House Democrat smacked with ethics complaint over conflict of interest

A government watchdog group has filed an ethics complaint calling for a federal investigation into Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright, claiming that he violated conflict of interest rules by sponsoring bills that would benefit a law firm in which he has a multimillion-dollar financial interest.

The complaint, filed with the Office of Congressional Ethics, alleges that Cartwright’s actions represent “a clear conflict of interest” that “undermines public confidence.” It asks the office to conduct an immediate investigation. The document was filed by the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, a government watchdog group.