Dem lawmaker slams GOP for gutting ethics panel: 'Is there anyone who thinks Congress is too ethical?'

House Republicans' secret vote to gut the Office of Congressional Ethics on Monday is earning a swift rebuke from political rivals, and one Democratic lawmaker absolutely nuked the GOP's latest gambit on CNN Tuesday morning.

Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) told CNN on Tuesday that he and other Democrats were "completely blindsided" by the GOP's vote on Monday night, and he said that he was appalled that it was the very first thing they did after getting back to work this week.

"I mean, is there any American out there who thinks Congress is too ethical?" Moulton asked incredulously. "Donald Trump and the Republicans say they are going to drain the swamp and the very first thing they do is dismantle our outside ethics watchdog!"

When asked by CNN host Alisyn Camerota why he thought the GOP would make such a move, he gave the obvious answer: That they want to get away with doing unethical things.

"I guess what they have on their agenda might run into trouble with ethics," he said. "I don't know what else could be the reason, but we're going to stand up to this just like we're going to stand up to all the things that Republicans want to do that are bad for the American people, and clearly this is getting off to a really bad start."

Watch the whole interview below.