The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday evening an investigation into Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) after receiving messages showing the member of “The Squad” asking her campaign for money for personal use.
The Daily Wire reports,
The announcement came in response to a referral that the committee received from the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), which alleged:
'Rep. Tlaib’s campaign committee, Rashida Tlaib for Congress, reported campaign disbursements that may not be legitimate and verifiable campaign expenditures attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes. If Rep. Tlaib converted campaign funds from Rashida Tlaib for Congress to personal use, or if Rep. Tlaib’s campaign committee expended funds that were not attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes, then Rep. Tlaib may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.'
The OCE recommended that Tlaib be investigated ‘because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Tlaib converted campaign funds from Rashida Tlaib for Congress to personal use or Rep. Tlaib’s campaign committee expended funds that were not attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes.’
Exhibits show Tlaib messaging her congressional campaign about her financial woes, saying, “I am struggling financially right now. … I am sinking." On April 4, 2019, she requested to receive a one-time payment of $5,000. On April 27, 2017, she asked for a stipend of $2,000 every two weeks. On May 7, 2019, her campaign advisers told her via email that it would be legal for the campaign to pay her, so long as it’s “no more than her income from the previous year from the campaign committee,” and that if she were to receive backlash for taking money from the campaign while also collecting money from her part-time legal job and as a congresswoman, they could frame the story as follows:
“I quit my job when nobody else did, and I don't have a cushy government job to fall back on if I don't win - I'm all in for this race and for the people of the district.”
No wonder Tlaib has been laying low lately.
This story is developing.