ICYMI: Rep. Emilia Sykes Fighting Corruption, Pushing to Stop Politicians From Ripping Off Ohioans

Earlier this month, Congresswoman Emilia Sykes introduced a bill to close bribery loopholes and prevent corrupt politicians from abusing their offices. Sykes’ Closing Bribery Loopholes Act will allow law enforcement to better target politicians who use their offices for personal gain.

Sykes also helped introduce legislation to block corporate executives convicted of financial crimes from serving in the executive branch, and a bipartisan bill to ban members of Congress and their spouses and children from trading stocks.

While Rep. Sykes is working to root out corruption and the influence of lobbyists, Kevin Coughlin is a lobbyist who profited off of his career in taxpayer-funded office.

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Columbus Dispatch: The Scoop: Ohio Democrat wants to crack down on corruption

• Federal bribery wouldn’t be limited solely to official acts under a new proposal from an Ohio congresswoman.
• Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-Akron, introduced legislation to expand the definition of bribery as part of a broader effort by Democrats in Congress to stamp out public corruption. Under Sykes’ bill, federal bribery would include actions by someone in their capacity as a public official that result in personal gain.
• “The American people deserve a government that works for them, not for the biggest wallets or the best connections,” Sykes said in a statement.
• Sykes served as minority leader of the Ohio House alongside former Speaker Larry Householder, who’s serving 20 years in prison for his role in the state’s largest corruption scandal. Her latest bill came after President Donald Trump faced criticism for holding a dinner for investors of his $TRUMP cryptocurrency.

Ohio Capital Journal: Ohio regulators begin House bill 6 hearings as lawmakers mull anti-corruption legislation

• Last week, U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, D-OH, joined six other lawmakers last week introducing what they’re calling their “End Corruption Now” agenda.
• The proposals include a lifetime ban on members of congress lobbying and requiring members put investments in a blind trust, among others.
• Sykes’ Closing Bribery Loopholes Act zeroes in on the definition of an “official act.” 
• A federal district court convicted [former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell] of wire fraud among other charges and the appeals court affirmed the ruling. But in 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction.
• “The court ruled that those favors did not meet the very narrow definition of an official act under federal law,” Sykes argued. “That decision blew a hole in anti-corruption safeguards and set precedent that made it easier for public officials to sell access, influence and prestige without facing any consequences.”
• She explained the issue is important to her in light of Ohio’s recent history; Sykes was serving in the Ohio House at the time of HB 6’s passage and voted against the bill. She argued Ohio “had a lot of work to do” in the wake of the scandal that landed former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder behind bars.
• “Unfortunately, that work has not started in the state house of Ohio,” Sykes argued, and so she’s attempting to address the problem at the national level.
• “Let me clear, when we allow public officials to use their power for personal gain and shield them from accountability, it undermines democracy itself,” Sykes insisted.
• “This bill and the broader end corruption now agenda is about restoring public trust and ensuring that no one — no one — is above a law,” she said. “Not a governor, not a president, not a Speaker of the House.”

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