The House Ethics Committee provided more fodder for Ro Khanna in his campaign against Rep Mike Honda in California’s 17th Congressional District.

The committee announced it would extend its review of the charges that Honda used his congressional staff to do campaign work on taxpayer time.

This is the type of charge political writers make much ado about, campaign opponents take full advantage of, but leaves many voters shrugging their shoulders.

It falls much short of the racketeering charges that derailed State Senator Leland Yee’s (D-CA) career or a political sex scandal that would have voters talking.

Even so, Honda is quoted in Roll Call as admitting the probe “doesn’t look good.”

When a seven-term congressman wins by only three percentage points in his last election, and the same well financed opponent runs against him again, anything that makes voters look twice at Honda isn’t good.

Honda isn’t just going to sit idly while the investigation proceeds. Breitbart reports he’s hired two Washington law firms and a PR company for his defense.

The House Ethics probe comes after the Office of Congressional Ethics found evidence that menbers of Honda’s Congressional staff helped prepare campaign materials and researched potential opponents.

Key to all this may be the timing of the probe. Will it be wrapped up before the June 2016 primary or will Honda still be defending himself against charges going into the November election?

It makes a competitive campaign that much more intriguing.