A watchdog group filed a complaint against 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand Monday, saying she violated Senate ethics rules by posting a video of herself at the State of the Union and asking for campaign contributions.
Kendra Arnold, executive director of the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, asked the Senate Select Committee on Ethics to look into the matter and hold the New York senator accountable.
She said Senate rules prevent using tax-payer funded resources, such as live audio and video of congressional proceedings, for campaign purposes. The intent behind the rule is to prevent lawmakers from acting in a purely political purpose.
According to the complaint, Ms. Gillibrand posted a tweet on Feb. 5 asking for $5 “so we can put an end to this” with a video showing her at President Trump’s State of the Union address in the House chamber.
“Presumably Senator Gillibrand is aware of her ethics violation because she later removed the tweet after raising funds in violation of ethics rules, all of which should be returned,” the complaint reads.
Ms. Gillibrand did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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