A Democrat in Michigan filed an ethics complaint against Rep. John James (R-MI) on Friday over a campaign event he held this week.
Joel Rutherford, who was previously the Michigan Democratic Party’s chairman for the 10th Congressional District, which James represents, claimed James used one of his House staffers and several printed signs at a Wednesday school-supply giveaway that promoted his gubernatorial campaign.
The complaint, which was sent to the House Ethics Committee on Friday, calls James’s conduct an “abuse” of taxpayer funds and claims James is using his role in Congress to “advance [his] private political ambitions.”
“His actions both mistreat taxpayers by misusing their hard-earned money for the private benefit of James’s campaign — and undermine our democracy by abusing the power of the United States Congress to influence a state election,” Rutherford wrote in the complaint.
James is running for Michigan governor in the 2026 election. Even if he doesn’t win, James will vacate his House seat by the end of 2026 because he cannot run for both offices simultaneously.
James’s spokeswoman denied the allegations.
“For three years, John James has supplied Michigan kids with free backpacks and school essentials, using no taxpayer dollars,” James’s spokeswoman Hannah Osantowske said in a statement. “Democrats, obsessed with government dependency and a woke agenda, attack a true leader for helping families.”
The complaint also criticized Osantowske, a spokeswoman for James’s House office and his campaign for governor, for promoting the event, which advertised the campaign event using their congressional email.
Strict rules require staffers to separate official communications between public offices and campaigns. House rules also bar members of Congress from using funds or staff for campaign activity.
Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Curtis Hertel also urged an investigation into the matter, saying James “appears to have broken the law” by combining official and campaign resources.
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“John James is misusing taxpayer-funded resources through his congressional office to promote his campaign for governor, which is illegal and a violation of House ethics rules,” he said in a statement.
“We urge the House Ethics Committee to thoroughly investigate this incident, and if found to be an ethics violation, hold James accountable for this illegal and unethical conduct,” the statement continued.