Ethics review finds probable cause that Rep. Troy Nehls misused campaign funds

WASHINGTON (AP) — The independent office that reviews allegations against House members found probable cause that Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas converted campaign funds to personal use, triggering an investigation by the House Ethics Committee, a new disclosure revealed Friday.

The recommendation and the full report from the Office of Congressional Ethics were both released Friday, as required under the law. The leaders of the House Ethics Committee emphasized that the disclosure does not itself mean that a violation has occurred and stressed that the investigation into Nehls is ongoing. Nehls’ lawyer told the committee the lawmaker did not profit from the arrangement that had raised red flags with the ethics office.

Nehls, a second-term Republican lawmaker, was a county sheriff for eight years before serving in the House. He’s a staunch Donald Trump supporter who attended this year’s State of the Union address wearing a T-shirt decorated with Trump’s mugshot.

The Office of Congressional Ethics recommended the committee investigation in December by a vote of 6-0.

The office sought to determine whether Nehls’ campaign paid a company registered to the congressman for reasons other than legitimate campaign purposes.

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