Congressman Tom Petri
The House Ethics Committee has voted to carry on with a probe targeting Wisconsin Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI). The committee voted unanimously to continue looking into allegations that the Fond du Lac Republican took actions benefitting companies he owned stock in, citing “substantial reason to believe” Petri violated House rules and standards of conduct.
Petri requested the investigation himself earlier this year, following news reports questioning his advocacy for companies in his district in which he also holds stock. The panel released an Office of Congressional Ethics report detailing the allegations against the Fond du Lac Republican, which also points to action Petri and his staff took on behalf of the Manitowoc Company.
In a statement, Petri expressed disappointment that the Ethics Committee has failed to resolve the issue, with just three months to go before he retires at the end of his current term after 35 years in office. He said allowing the current “flawed” report to stand as the last word on the issue would be unfair to his record of public service.