A former aide for Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) told the House Ethics Committee last week that she was regularly told to do work for the lawmaker’s congressional campaign, CNN reported Friday.
Elizabeth Peace, who worked as Farenthold’s communications director from 2015 to 2017, reportedly told House Ethics lawyers that Farenthold’s campaign director pressured her to do work for the campaign while working in his congressional office.
{mosads}Peace told the committee that she was asked to handle media inquiries about Farenthold’s campaign, that the requests were sent to her official House email, and that she had done the work while in the Capitol Hill office more than once.
She added that she had done some of the campaign work on a House computer.
Lawmakers are not allowed to use official House resources for campaign or political purposes, meaning that Peace’s campaign work could have violated House rules.
The House Ethics Committee had already launched an investigation into sexual misconduct by Farenthold, but announced Thursday that it was expanding the probe into whether his staff “may have used House resources, including staff time, to benefit his congressional campaigns.” The panel also said it was looking into whether Farenthold made false statements to it.
Bob Haueter, Farenthold’s chief of staff, did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CNN.
The Hill has reached out to Farenthold’s office for comment.