GOP lawmaker under House ethics review blasts ‘baseless’investigation

Rep.Lance Gooden, R-Texas, participates in a House Judiciary Committee organizing meeting in the Rayburn House Office Building on Feb.1, 2023.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc.via Getty Images)

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“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.

The committee revealed it was extending a review of a “matter” reported to the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) on June 10, 2026, a preliminary step before deciding whether to launch a full investigation.

“The Committee will announce its course of action in this matter on or before November 9,” the notice said.

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The OCC is an independent, nonpartisan body that reviews allegations made againstHouse lawmakers, staff, and officers.Members of the OCC examine those allegations and then decide whether to refer them to the House Ethics Committee.

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The OCC investigates “a wide variety of allegations relating to earmarks, travel, financial disclosure, and legal expense funds among other topics,” according to its website.

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Monday’s announcement appears to be for apreliminary investigationby the Ethics panel, where lawmakers must now decide whether to escalate it to a formal probe that involves an investigatory subcommittee.

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