EXCLUSIVE — A government watchdog group has filed a Senate ethics complaint against Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), arguing that her call to deter young people from working for President Donald Trump crossed the line from political criticism into threats against public service.
The Center to Advance Security in America shared the complaint exclusively with the Washington Examiner. The document, dated Tuesday, asks Senate Ethics Committee Chairman James Lankford (R-OK) and Vice Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) to investigate whether Slotkin’s remarks violated Senate ethical standards.
“Senator Slotkin’s recent statement that young professionals should be deterred from joining the Trump administration is extremely troubling and a potential violation of Senate Ethics rules,” CASA Director James Fitzpatrick told the Washington Examiner. “U.S. Senators must conduct themselves with proper ethics and morality at all times.”
Slotkin made the remarks during an Oct. 13 University of Chicago event with Vox editorial director Astead Herndon. She advocated pursuing “signature cases” involving Trump and those around him.
“I want to look at these signature cases and not just focus on the president but on the people who enabled him,” Slotkin said, according to the complaint.
She said she wanted young people considering administration jobs to worry that doing so “might be buying myself a ton of problems that I don’t want.”
“I want that deterrence message sent,” she said.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) called the remarks “absolutely disgraceful” and a “fascist move,” arguing that Slotkin was promoting the use of government power to discourage people from serving in the administration. Slotkin defended her comments on X, saying she wanted accountability for people who misused taxpayer money to benefit Trump or his family or broke the law to carry out his directives.
In the broader interview, Slotkin framed her comments as a call for accountability for alleged corruption and argued that people carrying out Trump’s wishes lacked the immunity available to the president. CASA contends that her warning goes far beyond that explanation and that it serves to discourage young professionals from seeking government employment because of their political associations.
The complaint cites the Senate Ethics Manual’s provision allowing discipline for conduct that “unfavorably reflects on the institution as a whole,” even outside official duties. It also invokes the expectation that senators demonstrate “a proper respect for the principles of ethics and morality.”
CASA argues that threatening legal consequences for accepting employment with a sitting president undermines First Amendment association rights. Those are the group’s allegations, rather than findings by the committee. The request centers on whether her comments damaged the Senate’s reputation and discouraged lawful political participation.
The criticism also drew a response from Nick Solheim, CEO of American Moment, a nonprofit organization that helps young conservatives find government jobs. Vice President JD Vance sat on the nonprofit’s board until he won his Senate election in 2023.
Solheim urged senators in a video posted to X to pursue an ethics complaint and force a vote on whether Slotkin’s remarks were acceptable. He also called for scrutiny of any preparations by her office to target staffers.
“We are going to help them get jobs, we are going to put them to work, and if anyone comes after them — they’ll have a fight on their hands,” he said.
CASA’s complaint contrasted Slotkin’s remarks with her campaign website’s pledge to protect rights and democracy. Fitzpatrick said the group wanted the ethics panel to examine the senator’s conduct.
ELISSA SLOTKIN FEUDS WITH MIKE LEE OVER WARNING STUDENTS NOT TO WORK FOR TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
“We are hopeful the committee will initiate an investigation into Senator Slotkin’s remarks accordingly,” he said.
Read the three-page letter to the select committee below: