Ruh Roh - Dem Congressman being looked at by FBI
Posted by:
libturdz
()
Date: April 21, 2015 03:02PM
The district director for sophomore Democratic Rep. Tony Cárdenas notified the House Thursday that she’s been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury conducting an investigation in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Gabriela Marquez, who heads operations in the Los Angeles congressman’s Panorama City office, issued the formal notice in accordance with House rules. Staff in Cárdenas’ Washington, D.C., office confirmed the April 13 communication, but did not provide further details.
Sources in California told CQ Roll Call the FBI spent a few hours interviewing Marquez in her home roughly three weeks ago, asking questions about whether staffers in Cárdenas’ office worked on campaign-related activities while being paid for official office time.
Cárdenas’ office did not return request for comment on the grand jury investigation.
Using official staff for political work could violate both federal appropriations law and House rules.
The House Ethics Committee in 2012 fined former Rep. Laura Richardson, D-Calif., $10,000 for “requiring or compelling” her House office staffers to work on her campaign. Richardson subsequently lost her bid for re-election.
Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr, citing agency policy, would neither confirm nor deny an investigation.