While corruption can happen and has happened in both parties throughout our country’s history, it seems like Republicans – and certainly the current Republican president – have been able to get away with much of it in recent years. Not so with GOP Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), who was formally sanctioned by his House colleagues on Friday.
GOP Rep. David Schweikert was formally reprimanded today by the House Ethics Committee and ordered to pay a $50,000 fine for misusing official funds after a two-year probe.https://t.co/0JiB0rzLPy
— Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) July 30, 2020
The sanctions against Schweikert were cited as having stemmed from 11 separate ethics violations, including campaign finance fraud and a misuse of his staff for campaign purposes, and withholding information from investigators. Schweikert has since admitted to having committed all 11 offenses.
According to POLITICO:
‘The bipartisan ethics panel found that Schweikert violated 11 different rules and standards, which also included campaign finance violations, pressuring staff into working on his campaign and a “lack of candor and due diligence” throughout the investigation.
‘”Representative Schweikert did not act in a manner that reflected creditably on the House,” according to a report from the committee, detailing the extensive misconduct.’
Rep. Schweikert admits to 11 spending violations, will face sanction by full House https://t.co/Fss5FfxFxO
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 30, 2020
Schweikert has been under investigation by Congress for some time as the House of Representatives tried to determine the truth and extent of his violations. The sanctions finally decided upon will require Schweikert to pay $50,000 in fines.
‘The rebuke from the Ethics panel ends a lengthy — and at times, contentious — investigation into Schweikert’s payments to a consulting firm owned by his longtime chief of staff. The committee had created a special investigative subpanel to conduct the Schweikert probe and detailed the misconduct in a 13-page report.’
Misuse of taxpayer funds leads Ethics Committee to reprimand and fine Rep. Schweikert (R) $50,000.
https://t.co/der24TYHop— Ted Corcoran (Red T Raccoon) (@RedTRaccoon) July 30, 2020
Unlike Trump, whose former attorney and “fixer” Michael Cohen sat in prison for several months for committing campaign finance violations as directed to do by the president, Schweikert will be held accountable for his actions. Corruption is generally frowned upon in Congress unless the offender happens to be named Trump.
‘Among the biggest findings from the Ethics panel is that Schkweirt had paid over $270,000 to a firm whose sole employee is Schwab over seven years, violating the limit on outside income for senior congressional aides. Schwab left his congressional job in 2018 after seven years. That same year, the aide also repaid the campaign more than $50,000.’
Full Schweikert Ethics Committee report here: https://t.co/qkZdyH2B6R
— Robin Bravender (@rbravender) July 30, 2020
Featured image screenshot via YouTube
