The House ethics committee has ended an investigation into six members of Congress over allegations that they kept the remainder of per diem payments they receive when traveling overseas.
Reps. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Alcee Hastings (D-FL), Solomon Ortiz (D-TX) and Joe Wilson (R-SC) are now no longer under investigation in the case.
The Office of Congressional Ethics found there was enough evidence that the lawmakers used cash stipends to cover apparently unauthorized expenses to refer the allegations to the House ethics committee. But the committee’s decision ends that probe, and they’ll take “no further action” on the matters, they said in a statement.
House ethics committee chair Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and ranking member Rep. Joe Bonner (R-AL) decided to make the announcement on Thursday, they said in a press release on Friday.
Butterfield was a member of the House ethics committee this Congress but has been critical of the committee and called for a “complete reconstitution of the committee from top to bottom.”
