(Slay News) – A leading House Democrat is in hot water and faces an ethics complaint after agreeing to do a fundraiser with two lobbyists connected to business before the Congressman’s committee.
The American Accountability Foundation says Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., may have violated House ethics rules over a May fundraiser hosted by lobbyists Mike and Tom Manatos.
“It’s clear that Rep. Krishnamoorthi, members of his staff and perhaps others, violated House ethics rules and the federal bribery statute by raising — and agreeing to accept — campaign donations in exchange for using the power of the Oversight Committee to investigate and permanently damage the team formerly known as the Washington Redskins at the behest of wealthy lobbyists with an ax to grind against their local sports franchise,” said Tom Jones, the president of the American Accountability Foundation.
Jones added: “The language in the invitation linking a fundraiser to Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s role in the investigation of the team is evidence of a corrupt quid pro quo to cause damage to the team and its leadership.
“By canceling the event, Rep. Krishnamoorthi not only revealed his guilty conscience but also underscored the scope of his violation of both House and federal statutes.
“The American people deserve better from our elected representatives, and we call on the House Ethics Committee – and the DOJ, if warranted – to take appropriate action against Rep. Krishnamoorthi for his clear abuse of power and duty,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi has a leading role in the probe of the NFL’s Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder.
The American Accountability Foundation sent a formal letter to the House Ethics Committee demanding an investigation into the congressman’s conduct.
To make it worse for the Dem Congressman, Mike Manatos pitched the fundraiser in an email as a chance to discuss with Krishnamoorthi the ongoing investigation into the team.
“The one person in Washington who may have found a path to getting rid of Snyder is my good friend and Chairman of the House Oversight Subcommittee, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi,” Manatos wrote.
“Tom and I hope you can join us on May 10 as a small group of us meets with Raja to discuss his efforts.”
Our delegation met with Singapore’s Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.
In our meeting, our Members saluted Singapore’s commitment to a free & open Indo-Pacific & advancing security & stability in the region. We also learned about Singapore’s efforts to address the climate crisis. pic.twitter.com/bhLoqrEtjw
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) August 1, 2022
The world has been on the verge of a global food crisis. I’m glad to see the first shipment of grain has left Ukraine, but work still needs to be done to ensure more can be safely exported. https://t.co/qBVPYnugDb
— Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) August 1, 2022
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