The Louisiana Democratic Party is asking the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate allegations that Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) violated House rules by wrongly billing Louisiana State University while a member of Congress.
“These recent reports have shown that not only did Congressman Cassidy charge taxpayers more than $100,000 for work he did not do, he may have also lied to the U.S. House of Representatives to cover up a legal and ethical breach,” Dr. Gilda Werner Reed, the lead Democrat on the complaint, said in a statement. “Congressman Cassidy’s actions are more than a betrayal of public trust by a public official — they are illegal, and the seriousness of this betrayal should not be understated.”
“A Member’s knowing and willful violation of these requirements can result in civil penalties of up to $50,000 and one year’s imprisonment,” the letter reads in part.
In the final days before the Dec. 6 runoff with Cassidy, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), has seized on allegations that Cassidy misrepresented income he received as a part-time doctor at Louisiana State University.
“He’s going to be fighting more than President Obama,” Landrieu said at their debate Monday. “If he gets elected, which I doubt, he will be fighting subpoenas because this is going to be under investigation.”
Cassidy says the charges of remaining on payroll as a congressman while not contributing at the school, wrongly logging hours at LSU while he was in Washington, are “absolutely false” and that it’s a last-ditch effort by the Landrieu campaign to smear him because she trails badly.
LSU says it is reviewing the payments Cassidy received.
Cassidy said he would like to continue as a part-time doctor for the hospital system if elected to the Senate.