The Committee on Standards of Official Conduct voted unanimously on September 15, 2009, to extend the matter regarding Representative Sam Graves, which was referred to this Committee from the Office of Congressional Ethics, for a 45-day period pursuant to Rules 17A(b)(l)(B) and 17A(3)(c).
The Committee has voted to extend the matter for two reasons. First, the Office of Congressional Ethics did not find a “substantial reason to believe” that there was a substantive violation of any provision of the Code of Official Conduct or any law, rule, regulation, or other standard of conduct applicable to Representative Graves’ conduct in the performance of his duties or the discharge of his responsibilities. Nevertheless, it referred the matter to the Committee for further review. Second, the Committee has identified materials in the Office of Congressional Ethics’ report and findings that may contain exculpatory evidence, which OCE never provided to Representative Graves. The Committee has voted unanimously to extend this matter to provide Representative Graves with potentially exculpatory materials, which the Committee understands, in the interests of justice, should have been provided to Representative Graves pursuant to Office of Congressional Ethics Rule 4(F). Additionally, Committee Rule 25 requires us to disclose these materials to Representative Graves.