Loeffler faces ethics complaints for soliciting donations in US Capitol

Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) is facing multiple congressional ethics complaints after she solicited campaign contributions during a television interview taped at the U.S. Capitol.

The complaints, filed separately by the Georgia Democratic Party and the American Democracy Legal Fund on Thursday, accuse Loeffler of violating federal law and ethics rules barring senators from soliciting campaign contributions in federal buildings.

The complaints center around an appearance Loeffler made on Fox News this week, in which she asked viewers to donate to her campaign ahead of her Jan. 5 runoff election against Democrat Raphael Warnock. 

“We know that hundreds of millions of dark, liberal money is pouring into our state. That’s why it’s so important that everyone across the country get involved,” Loeffler said in the interview. “They can visit KellyforSenate.com to chip in five or 10 bucks and get involved, volunteer.”

The interview was filmed in the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building, according to the complaint filed by the Georgia Democratic Party. 

Georgia Democrats are also asking the Department of Justice to investigate the matter, noting that U.S. criminal code prohibits senators from soliciting donations in federal buildings. 

“Senator Loeffler deliberately violated the clear spirit and the intent of the law, and the basic principles of public integrity,” Scott Hogan, the executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party, wrote in a letter to the Justice Department.

“The Department of Justice must investigate Senator Loeffler immediately to hold her accountable and prevent further erosion of the public trust in our elected representatives.”

A spokesperson for Loeffler’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the complaints. 

Loeffler and Georgia’s other GOP senator, David Perdue, are both facing runoff elections in January that will determine the balance of power in the Senate in 2021 and beyond.

Perdue is up against Democrat Jon Ossoff after neither candidate got more than 50 percent of the vote in the election earlier this month.

Democrats would need to win both Senate races in order to gain a majority in the chamber next year.