U.S. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Richmond, speaks at a hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways and Transit at the U.S. Capitol., R-Richmond, is being investigated by his peers over allegations that he used campaign funds for his personal use, according to an Office of Congressional Ethics report released Friday.Nehls in March, but the details of the investigation were confidential.
The campaign lists a different address than the company’s for its campaign headquarters, though the report notes that address does not appear to be currently used by the campaign. It was most recently an Islamic school and previously a bar, according to the report. The Ethics Committee is an evenly bipartisan panel of House members who investigate alleged violations of House rules and laws. U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, is the only Texan on the committee. It is separate from the Office of Congressional Ethics, which was created in 2008 to investigate ethics complaints and refer cases to the House Ethics Committee. That office is run by nonpartisan full-time staff instead of elected officials.
Nehls’ attorney also wrote in the response letter that members of Nehls’ staff had responded to OCE’s inquiries by requesting more information or informing the office that they worked only for Nehls’ congressional office and were not part of the campaign staff.