The House Ethics Committee announced on Monday that it will conduct a review following a report by the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), which found substantial evidence suggesting that U.S. Representatives Ronny Jackson and Wesley Hunt misused campaign funds for personal expenses.
According to the OCE reports, campaign funds from Ronny Jackson’s Texans for Ronny Jackson and Wesley Hunt’s for Congress were allegedly used to pay dues and fees at private social clubs over several years. Ronny Jackson’s committee reportedly spent nearly $12,000 at the Amarillo Club in Texas between 2020 and 2024, covering expenses like dues, fees, and meals. Meanwhile, Wesley Hunt’s campaign committee paid over $5,400 to the Oak Room in Houston’s Post Oak Hotel in 2022 and 2023.
Both reports from the OCE concluded that there is “substantial reason to believe” that Ronny Jackson and Wesley Hunt either converted campaign funds for personal use or expended funds that were not genuinely for campaign or political purposes.
In response to these findings, the bipartisan House Ethics Committee received referrals from the OCE in late March and decided on May 9 to further investigate the matter. Chairman Michael Guest and ranking member Susan Wild jointly announced the decision to review the allegations.
Wesle Hunt’s attorneys issued a detailed 12-page response disputing the allegations, asserting that all payments to the Post Oak Hotel were solely for campaign-related purposes and not personal use. They explained that using the Oak Room membership fees was considered more practical than renting a separate campaign office in Houston, as Wesley Hunt does not maintain a dedicated campaign office.
A spokesperson from Wesley Hunt’s office expressed confidence that their cooperation with the House Ethics Committee would lead to a dismissal of the allegations soon.
On the other hand, Ronny Jackson’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the ethics committee’s press release did not include a response from his representatives.
The OCE reports highlighted that neither Ronny Jackson nor Wesley Hunt fully cooperated with their investigations, prompting recommendations for the Ethics Committee to issue subpoenas to both congressmen.
Ronny Jackson, who served as White House physician under Presidents Obama and Trump before being elected to Congress in 2020, had previously faced allegations from the OCE regarding improper use of campaign funds at the Amarillo Club. Despite these allegations surfacing two years ago, Ronny Jackson’s campaign reportedly continued making payments to the club up until the recent report.
The Ethics Committee will now proceed with its investigation into whether Ronny Jackson and Wesley Hunt violated House rules, standards of conduct, and federal laws regarding the use of campaign funds.
This development underscores ongoing scrutiny over the ethical conduct of elected officials and the accountability measures implemented by congressional oversight bodies.
