19-5449

OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Lori Trahan

OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Lori Trahan Exhibit 1 of 1

On September 18, 2019, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives regarding Rep. Lori Trahan.

Nature of the Review

Rep. Lori Trahan's campaign committee, Lori Trahan for Congress Committee, may have accepted excessive contributions reported as personal loans and contributions from the candidate, that may not have been sourced from Rep. Trahan's personal funds. If Rep. Trahan's campaign committee accepted personal loans and contributions that exceeded campaign contribution limits, then Rep. Trahan may have violated federal law, House rules, and standards of conduct.

Rep. Trahan may have omitted required information from her congressional candidate financial disclosure reports and Federal Election Commission ("FEC") campaign committee reports. If Rep. Trahan failed to disclose required information in her congressional candidate financial disclosure reports or FEC campaign committee filings, then she may have violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal law.

OCE Recommendation

The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegation because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Trahan's campaign committee accepted personal loans and contributions that exceeded campaign contribution limits.

The Board recommended that the Committee further review the above allegation because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Trahan failed to disclose required information in her congressional candidate financial disclosure reports or FEC campaign committee filings.

Committee Action

On December 17, 2019, the Committee on Ethics released a statement indicating it would continue to gather information necessary to complete its review. The Committee published the OCE report and findings and announced the allegations would be further reviewed pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a).

On July 16, 2020, the Committee on Ethics released a report dismissing the matter, determined not to take further action, and considered the matter closed.