The House Ethics Committee on Wednesday issued a public admonishment of Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., for disregarding the panel’s request that he change the name of his former engineering and architectural firm.
“Based on your conduct in this matter, the committee has determined that you should be publicly reproved,” Ethics Chair Charlie Dent, R-Pa., and ranking member Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., wrote in a Sept. 28 letter to McKinley.
The panel accused McKinley of “knowing disregard” of its advice to alter the name of the firm, McKinley & Associates.
The ethics panel said McKinley is in violation of a law and House rules prohibiting members of Congress from permitting their names to be used by firms “providing professional services involving a fiduciary relationship.”
Ethics panel officials repeatedly warned McKinley to change the name, beginning in November 2010, when he was first elected to the House.
“Instead of complying with the advice of the committee,” Dent and Sanchez wrote to McKinley, “you chose to not to change the name of the firm and instead sold your interest in the firm, with the name intact.”
The public reproval is the only action the panel plans to take, Dent and Sanchez wrote and the matter is now considered “closed.”
