Rep. Petri Asks House Ethics Committee To Investigate Him

Rep. Tom Petri, R-Wis., listens to witness testimony during a hearing at the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation on airline fees on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, July 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI) on Monday asked the House Ethics Committee to investigate him after a Gannett story found that he advocated for Oshkosh Corp. as a representative while owning stock in the company, USA Today reported.

“To end any questions, I am requesting that the committee formally review the matter and report back,” he wrote in a letter obtained by USA Today Monday.

Petri said he was simply representing his constituents.

“Articles (enclosed) recently questioned my ownership of stock in companies and my actions on their behalf,” he said in the letter. “It is my honor and duty to advocate on behalf of those who live and work in my area; I am distressed by the innuendo in these articles.”

The value of Petri’s Oshkosh stock increased by 30 percent while he was advocating for the company to secure a Defense Department contract and pushed Congress to reject cuts to the Pentagon’s budget, according to Gannett.

In his letter, Petri said that he disclosed information on his personal finances and consulted the Ethics Committee about advocating for Oshkosh.

Ethics rules prohibit representatives from using their public office for personal gains, but the committee decides the maters mostly on a case-by-case basis, according to USA Today.

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