PHOENIX — Republican Arizona Rep. David Schweikert has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine and admit to 11 violations to settle a long-running investigation by the U.S. House Ethics Committee.
The agreement with Schweikert was announced Thursday.
He has been under investigation for two years for a series of campaign finance violations and other allegations.
Schweikert of Fountain Hills was formally reprimanded Friday by the House of Representatives for 'wide-ranging & long-spanning misconduct' tied to spending by his campaign & congressional office.
It's the first reprimand of a House member in eight years.
The Ethics Committee chair Ted Deutch (D-Florida) explained why charges weren't brought against Schweikert in the video below.
"Some of Representative Schweikert's violations arose from direct misconduct by him. Because of Representative Schweikert's own delays and posture toward this investigation, many of the most serious campaign violations are, also now, beyond the statute of limitations for civil enforcement, leaving the House as the only body to bring accountability to bear on his conduct," Rep. Deutch said during the hearing.
Schweikert is seeking reelection in the Republican-leaning 6th Congressional District that covers much of north Phoenix, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills and Paradise Valley.
Four Democrats are seeking their party’s nomination in next week’s primary election as their party targets the longtime GOP stronghold as a possible pickup in November.
FROM 2018:
