Four congressmen were investigated for allegedly converting campaign funds for personal use.
The House Ethics Committee announced on Dec. 30 that it will close its investigations of four congressmen’s use of campaign funds.
The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) had referred Reps. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), and Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) to the committee for further investigation after finding reason to believe the lawmakers may have converted campaign funds for personal use.
After finding evidence in some cases of noncompliance with House rules regarding reporting and personal use of campaign funds, the panel ultimately determined that there was “no evidence that any Member intentionally misused campaign funds for their personal benefit,” according to a statement.
The panel did not specify which House members were found to have violated House rules. It noted that the relevant lawmakers had received updated guidance on those rules and the committee’s findings concerning their campaign activity.
“The Committee will take no further action in those matters and will consider them closed,” the panel said.
The decision to close the investigations, along with “other confidential matters,” was unanimous.
The House’s Code of Official Conduct specifies that campaign funds may only be used for “bona fide campaign or political purposes” and forbids members from converting those funds for personal use except as reimbursement for “legitimate and verifiable” campaign expenses.
Federal campaign finance law also bars the personal use of campaign funds.
Each of the four lawmakers in question was accused of using campaign funds for personal expenses, and two of them faced additional allegations.
In Bishop’s case—which the committee investigated for nearly five years—there was also a claim that he spent a portion of his Members’ Representational Allowance (MRA) for running his office on annual holiday celebrations.
Mooney, likewise, was accused of authorizing impermissible MRA expenditures. Other allegations against him included claims he used official resources for campaign work and personal errands; accepted impermissible gifts, including a trip to Aruba and free lodging and event space; and “withheld, concealed, or falsified information” during the committee’s investigation.
In a Dec. 30 memo to all House members and employees, the Ethics Committee underscored the congressional and federal finance rules they must follow.
“Under no circumstances may Members convert campaign funds to personal use for themselves or for anyone else,” the memo notes.
“Campaign funds may not be used to enhance an individual’s lifestyle, for personal enjoyment or entertainment, or to pay an individual’s personal obligations. Nor may Members borrow campaign funds or loan them to anyone for a personal purpose.”
The memo also reminds members to maintain detailed records of their campaign expenditures “for at least three Congresses” to ensure that they are verifiable.