Nonpartisan watchdog group the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) has asked the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) over alleged violations of federal law and House ethics rules by using taxpayer-funded resources for campaign purposes.
The letter said Schiff was “clearly using official government video for campaign purposes,” which is prohibited under campaign finance laws.
The violation occurred on Thursday when Schiff used a video of himself speaking on the Senate floor during former President Donald Trump’s impeachment proceedings during an announcement that he will run for Senate in 2024.
Blatant offense
Schiff shared the video to his Twitter account on Thursday and it remains on the site.
Our democracy is at great risk. Because GOP leaders care more about power than anything else.
And because our economy isn’t working for millions of hard working Americans.
We’re in the fight of our lives—a fight I’m ready to lead as California’s next U.S. Senator. pic.twitter.com/H0Pa0EhhMu
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) January 26, 2023
“Simply put, under the House ethics rules, a Member is prohibited from using either House or Senate photographs or video because both are official government resources,” the complaint read. “The law is clear and the image above speaks for itself—there are no facts that can excuse this violation.”
“This is an important rule because it not only protects taxpayer-funded resources from abuse, but it also protects the integrity of official proceedings by reducing the incentive for Members to make political speeches during official proceedings,” it continued.
FACT wants the matter investigated “immediately.”
He should know better
FACT’s Executive Director Kendra Arnold blasted Schiff, saying that after 20 years in Congress, he should know about campaign laws and what is allowed during a campaign.
“Rep. Schiff must immediately take down the video and cease distribution of the footage, and the Office of Congressional Ethics should move swiftly to investigate and sanction Rep. Schiff for this breach,” Arnold insisted.
Schiff is running for Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA)’s Senate seat, even though Feinstein has not said she is retiring from the seat.
The video makes it look as though Schiff will seek to use his experience as an impeachment manager against Trump to help him get elected, even though Trump was never convicted in either of the two impeachments.
Schiff was accused by Republicans and some impartial legal experts of lying about the evidence against Trump to make him seem guilty of things it was never proven he did.
Most famously, Schiff made claims about Trump’s phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky that were proven to be untrue when Trump subsequently released a transcript of the call.
