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Watchdog accuses Dem Senator of Ethics by violating over $ 7 million in subsidies for wife’s nonprofit

Watchdog accuses Dem Senator of Ethics by violating over $ 7 million in subsidies for wife’s nonprofit

Watchdog ethics Foundation for Civic Responsibility and Trust (FACI) filed a complaint that accuses Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Dr.I., of violating the Senate’s ethics policy, supporting the legislation to grant his wife’s nonprofit of $ 7 million.

Sandra Whitehouse’s wife works for the Advocacy Ocean preservative group, who received over $ 14 million in government subsidies since she started in 2008. Half of this money came only in the autumn of 2024 and was supported by Senator Whitehouse, she wrote.

Senator Whitehouse voted directly for a legislation that recently led to $ 6.9 million from taxpayers’ funds paid to an organization for which his wife works and receives an income from ”, the complaint shows. “This circular relationship seems to be directly contrary to the rules of the Senate who generally prohibit senators to use the power of their office to benefit or seem to benefit from themselves or their spouses.

“We ask the Senate Ethics Committee to carry out a complete investigation into the actions of Senator Whitehouse which, at least, created a conflict of interest,” he added.

The reaction to the complaint was the preservative Ocean, which defeated the accusations as already “eliminated”.

“Dr. Sandra Whitehouse, a well -respected marine ecologist and consultant in oceanic policies, has not received compensation from these Federal subsidies allocated Ocean preservative, ”wrote the vice president of Ocean preservative, Jeff Watters.

“The letter sent by the” Foundation for Civic Responsibility and Confidence “to the Senate Ethics Committee this week is similar to a letter sent by another organization a year ago,” he added. “The Senate Ethics Committee examined this complaint and issued a letter on August 16, 2024, rejecting the complaint, stating:” The committee carefully evaluated the accusations in the complaint and, based on all the information prior to it, the committee concluded that the actions of Senator Whitehouse do not violate the federal law, the rules of the Senate and the rules of the Senate. “

A spokesman for Senator Whitehouse blamed the “dark money” and the head of the Government Department, Elon Musk, for his complaint in a statement to the National News Office.

“This is a repeated performance of the dark money, and the previous attempt of a group of dark money to plant the same sons has been rounded by the Senate ethics,” they said. “The billionaire and the Supreme Court capture the operators behind the fact that he would like to try to stop Senator Whitehouse to shine in what they did to be absence of ordinary people before the court.”

“But the false accusations from the special right-wing interests and the billionaires like Elon Musk-which are trying to silence critics about his attack on federal agencies-they will not prevent the senator from a responsible, ethical government to respond to the needs of the Americans,” they added.

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