Establishes in the legislative branch the Congressional Ethics Office, headed by a Congressional Ethics Officer, which shall: (1) make informal preliminary inquiries in response to requests for reviews of allegations of improper conduct or a violation of law or House or Senate regulations; (2) report to the Members of Congress and the Department of Justice any finding of probable cause that a violation of ethics rules has occurred; (3) if warranted, conduct full investigations of such allegations; (4) report on investigations to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics or the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct; and (5) report to Congress on ethics complaints, ethics investigations, and recommendations for changes to ethics regulations.
Requires a request for review to be accompanied by a sworn statement of facts. Authorizes the Officer to refer false statements to the Attorney General for prosecution. Sets penalties for knowingly filing or encouraging another to file a false complaint. Bans filings close to an election.