WASHINGTON, D.C. — West Virginia outgoing Second District Congressman Alex Mooney has been cleared of any wrongdoing of personal use of campaign funds by the House Ethics Committee.
The committee announced Monday it has now “unanimously determined to close several such investigative matters, including those relating to allegations referred by the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) involving Representative Sanford Bishop, Representative Wesley Hunt, Representative Ronny Jackson, and Representative Alexander Mooney, in addition to other confidential matters that have been under review.”
Monday’s announcement comes following a 6-0 vote in July 2021 by the Office of Congressional Ethics board in support of a further review into Mooney, his campaign and more than $40,000 in expenses.
Investigators previously said there had been multiple uses of campaign funds, including fast food and travel purchases, from 2017 to 2021.
The board noted the campaign spent thousands of dollars at fast food restaurants near Mooney’s residence in Charles Town and a district office. Members cited Federal Election Commission filings showing a pattern of “day-to-day meal expenditures.”
Mooney cooperated with the investigation, as did an unidentified employee with Mooney’s congressional office and an unnamed campaign finance consultant for Mooney’s campaign effort. He said Monday he was glad it was over.
“I am grateful to announce that the long standing bipartisan U.S. House Committee on Ethics has fully dismissed all allegations raised against me following their inquiry in which I fully cooperated and answered all their questions,” Mooney said in a Monday news release. “It has been clear all along this was a politically motivated move from the separate Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), which was created by then Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2019. After facing these baseless accusations—driven by politically motivated actors on the extreme left—since 2021, I am pleased that my good name has been fully cleared.”
The Ethics Committee said there remain several gray areas when it comes to personal use of campaign spending. The committee said it now giving more guidance to its members.
“In several of the matters that the Committee is resolving, there was evidence that the Member’s campaign did not fully comply with the applicable standards relating to personal use of campaign funds, as well as reporting or recordkeeping requirements for campaign expenditures,” the committee said. “However, there was no evidence that any Member intentionally misused campaign funds for their personal benefit. The Committee has contacted relevant Members to provide them with a copy of the updated guidance as well as specific findings and recommendations with respect to that Member’s campaign activity. The Committee will take no further action in those matters and will consider them closed.”
Mooney leaves office later this week after 10 years in the U.S. House. He ran for U.S. Senate earlier this year and was defeated in the May Primary Election by Gov. Jim Justice.