#NVSen: Panel Continues Berkley Probe!

From the National Journal:

The House Ethics Committee said on Monday that it will launch a full-scale subcommittee investigation into whether efforts by Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., on behalf of a kidney-transplant program in Nevada that has financial ties to her husband was a conflict of interest.

The announcement from Chairman Jo Bonner, R-Ala., and ranking member Linda Sanchez, D-Calif.. — which comes amid Berkley’s challenge to freshman Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. — emphasizes that committee’s decision does not necessarily imply that a violation occurred.

But news that the committee on June 29 unanimously voted to establish an investigative subcommittee is an unwelcome development for Democrats, who hope that the Silver State is one of a few where they could swipe a Senate seat back from Republicans. There is no certainty of when the closed-door investigation will end.

Last fall, the Nevada Republican Party filed an ethics complaint against Berkley, 62, after The New York Times detailed five years of actions “in which she pushed legislation or twisted the arms of federal regulators to pursue an agenda that is aligned with the business interests of her husband.” Those efforts reportedly included advocating for higher Medicare reimbursement rates for kidney care.

According to the committee’s Monday announcement, Rep. Michael Conaway, R-Texas, will lead the investigative subcommittee and Rep. Donna Edwards, D-Md., will serve as ranking member. Reps. Robert Latta, R-Ohio, and Adam Schiff, D-Calif., round out the subcommittee.