In a Congress that has generally struggled this year to do more than keep the federal government running, the House Ethics Committee has been caught in the middle of the some of the biggest stories coming out of Washington.

Three lawmakers resigned this year rather than face the prospect of an expulsion vote. Two of those cases involved alleged sexual misconduct. Another member was censured for his interactions with two female aides on his staff. Other investigations are ongoing.

Those stories emerged at a time when Congress was confronted by public outrage over the government’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. In the previous months, members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus had multiple meetings with survivors who were pushing for the release of Epstein-related files at the Department of Justice.