Guests walk away from the Washington Hilton amid a heavy police presence after shots were heard during the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25 (Ulysse Bellier/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
Guests walk away from the Washington Hilton amid a heavy police presence after shots were heard during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on April 25 (Ulysse Bellier/AFP/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
By Kaanita Iyer, Alayna Treene, Kevin Liptak, Kristen Holmes, Riane Lumer, John Miller, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump was swiftly escorted off the stage by Secret Service after possible shots were fired at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, DC, on Saturday.
Vice President JD Vance and several members of Trump’s Cabinet who were also in attendance were also rushed out.
A source told CNN that Trump is safe, while two sources said Vance is safely out of the dinner. According to an administration official, Cabinet members are OK as well.
Several US Secret Service agents yelled, “shots fired” during the event, which is being held at the Washington Hilton, according to pool reports.
Secret Service later said in a post on X that one person is in custody.
Trump took to the Truth Social to share that a “shooter has been apprehended” and applaud Secret Service and law enforcement officers for acting “quickly and bravely.”
In a subsequent post a few minutes later, the president said he is returning to the White House after law enforcement officials requested that he leave the location. Trump added that he will give a press conference momentarily.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was “a few feet away from (a gunman) as he was shooting,” he said on air.
“All the sudden a guy with a weapon, it was a very, very serious weapon, it starts shooting, and I happened to have been a few feet away from him as he was shooting,” Blitzer said.
This story has been updated with additional details.
Dr. Pierre Johnson — known as the “Fibroid Slayer” — recently made history after successfully removing a 27-pound fibroid from a pregnant patient. He spoke with us about Black women’s health and choosing the right doctor. ( Credit: Instagram/Dr. Pierre Johnson)
Dr. Pierre Johnson — known as the “Fibroid Slayer” — recently made history after successfully removing a 27-pound fibroid from a pregnant patient. He spoke with us about Black women’s health and choosing the right doctor. ( Credit: Instagram/Dr. Pierre Johnson)
It was a case most gynecologists wouldn’t touch — literally.
Brionna Johnson of Chicago, who was 17 weeks pregnant, had a fibroid tumor on her uterus that weighed 27 pounds. One gynecologist after another told her the growth had to come out, but the only way of doing that meant removing her uterus and ending her pregnancy.
Unwilling to lose both her child and her fertility, she traveled to Chicago’s gritty South Side for one more consultation. It was an appointment with Dr. Pierre Johnson — the self-described Fibroid Slayer. [Doctor and patient had never met.]
A Black OB-GYN and surgeon who practices at Loretto Hospital, a facility that primarily serves low-income patients, Johnson examined the woman’s distended abdomen and saw what others didn’t: a way to safely remove the giant fibroid without harming the fetus or removing her uterus.
And it worked: Johnson surgically removed the massive fibroid, and mother and fetus are doing just fine. Then, the doctor did something just as unusual in medicine’s buttoned-up culture: he posted about it on Instagram.
‘I’m the Best at This’
“She had the most enormous fibroid I’ve ever seen,” he said in the video, acknowledging that even the higher-ups at Loretto had trepidations about his plan. “There were so many people that tried to block the surgery” because it seemed too risky.
“But at the end of the day, there’s so much that happens in medicine that people do not understand,” he said, suggesting that — because the patient is a Black woman — racial bias likely played a role in other doctors’ reluctance to operate.
Then, in an Instagram video, Johnson made it plain.
The patient, Brionna Johnson, before surgery. Instagram/Pierre Johnson
“I don’t want to toot my own horn or get too big about it, but I’m the best at this,” he said, breaking into a megawatt smile. “This right here, nobody could have done this. Nobody could have completed this but your boy … I’m just so happy to have helped her.”
Though Johnson already has a substantial social media following — the bespectacled surgeon with the touches of gray in his goatee and short dreadlocks has 126,000 followers on Instagram — his triumph over a tumor the size of a small child went viral. That’s arguably because Black women face some of the nation’s worst reproductive health outcomes: high rates of fibroids, exorbitant maternal mortality rates and medical bias.
Patients Failed by the System
With Black doctors making up less than 6% of the U.S. physician workforce — and even fewer specializing in obstetrics and gynecology — Johnson’s work sits at the intersection of access, trust and advocacy. He has developed a following, using both the operating room and the algorithm to reach patients who say the system has too often failed them.
When you’re looking at providers — people you’re trusting with your life — don’t think that because they wear a white coat, they’re going to look at you differently than their actual beliefs.
Dr. Pierre Johnson
A Chicago South Side native himself who graduated from Xavier University, Johnson got his medical degree at the University of Illinois, where he was the only Black student in his class. He then returned to Chicago and joined the staff at Loretto.
“I’m at Loretto Hospital by design and by choice,” Johnson says. The hospital, he says, “understands my vision. They respect what I do.”
Word In Black spoke with Dr. Johnson about his origins, his groundbreaking surgical techniques, and what Black women need to know when seeking gynecological care.
The following has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Word In Black: How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a doctor?
Dr. Pierre Johnson: I was about five or six years old. I’m just a very purpose-driven person. When I was a senior in high school, my term paper for my career goal was literally titled ‘My Life as an OB-GYN.’
As a [South Side] kid, I saw just disparities, racism, just poor health care, and experienced it. Through my mother, through my family, and just watched it. As a kid, I knew that one of my goals was to provide care for women all over the world–but starting with Chicago.
WIB: How did Brionna Johnson, the patient with the 27-pound fibroid find you, and how did you know you could help her?
Johnson: She actually — through marriage — is related to a distant cousin of mine. When my relative reached out to me and told me about it, it just didn’t sound right. Women with cases like hers typically have an issue getting pregnant. So, when I heard it, I said ‘I don’t care how big it is, I can do it.’ I’d already done 20-pound fibroids preserving the uterus. I’ve perfected a skill, a technique that no one taught me, that I taught myself.
WIB: Can you explain fibroids in simple terms for people who may not be familiar?
Johnson: Look at a uterus as a house. You’ve got the inside [rooms], the drywall, and the roof. Fibroids could be inside where you are— those are intracavitary or submucosal fibroids, and they’re a huge problem. They could be in the drywall, which is the muscle, they can be somewhat of a problem but not a huge one. Or they could be on the roof.
If a tree branch falls off a tree and hits your roof, you probably won’t know it happened. For this particular patient, these enormous fibroids were on the roof — connected to the uterus through a big stalk. The baby is inside, not knowing everything that’s on the roof. So, getting the fibroid off of the roof should not impact what’s happening on the inside.
WIB: What was the largest fibroid you had removed before this patient?
Johnson: Before her, it was 20 pounds. A woman from the East Coast. Think about 20 pounds — that’s just walking around with an extra 20-pound weight on your body. It’s crazy. But for this patient, 27 pounds with this large mass, think about a carry-on suitcase — a 24-inch carry-on suitcase — and put that in your body.
WIB: How did social media change your reach and the complexity of your cases?
Johnson: When I finished residency in 2013 and was in central Illinois for three years, my mindset was: I’m not turning down any case. The hardest cases — I’m taking everything, no matter what it is. I will figure it out.
Then I moved to Chicago, word of mouth started growing the [number of] cases, and I started getting active on social media, just teaching. People in Atlanta, Philadelphia started reaching out — ‘I’m in Atlanta, I have a problem, I heard about you.’ Pre-pandemic, 2018, 2019, that’s when people really started connecting with me from outside Chicago.
I started teaching people: if you have a problem, adjust your insurance so it can give you the opportunity to move around and choose your care. Don’t let your geographical limitations hinder you. Invest in a PPO plan that allows you to move. As I started preaching this on social media, the cases got way more complex. When things opened back up in 2022, 2023 — it was like floodgates. It just started to grow.
WIB: What questions should women ask a surgeon before trusting them with fibroid care?
Johnson: If you need surgery, the questions you have to ask are: What is your experience with dealing with these types of cases? What is your philosophy about removing all fibroids? From a complication standpoint, what complications have you experienced and how have you dealt with them?
What is your percentage rate of success converting myomectomies to hysterectomies? Meaning, if the doctor goes into surgery planning to take out fibroids and restore the uterus, how many times has he or she ended up aborting that plan and having to take the whole uterus out? That’s an excellent question that people don’t ask.
WIB: You mention a doctor’s philosophy and mindset. How can a patient research that?
Johnson: When people say they do research, what kind of research are you doing? ChatGPT and Google are really not research if you’re looking at a provider. This person literally has your life in their hands for as long as you’re on that table under anesthesia. The level of trust you have to have in this person is the highest level of trust you will ever have in another human being.
That research starts with their social media platforms. Whatever they’re talking about, whatever they’re professing they do, should be reflected in their personal life. If they have different types of views than you — views that are evident on their platforms — then maybe what they’re telling you might not be exactly what it is. Do research on them as a person, not just as a physician. Don’t just look at their Google reviews. Don’t just look at a website.
WIB: What are the red flags a woman should never overlook when choosing a provider?
Johnson: If a person has ideals and thoughts that aren’t in alignment with your cultural beliefs, they may not be the person you think they are. When you’re looking at providers — people you’re trusting with your life — don’t think that because they wear a white coat, they’re going to look at you differently than their actual beliefs.
If they think DEI is a problem, why do you think that now, when caring for you, they’re going to treat you like they would treat their own mother or sister?
WIB You went viral for saying patients should look beyond gender and race when choosing a surgeon. Can you explain that?
Johnson: As a women’s healthcare specialist, I said that when you are choosing a surgeon, it should not matter the gender, the race, the sexual orientation — none of that matters. You have to look into the soul and the ideals of that person. I’m saying cut out race, gender, all of those things from your criteria.
There are Caucasian providers who are in this for the right reasons and will take care of you. Don’t exclude someone you need because of a bias. Look at a person and look at what they bring to the table, and who they really are. If we did more of that, we would watch the numbers change.
WIB: Any final advice for women navigating fibroid care and gynecological health?
Johnson: Understand you have options. Get a second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth opinion. Somebody is going to talk to you and you’ll feel it — ‘Ah, this is my person.’ Don’t limit yourself.
For Generation Z, a cohort that’s coming of age in the aftermath of a global pandemic, the AIDS crisis of the ‘80s and ‘90s seems like ancient history, if not irrelevant. Breakthrough drugs, including one that can effectively block transmission of HIV, mean infection is no longer a death sentence.
But for young Black people, the epidemic never really ended.
Despite decades of progress in treating and preventing HIV/AIDS, Black adolescents and young adults continue to face disproportionately high rates of new infections, driven in part by shame, stigma and silence. At the same time, the systems meant to protect them, from schools to healthcare, are still falling short.
To reverse the trend, healthcare providers, advocates, and local public health departments nationwide are joining forces, using events and ad campaigns to remind young people: HIV is still prevalent and should be taken seriously.
“The reality is that young people are overlooking HIV, and that must change,” Bithiah Lafontant, director of communications for ViiV Healthcare, said in a statement.
Link Between HIV and STIs
According to available data, young people aged 13-24 accounted for 18% of all new HIV diagnoses nationwide in 2023. That year, only 28% of young adults aged 18–24 said they had ever been tested for HIV — an indication that a significant number of people in this age group are unaware of their HIV status.
As with adults, Black youth are disproportionately affected, and they made up 47% of new HIV diagnoses among youth in 2023. Black women and girls accounted for half of all women and girls in the age group who were newly diagnosed with HIV.
Experts say the combined lack of comprehensive sex education, low rates of HIV testing, and low awareness of ways to prevent transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is likely fueling these high infection rates. There were 2.4 million cases of STIs reported in the United States in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The good news is that this was a slight decrease from 2022. But for Black Americans the bad news was really bad.
Fear of Judgment
That year, almost half of reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were among adolescents and young adults 15 to 24 years old. And roughly one-third of those cases (32.4%) were among Black Americans, despite representing just under 13% of the U.S. population. And STIs can increase the risk of HIV transmission because sores or small tears in the skin can expose individuals to the virus.
In recent years, studies have found that sex education in U.S. high schools has been inconsistent and, in some cases, diminished, leaving many students without extensive instruction on HIV and sexual health before they become sexually active.
The reality is that young people are overlooking HIV, and that must change.Bithiah Lafontant, director of communications, ViiV Healthcare
Meanwhile, HIV-related stigma, including fear of judgment and discrimination, continues to discourage many young people from getting tested or seeking care, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They note that stigma can directly deter people from engaging in HIV testing and prevention services.
For those reasons, healthcare providers, advocates, and local public health departments nationwide used April 10 — National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day — to draw renewed attention to the persistent impact of HIV among young people in the United States.
‘Stop Making it Weird’
On Threads, for example, Bros in Convo, a Florida-based initiative that connects Black queer men, posted an appeal to its followers to get tested. They also tackled the stigma head-on.
“Getting tested should be as normal as any other check-up, but the judgment makes it feel like a way bigger deal than it actually is,” according to the post. “Knowing your status is just looking out for yourself and your people.
The community must “stop making it weird,” the post says. “We’re getting tested, we’re supporting our friends living with HIV, and we’re leaving the judgment in the past.”
For its part, ViiV, the pharmaceutical manufacturer, launched an ad campaign, “Still Here,” aimed squarely at Gen Z.
The quick-cut ad features HIV, personified as a shadowy, menacing figure in a black leather trenchcoat and leather gloves, with a TV screen for a face. At first despondent that people are no longer talking about it, the figure gradually becomes energized as it realizes that the lack of attention is an opportunity for it to thrive.
As its TV face flashes with images of the young people it will infect — black, white, queer, and straight — the figure warns, “While you ignore me, I’m still out here, changing lives.”
An Important First Step
ViiV created “Still Here” to “connect with this audience in a new way about HIV,” Lafontant said.
Raising awareness of both pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP — the drug that is 99% effective at blocking HIV transmission — and care for HIV-positive patients is vital to changing health outcomes. Experts say PrEP has been a game-changer, but in 2024, only 9 people aged 13 to 24 were using PrEP for every person diagnosed. Studies have also found that PrEP availability is significantly lower in Black communities than in white communities.
“Today, there are many options when it comes to HIV prevention, and condoms are one aspect of a comprehensive approach to sexual health and wellness,” Lafontant, ViiV’s communications director, said in her statement. “Having different options, including long-acting injectable PrEP and treatment options, can help people overcome common barriers, such as stigma and adherence.”
“We work closely with people living with HIV and others in the community to best understand their needs and work together to find solutions,” says Lafontant. “The communities most disproportionately impacted by HIV are often those least aware of options to prevent and treat HIV, so getting people talking is an important first step.”
(Trice Edney Wire) – People of Color in America are witnessing crisis in families, communities, and workplaces. Examples include violence from ICE attacks in communities, reactions to wars overseas, and domestic violence tragedies across the country. While national statistics report that homicides and violence in the USA have reduced over the past few years, there are still far too many situations that display destructive, violent behaviors and this must be addressed with solutions—not just explanations.
Some of the institutional causes of violence impacting our communities may include systemic racism, sexism, and classism that rob men, women and children of their valuable self-esteem and self-worth and often result in individuals feeling inferior, lonely and lacking self-worth. Sadly, people who feel inferior and disrespected sometimes transfer their anger into violence where they cause great harm to family members and others. But how do we inspire people to believe “I Am Somebody” as Rev. Jesse Jackson implored us to do? How do we inspire individuals to believe they were born for a purpose, and they can choose to be positive and productive? How can we build on the concept of “self-worth” to help children and adults overcome pain, without being destructive?
For 15 years Black Women for Positive Change, in partnership with the Positive Change Foundation, have sought to promote non-violence during Annual Months of Non-Violence, Voters Rights, Self-Worth and Understanding AI. Over the years, we have examined tools that we believe can strengthen self-worth and help to prevent violence and de-escalate conflicts. One tool we learned about and promote are called Peace Circles, and they were introduced to us by the DC Peace Team. Peace Circles bring people together in respectful, safe and supportive environments, with expert facilitators who create settings where individuals can express themselves, be heard and respected.
For example, during the 10th Annual Month of Non-Violence, an 11-year-old boy at a middle-school participated in several Peace Circles. One day he told his teacher that his parents fought regularly and one weekend when they were screaming at each other, he asked them to form a Peace Circle with him. His surprised parents agreed and the three of them sat together and talked about why they were angry. The boy was proud to tell his teacher how he helped his parents de-escalate their anger.
Another example of an informal Peace Circle was when I witnessed my father using Sunday dinners around the kitchen table to encourage family members to express themselves, and their frustrations. I can remember Uncles, Aunts and Cousins sharing experiences and challenges and often respectfully disagreeing. Over time, I saw their self-worth enhanced as they received advice, implemented suggestions and found their lives were improved, with happiness.
Given the levels of stress, conflict, anger and violence we see reflected across America it would be wise to view Peace Circles as demonstration programs in homes, schools, faith institutions, workplaces and communities. The goal would be to promote Peace Circles to enhance the ability of individuals and groups to focus on self-worth, and to help prevent conflicts. Peace Circles should be evaluated to determine how effective they can be in anger management, de-escalation of conflicts, and prevention of fights. School Districts and local governments could take the lead to fund demonstration Peace Circles to inspire higher levels of self-worth among young people and to train them in ways to ensure safer families, schools and communities.
Interested parties can contact us at: Positive Change Foundation, Positivechangefdn@gmail.com or visit www.blackwomenforpositivechange.org. This commentary is part of a three-part series, powered by TriceEdneyWire.com, dealing with violence across America with a specific focus on domestic violence and mental health.
(Trice Edney Wire) – Dr. Cerina Fairfax. Vice Mayor Nancy Metayer Bowen. Shayla Elkins, 5; Kayla Pugh, 6; Layla Pugh, 7; Markaydon Pugh, 10; Sariahh Snow, 11; Khedarrion Snow, 6; Braylon Snow, 5; and Jayla Elkins, who was just 3 years old. Each of these women and all eight of these children died at the hands of men who were supposed to protect and provide for them in the last month.
Unfortunately, these murders aren’t happening in a vacuum. Stories of angry, despondent men violently killing their wives, girlfriends, and children are occurring in our community at an alarming rate. And far too often, we’re left asking why.
In the mass shooting in Shreveport, the nation’s deadliest since 2024, the family of the shooter, Shamar Elkins, stated he was struggling with his mental health in the midst of a divorce before killing his family. Former Lt. Governor of Virginia Justin Fairfax was also said to have been experiencing isolation and depressive episodes before killing his wife and himself days after being requested to appear at a divorce hearing. And after murdering his wife, Nancy, Stephen Bowen told his uncle that he “couldn’t take it anymore.”
The disturbing pattern in each of these cases is a group of men not just struggling with mental health, but a general lack of value for the lives of their loved ones. Taken together, these cases reveal something larger than individual tragedy; they reveal a crisis hiding in plain sight.
Researchers have documented the rise of a male loneliness epidemic that was sweeping the country, and its effects on emotional stability, ability to connect with others, and even how men perceive reality. Researchers also found that in the absence of meaningful relationships, men who spent more time online often found themselves targeted by algorithms that promote toxic podcasters and influencers who spout negative tropes and stereotypes about women. This world, called the “red pill,” encourages men to dehumanize and assert power over women socially, at home, and in the workplace.
While there’s no direct correlation between these tragedies and toxic internet culture, the risks of isolation and the inability or refusal to engage with mental health supports are evident. But for many men of color, accessing mental healthcare isn’t easy.
There are financial barriers that keep Black men out of care. Stigmas associated with therapy, like being labeled “crazy” or “weak,” encourage men to compartmentalize and use self-soothing tactics like drinking or substances that raise the risk of violent outbursts. And with only 4 percent of mental health professionals being Black, finding professionals that men can connect with is also a challenge.
The combination of feeling like finding help is impossible, compartmentalizing that leads to isolation, and predatory algorithms that spew hatred towards women has created a perfect storm for violence and self-harm. According to the National Library of Medicine, suicide has become the third leading cause of death among Black people, and for younger men, most vulnerable to alienating internet culture, rates of mental health decline are rising.
Tackling this crisis that is tearing our families and community apart will take acknowledging the structural issues that are breaking down the mental health of Black men while holding men accountable for their actions.
Making mental health the center of these stories risks minimizing the decisions that these men made to take the lives of their loved ones. And imposing accountability without investing in preventative measures to ensure that these acts of violence don’t happen again is also short-sighted.
This means calling it what it is: a structural decline in the value of human lives. And these cases, in our community, are examples of the devaluing of Black lives.
If you or a loved one needs support with anxiety, depression, or thoughts of self-harm or harm against others, call or text 988 for help today.
Seattle Public Schools is expanding access to advanced middle school math, aiming to ensure that students who are ready for accelerated coursework have a clearer and more consistent pathway, regardless of where they attended elementary school.
District officials say the changes are designed to address long-standing concerns from families about unequal access to advanced learning opportunities across schools.
Beginning this summer, SPS will introduce additional entry points into advanced math pathways, including a 12-week online summer program for incoming middle school students who are ready to accelerate.
The expansion follows feedback gathered from families during district listening sessions, where parents and students raised concerns about barriers to advanced coursework, particularly for students outside of the Highly Capable program.
“If a student is ready for advanced math, there should be a clear and predictable way for them to access it,” said Superintendent Ben Shuldiner. “This summer option is one step toward expanding opportunity and making sure readiness and interest guide experiences for students across the district.”
Under the updated approach, students will be identified for advanced math opportunities based on readiness, including performance on assessments such as the MAP test or eligibility for Highly Capable services, rather than the specific elementary school they attended.
Two pathways will be available for eligible students. Some will move directly into Compacted Math 7/8, while others will participate in the summer program to prepare for accelerated coursework in middle school.
The district says the expansion represents a significant increase in access. This year, 555 students from 57 elementary schools across Seattle will be invited to participate in the summer math program, including students who have demonstrated high achievement but are not formally identified as Highly Capable.
District leaders say this shift is intended to create more equitable access to advanced learning opportunities, particularly for students who may have previously faced barriers entering accelerated pathways.
“This work is about creating clearer onramps for students who are ready for advanced math,” said Dr. Paula Montgomery, director of Highly Capable Services. “By identifying students based on what they know and what they are ready for, we are reaching students across neighborhood schools in a more consistent way.”
Parents have also expressed support for the expanded options.
“We are switching our middle kid from private school to public school for 5th grade so he can hopefully take advantage of SPS adding new math acceleration pathways,” said parent Charlotte Taylor.
The summer program is scheduled to run from May 13 through Aug. 7, with schools finalizing student schedules for the 2026–27 school year later in August.
Families who receive invitations can find more information through the district’s Highly Capable Summer Math Program website or by contacting SPS directly.
The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle has appointed Seattle native James Bush as its new Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. This significant leadership change marks a new chapter for the organization, aiming for expanded impact and growth across the region. In his new role, Bush will be central to shaping the delivery of critical services, including housing, education, workforce development, and public health, reinforcing the Urban League’s commitment to community well-being.
The City of Seattle has announced a street designation in honor of Rev. Dr. Robert L. Manaway Sr., recognizing his more than 40 years of leadership as the senior pastor of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. Under his guidance, the church has expanded from a small congregation to a cornerstone institution serving over 1,700 members, significantly impacting the community through initiatives addressing housing, food security, and broader community support.
The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are approaching the 2026 season with a strategy to reload rather than rebuild. Despite key departures, including Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III, the team is implementing strategic moves to maintain its competitive standing. Possessing limited draft capital, the Seahawks utilized their first-round selection to acquire Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, a decision signaling a clear intent to rebuild the backfield and ensure offensive balance.
JB, co-host of gametime sports talk, breaks down the Seahawks’ draft, offseason moves, and what fans can expect moving forward.
(CNN) — Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are pushing to cut red tape around the Congressional mechanisms to hold those in their own ranks accountable for wrongdoing as a series of scandals rock Capitol Hill.
But even those with the best intentions are realizing that the road to reforming how Congress polices itself will be much longer and more complicated than many had hoped, frustrating those who want to see swift change. The stakes for members are high, as many fear the public’s dismal view of Congress will only worsen if there aren’t clear improvements.
Making changes to how the House Ethics Committee does its work is where most members want to start, but the panel, which leads investigations into lawmakers, is often viewed as something of a black box by nature of its work.
After sexual misconduct allegations against former Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales came to light through media reports and both members resigned before the panel could finish its own investigations, a number of lawmakers who do not serve on the panel believe it now has a lot to prove.
After the ethics committee spent years investigating Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, the Florida Democrat resigned this week just before the panel was set to meet to recommend punishment after finding her guilty of multiple ethics violations. Some members felt frustrated her resignation allowed her to evade an expected expulsion vote on the House floor, and feel that members should still be able to be held accountable by the chamber even if they move to resign.
“At a time when public confidence in Congress is at an all-time low, it is vitally important that the ethics committee investigates abuses of the public trust in a prompt, thorough and fair manner,” independent Rep. Kevin Kiley of California told CNN.
GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida has argued that the ethics committee moves too slowly and is not effective. “The bottom line is that a process that delays accountability to that extent does not deter misconduct, it enables it. Serious reform is long overdue,” the congresswoman wrote this week in a piece for The Spectator.
House Ethics Chairman Michael Guest defended the panel’s work in an interview with CNN, arguing that his committee is holding lawmakers accountable, but laid out three concrete changes he wants House Speaker Mike Johnson to make to speed up and simplify the process. All of the proposed changes would require bipartisan buy in to reform the House rules.
First up, Guest wants to add additional investigators to his committee so the panel can move faster and take on more work. He also wants to bring the Office of Congressional Conduct under his jurisdiction, which he argued would eliminate duplicative efforts.
Currently, a staffer complaint first goes to the Office of Congressional Conduct, an independent, non-partisan entity, and if that complaint involves a member, it will then be referred to the ethics panel, which then starts the investigative process over again. And Guest wants to consider expanding the committee’s jurisdiction so it can continue investigations after a member resigns or leaves Congress.
“I think we could simplify it. We could streamline the process and by streamlining the process, hopefully see that cases are moved through quicker. I think that’s the desire of everyone,” Guest, who wants to expedite the panel’s work without sacrificing necessary due process, told CNN.
Freshman Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who serves on the ethics committee, said he does not see the point in expanding the panel’s jurisdiction to include when a lawmaker leaves Congress but wants the committee to be more willing to enforce its subpoenas by imposing criminal sanctions on witnesses who don’t immediately comply.
“There’s a lot I’d like to do to make the committee move faster and reformed. There’s a lot I want to do in Congress to change some of the rules and some of the laws to police us to make sure that we are an example for the American people, not an embarrassment,” he told CNN.
Earlier this week, Johnson said he would lead any effort to reform the current system as ideas come up.
“We are looking at every potential avenue to tighten up the rules and make sure that women have an avenue to report,” Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday. “We have a lot of mechanisms in place but we’re always open to making that safer and more secure. And I will lead that myself.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries met with Democrats on the House Ethics panel on Thursday amid the discussion of other possible changes, a source familiar with the meeting told CNN.
“Congress is not subject to really any kind of oversight that it does not control,” said Donald Sherman, president and CEO of the liberal-leaning watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “They need to work harder as an institution to figure out a way to ensure that they are more responsive to building a safe, ethical and equitable workplace for the thousands of staffers that serve them and their constituents.”
The ethics committee announced an investigation into Swalwell after CNN and other outlets reported on allegations of sexual misconduct against him – allegations Swalwell has denied. And a former congressional staffer with knowledge of the House Ethics committee’s work told CNN that during their tenure on Capitol Hill no complaint was ever filed against Swalwell.
“It makes me think that people in the House don’t know they have the option to make a complaint about a member. Clearly the culture of people understanding what recourse they have with members or staff isn’t good enough. It failed incredibly,” the former staffer said.
‘It’s crazy some of the things that happen in this institution that would not be tolerated in any other workplace’
But before attempting to implement solutions, many members are finding that it’s hard to even know where to start.
Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington started researching how allegations get reported on Capitol Hill and was shocked, like many of her colleagues, to learn how complicated and convoluted the current process was.
There was an entire office that she didn’t even know existed that she quickly learned most of her staff considered their primary reporting outlet for any claim. She couldn’t believe the current rules allowed lawmakers to have relationships with staffers as long as they weren’t their own. Even members on the House Ethics Committee couldn’t unanimously tell her crucial specifics like at what point in the process the panel learns the identity of an accuser.
Jayapal is currently on a mission to build a chart of what each ethics-related office does and has jurisdiction over — a task she didn’t realize would take on a life of its own — to then present to House Democratic leadership about what tangible changes could be made.
“I’m still trying to untangle the web we’ve woven,” Jayapal told CNN. “I don’t think staff is clear either about what their rights are in each of these situations.”
Other lawmakers have already introduced their own bills, but their paths forward are unclear. Luna and Subramanyam introduced a bipartisan bill this week to prevent members of Congress from receiving pensions if they commit serious offenses.
“We felt like it was common sense,” Subramanyam told CNN. “I didn’t even realize that you could continue to collect a pension after leaving this place if you had to resign or got expelled for those types of crimes.”
Democratic Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, who came to Congress following the resignation of her predecessor after it was revealed he used taxpayer dollars to settle a sexual harassment case, introduced a bill to reform and tighten up loopholes in legislation passed in 2018 during the #MeToo movement to address workplace harassment and discrimination on Capitol Hill..
“It’s crazy some of the things that happen in this institution that would not be tolerated in any other workplace in America,” Scanlon told CNN.
In an attempt to beat back the mounting criticism, the ethics committee released a rare statement this week imploring the Capitol Hill community to report any instance of sexual misconduct and outlined 28 sexual misconduct investigations the panel has conducted dating back to the 1970s. There have only been six expulsions in the history of the House of Representatives and lawmakers on the ethics committee say there should continue to be a high bar for the rare occurrence, emphasizing that individuals must be seen as innocent until proven guilty.
Members point to the panel’s investigation into former Rep. George Santos and his expulsion from the House not long after the panel released a scathing report, and its probe of former Rep. Matt Gaetz, which was cited in pushback to his nomination to be attorney general that he eventually withdrew, as two examples where the committee’s work translated into broader accountability.
Standing with Guest moments after Cherfilus-McCormick resigned, the top Democrat on the House ethics panel, Rep. Mark DeSaulnier, outlined the hard place the panel finds itself in.
“We both take a little umbrage to all the criticism the committee gets. The rules are designed by the House,” the California Democratic told reporters earlier this week. “If there are opportunities to make it better, I think we both agree that we are open to that. And clearly at least perspective from the public, there is a lack of trust in this institution and we’ve been working very hard to hold people accountable in both parties.”
Democratic Rep. Glenn Ivey, another member of the ethics panel, argued that as much as people want the committee to move faster, allegations like sexual misconduct cannot be rushed.
“There’s no panacea out there,” he told CNN. “Those things take time.”
