The House Ethics Committee has stated that it is conducting an inquiry into Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas).
The Ethics panel did not reveal the subject of the investigation, but Nehls mentioned that the inquiry is centered around his campaign’s finances. The Texas Republican stated that he will cooperate with the panel during its investigation.
“I am eager to help the House Committee on Ethics examination of my campaign’s finances,” Nehls said. “My campaign has followed all Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations, and my financial records are accessible.”
House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest (R-Miss.) and ranking member Susan Wild (D-Pa.) announced Tuesday that they initiated an investigation into Nehls following information received from the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) on Dec. 11. The OCE is an independent, nonpartisan organization that reviews claims of wrongdoing involving lawmakers and staff members.
Guest and Wild stated that the committee will announce its plan of action on or before May 10.
“The Committee points out that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the obligatory revelation of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not in itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee,” the duo explained.
It was not immediately evident what aspect of Nehls’s campaign finances the committee is examining.
Nehls was elected to Congress in 2020, securing an open seat to represent Texas’s 22nd Congressional District. Prior to that, he served as sheriff of Fort Bend County.
The most recent prominent case from the House Ethics Committee centered on former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), which resulted in his expulsion from Congress. The bipartisan committee concluded in a highly anticipated and critical report that Santos “violated federal criminal laws and other standards of conduct within the Committee’s jurisdiction.”
Shortly after the report was released, the House voted to expel Santos in a bipartisan 311-114-2 vote.
