running tab of the States involved) The Honorable Matthew Lyon (Vermont) (1789) -- charged with "disorderly behavior" (he spat on Rep. Roger Griswold after an exchange of insults);  "gross indecency of language in his defense before Congress.  Censure and expulsion resolutions failed.  Lyon sent a letter of apology. Vermont - 1 The Honorable Roger Griswold (Connecticut) (1789) -- charged with "disorderly behavior" (whacked Lyon with a "stout cane";  Lyon replied by whacking Griswold with fireplace tongs).  Censure and expulsion resolutions failed.  Both Members pledged to keep the peace. Connecticut - 1 The Honorable Matthew Lyon (Vermont) (1799) -- Convicted of violating the Sedition Act, fined and served four months in prison while a Member of the House. Expulsion vote failed.  Re-elected after conviction. Vermont - 2 (okay, same guy) The Honorable William Stanberry (Ohio) (1832) -- Insulted Speaker during floor debate.  Censured. Ohio - 1 The Honorable John Quincy Adams (Massachusetts) (1832) -- Refused to vote on resolution to censure Stanberry.  Censure resolution tabled. Massachusetts - 1 The Honorable Sherrod Williams  (Kentucky) (1836) -- Insulted chairman of the Committee of the Whole House during debate.  Censured without formal vote, then House "reconsidered" its censure two days later. Kentucky - 1 The Honorable John Quincy Adams (Massachusetts) (1837) -- charged with "Gross disrespect to this House".  (The House had a gag rule, that basically forbade Members from talking about slavery.  Adams broke the gag rule by requesting a petition that was reputedly to come from slaves).  Censure resolution withdrawn and substitute resolution rejected. Massachusetts - 2 The Honorable William J. Graves (Kentucky) and The Honorable Henry Wise (Virginia) -- charged with breach of the privileges of the House (now, that's an understatement!)  Graves killed Rep. Jonathan Cilley (Maine) in a duel over words spoken in a debate.  Wise acted as Graves' second.  A censure resolution was tabled.  Kentucky - 2;  Virginia - 1 The Honorable Alexander Duncan (Ohio)  -- charged with violating privileges of the House, by publishing remarks in a newspaper insulting another Member. Censure resolution tabled. Ohio - 2 The Honorable John Quincy Adams (Massachusetts) (1842) -- breach of privileges of the House (presented a petition to the House from constituents regarding dissolution of the Union).  Massachusetts - 3 (Adams was the only Member ever making three appearances;  until Gingrich who has nine appearances, and deserves his own Ethics page). The Honorable Joshua Giddings (Ohio) (1842) -- charged with "unwarranted and unwarrantable" conduct, in presenting a series of resolutions relating to slavery and negotiations with Great Britain.  (This was another violation of the so-called gag rule), Censured.  Resigned, then resoundingly re-elected.  Ohio --3 There's More  >>   Ethics2 | Ethics3 | Ethics4 | Ethics5 | Ethics6 | Ethics7 | Ethics8