The House Committee on Ethics has revealed it is investigating Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX), the latest lawmaker to face scrutiny from the congressional panel.
A public statement released Monday by Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) and ranking member Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) did not disclose the allegations that precipitated the investigation.
“The Committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,” Guest and DeSaulnier said.
The Office of Congressional Conduct, or OCC, first heard of the matter on June 10, according to the House ethics panel. Gooden denied the allegations, which he said were finance-related.
“These are bogus spending allegations perpetrated by dishonest unelected OCC bureaucrats, and as the fifth Texas GOP ally of the President to endure one of these attacks, I am confident the House Ethics Committee will confirm their baseless nature,” Gooden said in a statement provided to the Washington Examiner.
Another Texas Republican, former Rep. Tony Gonzales, was under an ethics investigation related to his alleged extramarital relationship with a staffer who ultimately died by suicide last year. The investigation was closed after Gonzales resigned from Congress in April.
The House ethics committee will announce its next steps in the investigation regarding Gooden either on or before Nov. 9, six days after the general election. The Texas Republican is seeking a fifth term this year.
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The OCC reviews allegations against House lawmakers, staff, and officers and decides whether to refer them to the ethics committee. The independent, nonpartisan body typically investigates allegations related to “earmarks, travel, financial disclosure, and legal expense funds among other topics,” according to its website.
It remains unclear whether the investigation is related to a 2021 complaint that the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center sent to the OCC. The complaint alleged Gooden failed to report his stock trades in a timely manner, thereby violating House rules and the STOCK Act.