Committee Finds Bobby Rush and Luis Gutiérrez Violated Ethics

The House Ethics Committee on Thursday found that Illinois Democratic Congressmen Luis Gutiérrez and Bobby Rush had violated House rules regarding funds and ordered them to repay the U.S. Treasury. Gutiérrez must pay $9,700 for an “inadvertent” misuse of funds. Between 2003 to 2013, Gutiérrez had hired his former Chief of Staff, Doug Scofield, and his firm to advise his congressional office. The major question was whether Scofield, a consultant, was acting in some circumstances as official staff. The panel found “no reason to believe” the Congressman “or his office intentionally misused” government funds. In Rush’s case, he must pay $13,310 for taking an “impermissible gift” of free office space. The Rush case stemmed from a 2013 Chicago Sun-Times/Better Government Association investigation of, among other matters, free office in the Lake Meadows Shopping Center. The Ethics Committee slammed Rush “for his significant, though unintentional violation of the Gift Rule.” One item of note: the Ethics Committee will allow Rush to be repaid by his campaign committee for any personal cost, so the Congressman won’t pay for the violation out of his own pocket. More here.