The fundraising practices of Congressman Chris Lee, are being examined by the House Ethics Committee.
From the Buffalo News:
The Office of Congressional Ethics this month sent letters to banking lobbyists, seeking information about their fundraising contacts with Lee and the other lawmakers, a mix of Democrats and Republicans who serve on the House Financial Services or Ways and Means committees.
The letter to lobbyists, which was first reported Monday afternoon by a Capitol Hill newspaper called The Hill, did not name any specific charges against the lawmakers and identified the probe as a “preliminary review.”
Lee, a first-term Republican, told the News that he has "nothing to hide," adding, “The more accountable and transparent we can be, the better off things will be in the long term.”
He said he's cooperated fully with the investigation.
Since the beginning of 2009, the committee has started 48 ethics probes and 22 of those were dropped in their preliminary stages.
Six other lawmakers are also being investigated.
