Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.) said Monday afternoon that he wants the House Ethics Committee to look into a report that he paid a former mistress more than $120,000 in hush money.
In a statement, Mahoney didn’t directly address the ABC News report, but said, “I am confident that when the facts are presented that I will be vindicated.”
ABC reported that Mahoney engaged in an affair with a former campaign and congressional staffer and then paid her off when she threatened to sue.
“I was notified this afternoon about a story that ran on ABC News’ website reporting allegations about a former employee,” Mahoney said. “While these allegations are based on hearsay, I believe that my constituents need a full accounting. As such, I have requested the House Ethics Committee to review these allegations."
Similarly, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) has asked the ethics committee to look into several controversies that have hampered him, including his apartment rentals, his use of congressional resources and his failure to disclose rental income to the Internal Revenue Service and Congress.
The House Ethics Committee has a new Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), an independent body that screens all new complaints before they go to the full committee for consideration. Democrats who created the OCE barred it from making recommendations to the full ethics panel within 60 days of an election. It also has yet to meet or hire a staff, meaning action is highly unlikely before the election.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who led the charge for the creation of OCE, issued a statement supporting Mahoney's request.
"I just learned today about the serious allegations concerning Congressman Tim Mahoney," Pelosi said. "These charges must be immediately and thoroughly investigated by the House Ethics Committee."
Mahoney is involved in one of the toughest reelection campaigns in the country, thanks to the conservative bent of his south-central Florida district.
His challenger, Republican Tom Rooney, will be holding a press conference with National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) at 9:15 a.m. EST on Tuesday morning.
When contacted by The Hill Monday afternoon, Rooney's campaign declined to comment.
