An independent House panel found there was substantial reason to believe that Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX) violated ethics rules, according to a report made public on Wednesday.
The report from the Office of Congressional Ethics said Reyes held campaign meetings at the Capitol and used campaign funds to pay for expenses related to his daughter’s home. The House Ethics Committee released the report and announced it was continuing its own investigation. Reyes lost his Democratic primary election in the spring and will leave Congress in January.
The congressman’s lawyers responded to the report by saying their client had done nothing wrong. The Capitol meetings had been mistakenly labeled in congressional expense reports as “campaign meetings” by a staff treasurer, they said. They also said Reyes had legitimately rented part of his daughter’s home as a campaign office. Things like pest control, internet, and a new television were essential parts of running the campaign, they said.
