Ethics Committee closes investigation of Sanford Bishop's campaign spending

Tia Mitchell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Dec 30, 2024

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Ethics Committee has closed its investigation of Georgia Rep. Sanford Bishop, announcing Monday that it found no evidence he had intentionally misused campaign funds.

Bishop, D-Albany, was among four lawmakers whose campaign spending the Ethics Committee investigated; all four were cleared of wrongdoing. But each received a written report detailing the proper way to use and document campaign spending and were warned about keeping those expenditures separate from those they might incur as members of Congress.

“The Committee has contacted relevant members to provide them with a copy of the updated guidance, as well as specific findings and recommendations with respect to that member’s campaign activity,” an Ethics Committee statement said. “The Committee will take no further action in those matters and will consider them closed.”

Bishop’s office released a statement saying he is grateful to be done with the matter, which began in 2019.

“He cooperated fully with the Ethics Committee and worked to be proactive, cooperative, and forthright,” the statement said. “Even before the investigation began, he was already in the process of implementing a series of corrective measures. He ordered an audit of his campaign’s spending and repaid tens of thousands of dollars in disputed expenses with personal funds.”

Bishop’s statement said the congressman also hired a new campaign treasurer and brought on an outside compliance firm to prepare its expenditure reports. But the congressman also took responsibility for his own lack of oversight.

“If he had provided better oversight on these matters, he likely could have avoided the lapses that caused this investigation,” the statement said. “Still, he is pleased to see that the Committee’s statement acknowledges that there was no evidence that he intentionally misused campaign funds for his personal benefit.”

The Ethics Committee announced in June 2020 that it needed more time to complete its investigation of Bishop, the first public acknowledgment that one was underway.

Two months later, the committee released a report that included examples of campaign funds being used for membership, green fees and meals at two exclusive golf courses, as well as gas to fuel vehicles used by Bishop and his wife. The committee also dug into Bishop’s use of a separate taxpayer-funded account that paid for holiday parties for his staff.

The committee said it was investigating whether Bishop had violated congressional rules or federal laws by these expenditures. Those rules require lawmakers to be able to verify that all campaign spending served a legitimate political purpose.

The Ethics Committee did not share anything further about its investigation until Monday’s announcement that the case is closed.

Bishop will be sworn in for his 17th term in Congress on Friday.

The educational materials the Ethics Committee shared with the lawmakers provides guidance that appears to be based on Bishop’s case.

The document says that it would be improper to use campaign funds to maintain a membership to a country club or recreational facility even if that membership is used to gain access solely for campaign fundraising activities. However, it is permissible to hold campaign fundraisers at a country club and it is also allowable that campaign funds be used for membership dues in organizations with political interests.