House Ethics Panel Clears Rep. Petri
The House Committee on Ethics announced it would not discipline retiring Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.), stating that the 18-term lawmaker sought and adhered to the committee's guidance when he aided firms in which he owned stock.
The committee on Dec. 11 said it “unanimously determined that it would be inequitable to issue a sanction to Rep. Petri based on the facts of this matter.”
“Over the course of several years, Rep. Petri’s staff proactively and repeatedly consulted with the committee’s staff on whether and how Rep. Petri could lawfully and properly engage in official actions on behalf of entities in which he had a financial interest,” according to the committee.
This year, the committee accepted a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) about Petri’s work on behalf of Oshkosh Corp. and Manitowoc Co., which have offices in his district.
Petri, the outgoing chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Highways and Transit Subcommittee, thanked the Ethics panel, noting its conclusion confirms that "I regularly consulted with the committee to ensure everything was done in accordance with House rules."
