OCE Referral Regarding Rep. Bill Owens (PDF 2.5MB)
On August 30, 2012, the Office of Congressional Ethics transmitted a referral to the Committee on Ethics of the United States House of Representatives regarding Representative Bill Owens.
Nature of Review
Representative Owens may have accepted payment of travel expenses for an officially connected trip to Taiwan from an impermissible source, resulting in an impermissible gift, in violation of federal law and House rules.
Representative Owens may have accepted payment of travel expenses for an officially connected trip to Taiwan, when that trip was in some part planned, organized, requested, or arranged by agents of a foreign principal, in violation of House rules.
OCE Recommendation
The Board of the OCE recommended that the Committee on Ethics further review the first allegation as there is substantial reason to believe that Representative Owens accepted payment of travel expenses for an officially connected trip to Taiwan from an impermissible source, resulting in an impermissible gift, in violation of federal law and House rules.
Committee Conclusion
On February 6, 2013, the Committee on Ethics released a statement indicating it would continue to gather information necessary to complete its review. The Committee published the OCE report and findings and announced the allegations would be further reviewed pursuant to Committee Rule 18(a).
On November 15, 2013, the Committee released a report finding Representative Owen’s trip was an impermissible gift. The Committee noted the sponsor may have been improper, but presently-available evidence was inconclusive. The Committee also found that Park Strategies, LLC did not comply with privately-sponsored travel rules. Because additional information was outside the Committee’s reach and Representative Owens voluntarily remedied the impermissible gift, the Committee voted to close the matter.
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