The House Ethics Committee is investigating Texas GOP Rep. Troy Nehls for allegedly diverting $25,000 in campaign funds for personal use during his first term in Congress. The investigation, which began on March 26, has been extended, but the committee has not provided any public statements on its progress. Nehls, three of his congressional staffers, and two campaign aides refused to cooperate with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) investigation into the allegations, according to a report released by the panel.
Nehls, a close ally of Donald Trump, sparked controversy during the House speakership fight when he nominated the former president to lead the Republican conference. He also made a statement during President Biden’s State of the Union address by wearing a bold red, white, and blue bowtie with a white T-shirt featuring Trump’s mugshot and the words “Never Surrender”. The OCE report revealed that Nehls’ campaign committee did not make any rent payments to its listed location of “Freedom Hall” in Richmond, Texas, which has now become an Islamic center and boarding school.
Instead, Nehls’ campaign committee paid $25,319 in rent money to Liberty 1776, LLC, a company of which he is the sole proprietor. The company was located at Nehls’ home address in Richmond, Texas, and its license was terminated in 2022 for franchise tax evasion. Nehls did not disclose his ownership of Liberty 1776 in his annual financial disclosures for 2021 and 2022. After the OCE completed its probe, Nehls submitted amendments to his disclosures for both years, stating that he was the sole proprietor of the company but received no salary or compensation.
The OCE report also revealed that Nehls’ campaign committee paid $12,652.62 to other limited liability companies called Patriot Media and Pogie USA, with no established ownership ties. Despite the OCE’s findings, Nehls chose not to cooperate with the investigation, which the report concluded was undermining the transparency and integrity of the process. Nehls is currently running for a third term in Congress representing Texas’ 22nd Congressional District after serving as the sheriff of Fort Bend County from 2013 to 2021.
The announcement of the Ethics Committee’s investigation into Nehls comes after the initial OCE report laid out the allegations against him, including diverting campaign funds for personal use and failing to disclose ownership of a company he was paying rent to. While Nehls chose not to cooperate with the OCE investigation, he did later amend his financial disclosure statements to reflect his ownership of the company. The Ethics Committee emphasized that further review does not indicate any violation has occurred and that Nehls’ decision to bypass the OCE investigation undermines its transparency and integrity.
Nehls’ close ties to former President Trump and his controversial actions during key political events have drawn attention to the allegations against him. The report’s findings raise questions about Nehls’ use of campaign funds and his lack of cooperation with the OCE investigation. As he continues his campaign for re-election, Nehls will likely face scrutiny over the ongoing probe and the allegations of misusing campaign funds for personal gain. The Ethics Committee’s investigation will shed further light on the allegations and determine whether Nehls violated any rules or regulations during his time in Congress.
