OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Thomas Petri
On July 2, 2014, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives regarding Rep. Thomas Petri.
Nature of Review
From 2008 to 2013, Representative Thomas Petri and his congressional office performed official actions on behalf of the Oshkosh Corporation, the Manitowoc Company, and the Plum Creek Timber Company. At the time that Representative Petri and his congressional office took these official actions, he or his wife owned stock in each of the companies.
If Representative Petri or his congressional office improperly performed an official act on behalf of a company in which he had a financial interest, then he may have violated House rules and standards of conduct.
OCE Recommendation
The Board of the OCE recommends that the Committee on Ethics further review the allegation, as there is substantial reason to believe that Representative Petri improperly performed official acts on behalf of companies in which he had a financial interest, in violation of House rules and standards of conduct.
Committee Conclusion
On September 30, 2014, 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).
On December 11, 2014, the Committee on Ethics released a report concluding Representative Petri or his staff sought guidance and followed advice from Committee staff about how to properly engage in official actions on behalf of the companies in which he had a financial interest. The committee took no further action in the matter.