Pursuant to Committee Rule 7(g), the Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Ethics (Committee) determined to release the following statement:
The Committee is aware of public allegations that Representative Patrick Meehan may have engaged in sexual harassment and misused official resources, namely his Member’s Representational Allowance. In addition, Representative Meehan submitted a written request to the Committee that it review these allegations. The Committee, pursuant to Committee Rules 18(a) and 18(c), has begun an investigation and will gather additional information regarding the allegations.
The Committee notes that the mere fact that it is investigating these allegations, and publicly disclosing its review, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the Committee. Further, the Committee notes that Committee Rule 3(k) bars the Committee from taking adverse action against a Member in regard to conduct that has been undertaken in reliance on a written opinion if the conduct conforms to the specific facts addressed in the opinion. Representative Meehan is no longer a Member of the House Committee on Ethics. Representative John Ratcliffe was appointed to fill the vacancy.
In order to comply with Committee Rule 7 regarding confidentiality, out of fairness to all respondents, and to assure the integrity of its work, the Committee will refrain from making further public statements on this matter pending completion of its initial review.