Ethics committee expanding investigation into GOP rep over finance questions

The House Ethics committee will expand its investigation into allegations related to Rep. David Schweikert’s (R-Az.) dealing with his aide.

Oliver Schwab, Schweikert’s former chief of staff, was allegedly paid by the congressman’s campaign beyond the permitted limit for outside earned income for senior congressional staffers.

According to a committee statement, they are looking into whether Schweikert and Schwab may have used money from the representative’s member allowance for “impermissible purposes,” whether campaign staff made “improper campaign contributions,” whether Schwab got paid too much and whether Schwab may have incorrectly filed disclosure statements.

The investigation was opened in June, and expanded Thursday to include additional findings by OCE.

{mosads}Specifically, the committee will now look into whether Schweikert used “official resources to benefit his campaign or pressured congressional staff to perform political activity,” “authorized compensation to an employee who did not perform duties commensurate with his House employment,” “received loans or gifts from a congressional employee,” or omitted information on disclosure statements.

Schweikert’s press secretary told Politico Thursday that “we look forward to providing any information necessary to the Ethics Committee to resolve this matter.”

After Schwab resigned in July, he said would become a U.S. Coast Guard-licensed maritime captain. Instead, he became the executive vice president for public policy at Virtua Partners and started a new new strategic consulting firm, Sounding Partners.