Additionally, investigators found that Mr. Mooney “may have used official resources, including staff time, for campaign work and personal errands” and
Additionally, investigators found that Mr. Mooney “may have used official resources, including staff time, for campaign work and personal errands” and may have “withheld, concealed or falsified information” during the ethics investigation.
Seven former and current employees described frequent requests to complete unofficial tasks — ranging from babysitting and car repairs for a personal vehicle to assisting with personal finances and businesses — solely for the personal benefit of Mr. Mooney and his family.
When the Mooneys were unable to watch their dog Skipper, for instance, they asked a former aide to drive Skipper from their home in Charles Town, W.Va., to a relative’s home in Bethesda, Md.
Multiple former staff members also were expected to gather Mr. Mooney’s dirty clothes from various places in the official office and have them taken to the dry cleaners in the Longworth House Office Building, investigators said. Mr. Mooney placed his worn shirts and suits on one staff member’s office chair, which, she said, meant he wanted the clothes to go to the laundry.
Mr. Mooney also asked an aide to take a shirt and a towel home with her to wash in her washing machine, the report stated.
A spokesman for Mr. Mooney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The reports came as the Ethics Committee also announced it was beginning an investigation into Representative Madison Cawthorn, Republican of North Carolina, to determine whether he improperly promoted a cryptocurrency in which he had an undisclosed financial interest and engaged in an improper relationship with someone on his congressional staff.
Mr. Cawthorn lost his primary race last week after a string of unflattering revelations. In a statement on Monday, Blake Harp, his chief of staff, said, “We welcome the opportunity to prove that Congressman Cawthorn committed no wrongdoing and that he was falsely accused by partisan adversaries for political gain.”
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