Washington, D.C. --- October 13, 2023 ---- Today, the non-partisan ethics watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), filed a complaint requesting the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) investigate Congressman Jamaal Bowman of New York to determine whether his abuse of official resources for political purposes and his intentional pulling of a fire alarm to disrupt official House proceedings violated federal law and House Ethics Rules. On April 10, 2023, FACT filed a complaint against Rep. Jamaal Bowman to determine whether he was using a social media account (TikTok) in violation of House Ethics Rules and abusing official resources for political purposes. The complaint filed today documents continued violations of House Ethics Rules by Rep. Bowman, namely that 1) Members are prohibited from using photographs and video of House floor or committee proceedings for campaign or political purposes and 2) Members are prohibited from using any official content on campaign social media sites. In the case of Rep. Bowman, he posted videos of speeches he gave on the House floor and reposted them on X (formerly Twitter) with his campaign account, a clear violation. In addition, FACT’s complaint asks the OCE to investigate Rep. Bowman’s intentional pulling of the fire alarm in the Cannon House Office Building on September 30, 2023, which disrupted official House proceedings including an anticipated vote. Regardless of motive, his intentional pulling of the alarm, whether to try to exit the building or to delay a vote, is a violation of House Ethics Rules. “Rep. Bowman’s continued abuse of official resources shows a complete disregard for federal law and House Ethics Rules, and it is frustrating for the American public to see this go on without repercussion. In light of our previous complaint, there is simply no credible claim that he doesn’t know the rules that govern social media usage, which shows he’s intentionally not following them. Furthermore, his disruption of official proceedings by pulling the fire alarm warrant further scrutiny by the OCE. The OCE has a duty to hold Members accountable to the law and ethics rules on behalf of the American public, and we encourage them to do so here,” said Kendra Arnold, Executive Director of FACT. A full copy of the complaint can be found here. FACT is a nonprofit organization promoting accountability, ethics, and transparency in government and civic arenas. For more on FACT visit: http://www.factdc.org/
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