Senate ethics panel, relatively silent, could face busy year

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate Ethics Committee has not conducted a major investigation in nearly six years. Next year, the panel could decide the fate of up to three lawmakers, including two facing allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior.

The typically secretive committee says it plans to resume its preliminary inquiry into alleged misconduct by Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., whose federal bribery trial ended in a mistrial.

The ethics panel also is expected to investigate Minnesota Sen. Al Franken after a woman accused him of forcibly kissing and groping her during a 2006 USO tour.

And it could enter uncharted territory in the case of Alabama's Roy Moore, a Republican who faces multiple complaints of sexual misconduct. If Moore wins a special election, the top Senate Republican says he'll face a formal ethics complaint.