Rep. Rashida Tlaib. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images Congress Ethics panel reviews campaign payments to Rashida Tlaib

The House Ethics Committee is reviewing a potential campaign finance violation by Rep. Rashida Tlaib during her 2018 campaign, her office confirmed Monday.

The Office of Congressional Ethics has recommended an investigation into claims that Tlaib reimbursed herself from her campaign fund after the 2018 election, when she was no longer a candidate. Tlaib’s office denied any misuse of funds, stating that the Michigan freshman “fully complied with the law and acted in good faith at all times.”


While candidates are allowed to pay themselves a salary during the campaign, Tlaib reported a salary of $17,500 in two payments after the Nov. 6 election, according to her disclosure. The payments were dated Nov. 16 and Dec. 1.

The Federal Election Commission states that salary payments may continue “until the date of the general election.”

Tlaib’s salary payments were first reported by the conservative Washington Free Beacon.

“Representative Tlaib has cooperated completely with the Committee to resolve the referral, which involves the same claims over her publicly disclosed salary during the campaign that conservative groups pressed back in March,” Tlaib spokesperson Denzel McCampbell wrote in a statement to POLITICO.

The House ethics panel said Monday it would extend its preliminary review after OCE — the House’s independent ethics watchdog — recommended further scrutiny. That initial step, however, does not mean a violation occurred.

The House Ethics Committee now faces a 45-day deadline to announce whether to go ahead with a full investigation, or once again extend the review period and release the OCE report.

John Bresnahan contributed to this report.

