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Butterfield contacted by ethics office over per diemsSubmitted by bniolet on 2010-09-01 16:16 U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield has been contacted by the Office of Congressional Ethics over his handling of travel stipends. On Tuesday the Wall Street Journal reported that the ethics office is investigating a half dozen lawmakers over how they handled left over travel money. Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat, had previously told the newspaper that he kept money that was left over. House members are given per diems that are meant to cover travel expenses. In some cases, the costs are picked up by other people. The rules appear to be murky on how to handle the leftovers, according to the newspaper. Butterfield's office issued a statement regarding the ethics inquiry. The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) contacted me seeking information related to per diem used on a Congressional delegation trip. I informed OCE that the funds were spent on legitimate travel expenses and that if any funds went unspent, they were nominal. I also informed OCE that I had received a per diem on the trip but did not maintain detailed records, because it is not required. While State Department guidelines do not require detailed accounting, the OCE apparently does not share that opinion and has forwarded the matter to the Ethics Committee. I have complied with the requests of OCE and will comply with any other request from the Ethics Committee. Butterfield's Republican challenger, Ashley Woolard, has previously called on Butterfield, a member of a House ethics committee, to return campaign contributions from embattled New York Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel. On Wednesday, Woolard called on Butterfield to resign. "This is a disgrace. Citizens of the First District need honest leadership that will help our struggling economy, not another greedy politician feeding at the public trough as our economy burns,” Woolard said. Read more: http://projects.newsobserver.com/dome#ixzz0yTvnohik |
