Hagedorn being investigated by House Ethics Committee

First District Rep. Jim Hagedorn is facing an investigation by the House Ethics Committee over improper spending by his office.

As we reported here last September, Hagedorn’s office was found to have spent $440,000 on companies connected to members of his staff.

Hagedorn, who was re-elected to a second term in 2020, has repeatedly denied any personal wrongdoing, saying his former chief of staff Peter Su was responsible for awarding the contracts. Su was fired in June 2020.

“Congressman Hagedorn personally self-reported this matter to the Ethics Committee last year and will continue working with it to bring it to an appropriate conclusion,” said Elliot Berke, an attorney for Hagedorn.

Hagedorn, a Republican, is among four members the committee is investigating, according to a report from Roll Call. The others are Democrat Tom Malinowski of New Jersey and Republicans Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania and Alex X. Mooney of West Virginia.

All have been investigated by the nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics, “which concluded that in each case there was a substantial reason to believe that a violation had occurred,” reports Roll Call.

The House Ethics Committee is expected to provide an update on the investigations no later than Oct. 21.

Cover photo: Hagedorn in 2019 / William Forsman