Four members of Congress under ethics panel investigation

Four members of Congress are being investigated for potential ethics violations, the House Ethics Committee said Tuesday.

The nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics concluded, following investigations into each member, there was substantial reason to believe violations had occurred in each case.

The bipartisan group includes GOP Reps. Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Jim Hagedron of Minnesota, and Democratic Rep. Tom Malinowski of New Jersey.

Mooney is under investigation for reportedly spending thousands of dollars in campaign funds on personal expenditures, including family vacations. He additionally may have failed to disclose $40,000 in campaign spending. A spokesperson for Mooney's campaign says the congressman is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Kelly is accused of pressuring the Trump administration to launch an investigation into foreign steel imports, which it did, but not before Kelly's wife bought stock in a Pennsylvania steel company whose competitors would be threatened by the investigation. 

The Malinowski matter is also stock related.

He reportedly failed to disclose his trades, which all members of Congress are required to do within 45 days of the trade's execution, should the amount traded exceed $1,000. 

Hagedorn's office is under investigation for questionable spending practices, which according to an attorney for the congressman, "Hagedorn personally self-reported" to the Ethics Committee last year.

Elliot Berke, the attorney, also said, "The fact that the OCE, which provides non-binding recommendations to the Ethics Committee, decided to investigate something that was already under review was a waste of taxpayer funds and House resources."

The House Ethics Committee says it will make a further announcement on the ongoing investigations no later than Oct. 21.