The Home Ethics Committee has begun reviewing Consultant Nancy Mace’s use of a reimbursement program for lodging and different bills of Congress members working in Washington, in keeping with a committee member conversant in the preliminary inquiry.
Following a grievance, lawmakers are being requested to look into whether or not Ms. Mace, Republican of South Carolina, overcharged this system hundreds of {dollars} for bills associated to her Washington townhouse. In keeping with the lawmaker conversant in the preliminary inquiry, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to debate it, the total committee will take into account the small print of the grievance over the approaching days.
The committee has not taken a vote to authorize an investigation.
A change to Home guidelines that went into impact final 12 months permits members to be repaid for prices of lodging and meals whereas they’re on official enterprise in Washington, as much as $34,000 a 12 months. Lawmakers are usually not required to submit receipts to be reimbursed, however they’re strongly inspired to maintain them for his or her data.
In keeping with the newest report by the Committee on Home Administration, Ms. Mace was repaid greater than $23,000 in lodging prices in 2023. Paperwork reviewed by The New York Occasions confirmed that quantity included bills for insurance coverage, taxes and different month-to-month payments associated to her townhouse. Lawmakers who personal houses within the Washington space — as is the case for Ms. Mace — could not search reimbursement for mortgage funds.
Underneath this system, lawmakers could solely request reimbursement for his or her portion of housing prices incurred whereas in Washington. However in keeping with the deed of her dwelling and an individual conversant in Ms. Mace’s private bills, she is a partial proprietor of the house along with her former fiancé, and wouldn’t be permitted to hunt reimbursement for the total prices related to the shared dwelling.
The discrepancies in her filings had been first reported by The Washington Publish, which famous that Ms. Mace was amongst plenty of lawmakers whose complete reimbursements had been close to this system’s most.
Ms. Mace’s workplace didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Added scrutiny of Ms. Mace’s spending studies comes amid tensions between the South Carolina Republican and plenty of former members of her employees who not too long ago resigned. Daniel Hanlon, who served as Ms. Mace’s chief of employees till December of final 12 months, launched a major marketing campaign to unseat his former boss from workplace. He dropped out of the race in March.
Ms. Mace now faces Catherine Templeton, a former candidate for governor who labored below Nikki Haley when she was governor. Ms. Templeton additionally has the backing of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who — since being ousted from Home management by eight Republicans together with Ms. Mace — has devoted himself to unseating these detractors by supporting their major opponents. Tuesday’s major election would be the first check of his efforts.
The fund-raising group managed by Mr. McCarthy, Majority Committee PAC, made a $10,000 contribution to Ms. Templeton’s marketing campaign in April. A lot of teams with shut affiliations to the previous speaker have additionally contributed to the hassle to unseat Ms. Mace.
Throughout weekend stops in Hilton Head and Beaufort, Ms. Mace didn’t seem to deal with the studies of misuse. As a substitute, in her last major push she spoke to voters about financial points and border safety, and highlighted the help of former President Donald J. Trump, who endorsed her in March, calling her a “robust conservative voice.”
Annie Karni contributed reporting.
