A pair of Republican lawmakers are pushing back on news of the House Ethics Committee extending investigations into them, though it’s unclear if the two cases are related.
The bipartisan lower chamber committee, which reviews alleged misconduct among members and is referred matters from the Office of Congressional Ethics, separately announced the investigations on Thursday into Reps. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) and Wesley Hunt (R-TX). The announcements provided no details about the allegations, which for both members reportedly pertain to payments the Republicans made from their campaign committees at private clubs.
In the case of Jackson, the House Ethics Committee’s Thursday comments come two years after the OCE released a report finding “substantial reason to believe” he used campaign funds for membership in a private social club.
“This baseless complaint from OCE raises no new information, and despite over two years at the Committee on Ethics it is still being looked into,” a spokesperson for Jackson said.
“Once again, congressman Jackson has nothing to hide, and he and his team have fully complied with the Ethics Committee since the beginning,” the spokesperson added. “This is sadly not the first time the leftists at OCE have decided to waste taxpayer dollars going after public servants for absolutely nothing.”
A spokesperson for Hunt said the lawmaker “has been in full cooperation with the House Ethics Committee and is extremely confident that the matter will be dismissed shortly.”
Both of the announcements from the House Ethics Committee mentioned that the panel’s next course of action will be on or before June 24.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the House Ethics Committee also released a statement announcing it is continuing to gather information for an ongoing review into Rep. Troy Nehls’s (R-TX) finances.
The OCE, the separate body, had found in December “there is probable cause to believe Rep. Nehls may have converted campaign funds for personal use,” according to a report. That report said Nehls’s campaign transferred money to certain companies he controls.
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“The Office of Congressional Ethics was created under Nancy Pelosi, which is why I refused to cooperate with the office,” Nehls told the Washington Examiner.
“My books remain open, and I am cooperating with the legitimate House Committee on Ethics,” Nehls said.
