House Ethics Committee launches investigation into Rep. Lance Gooden, Texas Republican says ‘bogus spending allegations’ against him are ‘baseless’
Republican Rep. Lance Gooden of Texas is under investigation by the House Committee on Ethics after the panel received a referral from the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC).
Investigation into Lance Gooden
Gooden, 43, is the seventh member of Congress to face a House Ethics Committee investigation this year. He has represented Texas’ 5th Congressional District since 2018. The district includes Dallas, Henderson, Kaufman, Van Zandt, Wood and Upshur counties. Before joining Congress, Gooden served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives.
“These are bogus spending allegations perpetrated by dishonest unelected OCC bureaucrats and as the fifth Texas GOP ally of the president to endure one of these attacks, I am confident the House Ethics Committee will confirm their baseless nature,” Gooden said.
The committee revealed it was extending a review of a “matter” reported to the OCC on June 10 — a preliminary step before deciding whether to launch a full investigation.
The ethics panel said it expects to announce its findings in the Gooden investigation on or before November 9. For now, committee leaders have not released any additional information about the referral or the allegations under review.
Other House Ethics Committee investigations
Gooden joins a growing list of current and former lawmakers who have recently come under scrutiny from the House Ethics Committee. Those cases include Republican Reps. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina, Tony Gonzalez of Texas, Cory Mills of Florida and Nancy Mace of South Carolina, along with Democratic Reps. Eric Swalwell of California and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida.
Swalwell, who is under investigation over assault allegations involving a former staffer, withdrew from California’s gubernatorial race in June, while Mace lost her own gubernatorial contest in South Carolina as her investigation remains unresolved.
The committee also recently opened a separate investigation into Republican Rep. Max Miller of Ohio over domestic abuse allegations. Committee leaders said they are reviewing whether Miller “may have engaged in domestic violence and abuse or illegal drug use.” Miller, who served as a senior adviser to President Donald Trump during his first term, has denied wrongdoing and said he requested his own investigation into allegations made by his ex-wife, Emily Moreno.