10-8483

OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Eliot L. Engel

On July 30, 2010, the OCE transmitted a referral to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct of the United States House of Representatives regarding Representative Eliot L. Engel.

Nature of Review

In 2009, Representative Eliot Engel participated in a Congressional Delegation to Mexico, Nicaragua, and Jamaica. During the trip, he received a travel per diem for meals and incidental expenses with an approximate value of $866.00. Public statements attributed to Representative Engel indicated that he may have retained excess per diem. In addition, these public statements indicate that he may have retained excess per diem on other trips.

If Representative Engel's actual meal and incidental expenses during a CODEL were less than the per diem received and he did not return the excess per diem, he may have violated House Rule 10, clause 8, House Rule 23, clauses 1 and 2.

OCE Recommendation

The Board of the OCE recommended that the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct further review the above allegations.

Committee Conclusion

On December 31, 2010, the Committee determined not to take further action regarding this matter and adopted the Committee staff recommendation to dismiss the matter and consider it closed.