Ethics Massacre on New Year’s Eve: House Panel Drops Key Campaign Finance Probes!

This week, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee declared that it had unanimously decided to conclude multiple investigations regarding alleged campaign finance violations by three Republican representatives and one Democrat. This closure, which an expert dubbed the “New Year’s Eve Ethics Massacre,” involved Reps. Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.), Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Ronny Jackson (R-Texas), and Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.).

The committee, evenly split with five Democrats and five Republicans, released a nebulous statement on the eve of New Year’s Eve, announcing the end of these probes. In their findings, they acknowledged that while there was evidence of non-compliance with the rules governing personal use of campaign funds, they found no intentional misuse of these funds for personal benefit.

Additionally, the committee critiqued the existing Federal Election Commission (FEC) rules on the personal use of campaign finances as “often ambiguous.” In response, they issued revised guidelines to better direct House members on this matter.

The committee also noted that it had resolved “other confidential matters under review,” though details were not disclosed.

Their response to the findings involved reaching out to the implicated lawmakers, providing them with the new guidelines and specific feedback and recommendations concerning their campaign activities.

“The New Year’s Eve Ethics Massacre represents a failure of the Ethics Committee to hold Congress members accountable for their misconduct.”

Daniel Schuman, the executive director at the American Governance Institute, criticized the panel’s decision, suggesting it essentially legalized the personal use of campaign funds among House members. He described this new standard as weak and a blatant disregard for evidence of misconduct provided by the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE).

According to Schuman’s newsletter, this decision allows members to convert campaign donations directly for personal use under the guise of the holiday season, in a manner reminiscent of a money laundering operation. He also highlighted that the committee dismissed several other misconduct allegations.

These investigations into Bishop, Mooney, Hunt, and Jackson were initially sparked by OCE reports dating back to 2020. Schuman pointed out the ongoing efforts by Republicans to diminish the role and influence of the OCE, including attempts to remove “ethics” from its name.

In one notable instance involving Mooney, Schuman referenced an OCE finding from October 2021 that Mooney had used over $17,000 in campaign funds to buy gift cards, which violated FEC regulations and obscured the end recipient of these funds—potentially Mooney himself.

Mooney expressed his gratitude for the committee’s decision and dismissed the allegations as politically driven by left-wing actors.

Regarding Bishop, the only Democrat scrutinized, an OCE report from February 2020 suggested he might have used campaign funds for personal expenditures and improperly spent official member funds on annual district holiday parties. Schuman noted that the questionable expenses included golf club memberships, golf club purchases, family brunches, groceries, and more.

“The ethics process is flawed,” Schuman concluded, advocating for an independent ethics system that operates free from internal party politics and more effectively holds members accountable for apparent misconduct. He emphasized that the “New Year’s Eve Ethics Massacre” undermines the Ethics Committee’s responsibility to enforce accountability and transparency.

Craig Holman, a lobbyist for Public Citizen, supported Schuman’s views, stating that the Ethics Committee’s broad dismissal of potential ethical violations shows a neglect of its duties to both the legislative body and the American people.

The committee’s press release subtly acknowledged potential violations related to personal use of campaign funds, yet it ultimately dismissed these charges, according to Holman.

Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, remarked that the decision further demonstrates the committee’s inability to enforce ethics rules effectively due to its deep integration with Congress members. She stressed the importance of external oversight by the Office of Congressional Ethics to ensure a fair and transparent ethics process.