The House Ethics Committee is reviewing Rep. Luis Gutiérrez's (D.,Ill.) hiring practices for a possible violation of House rules.
Gutiérrez is under scrutiny for keeping his former chief of staff Doug Scofield as a paid contractor, while Scofield has been working as a lobbyist.
The Hill reports:
Scofield had been paid more than $500,000, the newspaper reported, to train staff and write press releases, among other things.
Gutiérrez released a statement shortly after the committee made its announcement, saying the referral dealt with a "long-standing contract." The matter was referred to the community by the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE).
"The contract for services was reviewed and approved by the House of Representatives and submitted for renewal each Congress for 10 years," said Douglas Rivlin, communications director for Gutiérrez. "It was consistently and properly reported. Rep. Gutiérrez cancelled the contract last year."