OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Yvette Clarke
OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Yvette Clarke
OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Yvette Clarke Exhibits 1 of 2
OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Yvette Clarke Exhibits 2 of 2
On May 8, 2015, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives regarding Rep. Yvette Clarke.
Nature of Review
In May 2013, Representative Clarke traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan and Turkey. The travel was disclosed to the Committee on Ethics as funded and sponsored solely by a single private, non-profit source. However, various additional entities that were not disclosed to the Committee on Ethics appear to have been funders or organizers, or both, of the trip. Some of these additional entities appear to have been prohibited by House rules and regulations, standards of conduct, and federal law from providing such congressional travel.
If the trip was funded or organized by one or more entities prohibited from providing congressional travel, then Representative Clarke may have received an impermissible gift of travel expenses in violation of House rules and regulations, standards of conduct, and federal law.
OCE Recommendation
The Board recommends that the Committee on Ethics further review the above allegation concerning the trip, as there is substantial reason to believe that although Representative Clarke did not knowingly accept, she nevertheless received an impermissible gift of travel proscribed by House rules and regulations, standards of conduct, and federal law.
Committee Conclusion
On July 31, 2015, the Committee on Ethics released
the OCE report regarding Rep. Clarke but not the findings.
Public Disclosure
On September 25, 2015, the Board of the Office of Congressional Ethics voted to release the OCE's report and findings in this matter. The Board acted pursuant to House Resolution 895 of the 110th Congress § 1(f)(1)(B) (2008), which provides that the Board may release "any communication" pursuant to its rules or as "necessary to conduct official business."
Statement of the Office of Congressional Ethics Regarding Release of Findings of Fact