Oce Complaint Against Congressman Lewis

FACT Files OCE Complaint against Congressman Lewis & his Chief of Staff
Potential Ethics Violation #9 In January 2016, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) filed a request with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) to “investigate Representative John Lewis and his Chief of Staff, Michael Collins, for violating important and serious House ethics rules prohibiting outside employment” (Whitaker, 2017a, para. 1). According to Whitaker (2017a), Mr. Collins received $27,495 in compensation for serving as Congressman Lewis campaign treasurer while also employed as his Chief of Staff in the House of Representatives. “Representative Lewis’s dual employment of Collins as both his chief of staff and campaign treasurer indicates that both Lewis and Collins violated ethics rules ... (Whitaker, 2017a, para. 2). Rules that prohibit senior staff members from receiving a salary, outside of their official duties, that exceeds $27,255. The prohibition of senior staff serving as campaign treasurer for the Members campaign (Whitaker, 2017a).
Analysis of the Violation

There is no question that violations have occurred, given that the salary Mr. Collins’ received exceeded the outside earned income limit for senior staff members by $240. The outside earned income limit for senior staff members is $27,225 as of 2015 (“Highlights”, 2015). Mr. Collins earned $27,495. Additionally, Mr. Collins served as Representative Lewis’ campaign treasurer, a positon he is not permitted to hold. When working a campaign for the same the Congressman he works for as one of his senior staff