Rep. Adam Schiff (D. CA) is having a rough week.
First, he got the long-awaited boot from the House Intelligence Committee. Kevin McCarthy, the House Speaker, just exonerated him for lying to the Committee. Schiff collapsed in a press conference over it, and he still hasn’t gotten over it. He still has fits.
Schiff attempted to make a comeback by declaring his candidacy for the Senate seat of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D.CA). It is not yet clear if Feinstein will run again. Rep. Katie Porter (D.CA) has already announced her intention to run. Rep. Barbara Lee, (D.CA), is also expected in the fray. Schiff may have to fight a tough battle, as the field is likely to get crowded.
Schiff being Schiff, immediately did something that got him in trouble and earned him an ethics complaint.
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, an ethics watchdog, has filed a complaint against Schiff to the Office of Congressional Ethics. They are asking for an investigation into whether Schiff violated House rules and “abused public resources for political purposes” by using footage taken from the Senate floor for his announcement of his Senate run. He uses video footage from the impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump in his video.
Our democracy is at great risk. Because GOP leaders care more about power than anything else.
And because our economy isn’t working for millions of hard working Americans.
We’re in the fight of our lives—a fight I’m ready to lead as California’s next U.S. Senator. pic.twitter.com/H0Pa0EhhMu
— Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) January 26, 2023
Kendra Arnold, executive director of FACT, stated that “this is a clear violation of House ethics rules as well as federal law.” “Rep. Schiff, who has served in Congress for more than two decades, is well-aware that the official government cannot be used for political purposes.” “Rep. Schiff should immediately remove the video from the Internet and stop its distribution.” “The Office of Congressional Ethics must swiftly investigate the matter and sanction, Rep. Schiff.”
Schiff’s campaign team gave a typical Schiff-ty response. They claimed that because the Senate sent it, they didn’t have to follow the rules.
Fox News Digital spokesperson said that House ethics rules forbid the use of footage from the House floor or committees for campaign purposes. However, the rules don’t apply to footage from Senate which was used in Congressman Schiff’s video. “No footage of any House proceeding was used for the video and Congressman Schiff was in full compliance with House ethics guidelines.”
FACT says that this excuse is absurd. The rule applies to both the Senate and House floor videos.
The complaint stated that Federal law says that appropriations can only be used to support the objects for which they were made unless otherwise required by law. The ethics rules forbid members from using official resources for political or campaign purposes to enforce this law. “Official resources” includes any funds paid by taxpayers. This includes a member’s website, social media accounts, and photos and videos taken from the House floor or Senate floor.
The complaint stated that “This rule is important because it not only protects taxpayer-funded resources from abuse but also preserves the integrity and credibility of official proceedings by decreasing the incentive for members to make political speeches during formal proceedings.” “The House Ethics Manual recognizes that the public perceives incumbents as simply using their office to win re-elections or run for higher offices. The reason for this perception is evident in Rep. Schiff’s actions. His use of official resources is not a reflection on the House.
It’s Adam Schiff, the hypocritical Adam Schiff. Rules don’t apply to him. He should be free to do whatever he pleases. Schiff’s use of the footage is a clear example of how political the impeachment was. It is great to see him finally facing accountability.
