House Ethics Committee Reviews Petri
The House Ethics Committee will extend its review of behavior by U.S. Rep. Thomas Petri, following up on a report from the Office of Congressional Ethics on the Wisconsin Republican.
On Sept. 30, the Ethics Committee released the OCE report that said, “There is substantial reason to believe that Representative Petri improperly performed official acts on behalf of companies in which he had a financial interest, in violation of House rules and standards of conduct.”
Petri, 74, an 18-term representative who chairs the highway and transit subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, denied any wrongdoing.
“The OCE’s findings turn common sense upside down, attempt to rewrite specific House rules and ignore the well-documented record of my office’s interactions with the House Ethics Committee, in which I sought the committee’s advice, received the committee’s advice and followed the committee’s advice. Yet, somehow, five years after the fact, the OCE has reviewed this record and concludes I ‘may have violated House rules and standards of conduct,’ ” Petri said in a statement.
Petri, known for his bipartisan crafting of transportation bills, announced in April he would not stand for re-election in November.
In a half-page statement announcing the action on Petri, the Ethics Committee said it has not reached a final judgment. Instead, it is conducting an investigation and review. The committee is led by Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-Texas) and Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.)
