The House Ethics Committee announced on Monday that it will review a report from the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) which found “substantial reason to believe” that U.S. Representatives Ronny Jackson and Wesley Hunt, both Republicans from Texas, misused campaign funds for personal expenses at private social clubs.
According to the OCE’s findings, Jackson’s campaign committee, Texans for Ronny Jackson, spent nearly $12,000 on dues, fees, meals, and other expenses at the Amarillo Club, a private dining and social club in Amarillo, Texas, from 2020 to 2024. Similarly, Hunt’s campaign committee paid over $5,400 in dues and fees to the Oak Room, a private club in Houston’s Post Oak Hotel, during 2022 and 2023.
The OCE’s reports suggest that both congressmen may have “converted campaign funds” for personal use or spent funds on activities that were not related to bona fide campaign or political purposes. The House Ethics Committee, led by Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., and ranking member Susan Wild, D-Pa., received referrals from the OCE about Jackson and Hunt in late March and decided on May 9 to review the matter.
Hunt’s attorneys responded to the OCE report, denying any misuse of campaign funds. They argued that all payments to the Post Oak Hotel, including the Oak Room membership, were exclusively for campaign-related purposes. Hunt’s legal team stated that the congressman does not maintain a separate campaign office and believed that the Oak Room membership fees were a more prudent use of campaign funds than renting an office space in Houston.
A spokesperson for Hunt’s office expressed confidence that the matter would be dismissed soon, stating, “We believe we have cooperated fully with the House Ethics Committee and we expect this will be dismissed soon.” Jackson’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The OCE’s reports noted that if either congressman’s campaign committee spent funds that were “not attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes,” it could constitute a violation of House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law. The reports also mentioned that neither Jackson nor Hunt fully cooperated with the investigations, although Hunt initially provided some limited information. The OCE recommended that the House Ethics Committee issue subpoenas to both congressmen.
Jackson, who served as the White House physician under Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump before joining Congress in 2020, has faced previous allegations of misusing campaign donations at the Amarillo Club. Despite these allegations, Jackson’s campaign has continued to make consistent payments to the club over the past two years.
The OCE’s review of Jackson’s campaign expenses found that his campaign fund, Texans for Ronny Jackson, made consistent payments to the Amarillo Club since October 2020, including dues, membership fees, and expenses for food and beverages. Between October 2020 and September 2021, Jackson’s campaign committee made 11 monthly dues payments to the club, totaling $1,929.07. The review also documented a large gathering at the Amarillo Club in May 2021, which cost $3,147.06, but the OCE could not verify if these expenses were for legitimate campaign purposes.
Jackson’s attorney, Justin Clark, argued that the congressman complied with Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulations and that all expenses were made for campaign purposes, including fundraisers and stakeholder roundtables. Clark acknowledged that the campaign had not utilized the meeting space as frequently as anticipated but maintained that the campaign purpose of the expenditure still existed.
The Amarillo Club is a private social club that offers various amenities to its approximately 850 members, including fine dining, a wine program, a gym, and banquet and meeting room spaces. The OCE began its investigation into Jackson’s campaign expenses in September 2021.
This is not the first time Jackson has come under scrutiny. Last year, the Pentagon inspector general issued a scathing report on his behavior, accusing him of drinking alcohol and taking sleeping pills while serving as a White House physician, as well as making “sexual and denigrating” comments about a female subordinate. Jackson disputed the report’s findings.
The House Ethics Committee’s review of the OCE’s findings will determine whether Jackson and Hunt violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law by misusing campaign funds for personal expenses at private social clubs. The outcome of this review could have significant implications for both congressmen and their political careers.
Source: CNBC, CNN
