Just one day after making an announcement for a 2024 Senate bid, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is facing an early obstacle after a nonprofit ethics organization filed a complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics, alleging that he used government resources to boost himself politically.
Schiff announced his intent to run for Senate on Thursday, beginning by releasing a campaign video, which featured footage from former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial in 2019 in which Schiff was the lead prosecutor.
The ad prompted a complaint from the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, which requested the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate whether Schiff “abused official resources for political purposes.”
“In the present case, Rep. Schiff is clearly using official government video for campaign purposes in violation of federal law and the House ethics rules,” the group wrote in a letter to the Ethics Office on Friday. “The Office of Congressional Ethics is responsible for ensuring each Representative fulfills the public trust inherent in the office and that they comply with the House’s ethical standards. Therefore, we urge the Board to immediately investigate whether Representative Schiff used official resources for campaign purposes in violation of the House ethics rules.”
Schiff used footage of himself speaking on the Senate floor during Trump’s impeachment proceedings in the advertisement. Ethics rules prohibit members from using government resources in their campaign materials. In this case, that includes photographs or videos taken from inside the House or Senate.
Some believe that Schiff may have used a workaround, as the video which was used was sourced from news outlets. However, members of the nonprofit foundation argued the House ethics rules extend to “third-party” sources.
“The law is broad — not only is a Member directly prohibited from using the video, but the Member cannot repost from other sources or use video obtained from news outlets,” the group wrote. “This is an important rule because it not only protects taxpayer-funded resources from abuse, but it also protects the integrity of official proceedings by reducing the incentive for Members to make political speeches during official proceedings.”
It’s not yet clear whether the Office of Congressional Ethics will open an investigation into the complaint.
Schiff will be running to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and may be in for a difficult primary, as Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) has also announced a campaign and several other Democrats are reportedly considering a bid. Feinstein has not yet indicated whether she’ll run for reelection, but the 89-year-old senator is expected to announce her retirement in the coming months.
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