Rep. Conyers discloses wife’s $50,000 debt to Neiman Marcus

House Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) recently filed a new financial disclosure statement that reveals his wife is carrying a $50,000 debt to Neiman Marcus.

According to The Detroit News, Conyers on Jan. 31 amended his financial disclosure form to include the debt. That filing followed his claim last summer that his wife, Monica, didn’t believe it needed to be shared.

{mosads}The paper reported that last summer, Conyers said in a letter: “With respect to possible liabilities incurred by my wife, I have not been able to obtain that information from Mrs. Conyers as of the date of this letter, as she informs me that she does not believe such information needs to be disclosed.”

Neiman Marcus sells upscale women’s clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry and accessories.

The paper cited two government transparency groups that said congressional ethics rules require members to disclose financial information about their spouses, and there is little wiggle room for withholding information.

Monica Conyers was sentenced to 37 months in prison related to a bribery charge. She is a former Detroit city councilwoman, and in 2010 she was sentenced for taking bribes in return for her support for a large public works project.

Mrs. Conyers is on probation until 2015.

Rep. Conyers is 84 years old and is serving his 25th term in the House. He has not said whether he would seek reelection this year.