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==Overview==
The OCE's mission is "to assist the House in upholding high standards of ethical conduct for its Members, officers, and staff and, in so doing, to serve the American people"; within that framework it strives to foster transparency by keeping the public informed of its activities.<ref name="about">"[https://oce.house.gov/about About]". Office of Congressional Ethics. oce.house.gov. Retrieved 2017-01-03.</ref> With its online presence, it aims to “give the public a 'window' into ethics enforcement in the United States House of Representatives.”<ref>{{cite news |title=Welcome to the New Online OCE |author= |work=Office of Congressional Ethics Blog |date=June 1, 2010 |url=http://oce.house.gov/2010/03/welcome-to-the-oces-new-site.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201114026/http://oce.house.gov/2010/03/welcome-to-the-oces-new-site.html|archive-date=February 1, 2013|accessdate=January 3, 2017}}</ref> The office is governed by an eight-person Board of Directors,
The OCE lacks subpoena power and must complete each review in a relatively short period of time—approximately three months at most. The OCE review process requires approval of the board at each step. In order to open a preliminary review, lasting no longer than 30 days, there must be "reasonable cause to believe allegations," according to the OCE.<ref name="process">{{cite web |url=https://oce.house.gov/learn/process |title=Process |date= |publisher=Office of Congressional Ethics. oce.house.gov |accessdate=January 1, 2017}}</ref> In order to proceed to a second phase, or further review, there must be "probable cause to believe allegations."<ref name="process"/> The second phase must be completed within 45 days, with the possibility of a 14-day extension.<ref name="learn">"[https://oce.house.gov/learn Learn]". Office of Congressional Ethics. oce.house.gov. Retrieved January 3, 2017.</ref> Following completion of the second-phase review, the OCE board votes to refer a matter to the House Ethics Committee with a recommendation for or against further review by the committee. The recommendation comes in the form of a report which must be released to the public, unless the OCE recommendation was against further review.
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