OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Rod Blum

December 17, 2018

On July 19, 2018, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives regarding Rep. Rod Blum.

Nature of the Review

Rep. Rod Blum may have omitted required information from his financial disclosure reports related to reportable assets and positions. If Rep. Blum did not include required information in his financial disclosure reports, then he may have violated federal law, House rules, and standards of conduct.

Rep. Blum may have permitted the use of official House resources to support or promote Tin Moon Corporation ("Tin Moon"), a private business in which Rep. Blum holds a financial interest. If Rep. Blum misused official House resources to support a business endeavor, then he may have violated federal law, House rules, and standards of conduct.

Rep. Blum may have permitted Tin Moon to use or employ an unfair or deceptive trade practice in connection with Tin Moon's solicitation of business clients. If Rep. Blum permitted Tin Moon to engage in deceptive trade practices, then Rep. Blum may have violated federal law, state law, House rules, and standards of conduct.

OCE Recommendation

The Board recommended that the Committee on Ethics further review the above allegation concerning omissions from Rep. Blum's financial disclosure reports because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Blum failed to accurately report the value of his interest in Tin Moon in his 2016 financial disclosure statement.

The Board recommended that the Committee on Ethics further review the above allegation concerning misuse of official resources because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Blum's private company used Rep. Blum's official congressional photograph on its commercial website.

The Board recommended that the Committee on Ethics further review the above allegation concerning deceptive trade practices employed by Tin Moon because there is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Blum's private company utilized deceptive, false, or unsubstantiated endorsements and other marketing materials.

Committee Action

On December 17, 2018, the Committee on Ethics released a statement indicating it would continue to gather information necessary to complete its review. The Committee published the OCE report and findings and announced the allegations would be further reviewed pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a).