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New York Congressman Under Ethics Investigation

By Paul Blumenthal

Another New York Congressman is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. According to the New York Post, the House Ethics Committee is investigating Rep. Gregory Meeks for failing to report his one of his wife's sources of income.

The lapses in the Queens Democrat's annual financial filings include his failure to reveal at least one of his wife's sources of income -- a teaching job at Queens College, The Post has learned.

Simone-Marie Meeks earned $2,857 in 2008 as an adjunct at the school, state records show.

Meeks' wife is also the principal of the Lipscomb Lord Group, which she set up in 1999 to do public relations, event planning and advocacy work. Meeks never disclosed the existence of the company.

Roll Call elaborates on previous ethics problems that Meeks has faced:

CREW requested that the Office of Congressional Ethics investigate whether a private loan Meeks received may have violated House rules. Members are allowed to accept private loans under certain conditions.

Meeks disclosed the $40,000 personal loan from businessman Ed Ahmad in his 2009 financial disclosure report. The Congressman reported the loan with a value of $50,000 to $100,000 on his disclosure form and revealed in an amendment that he first received the ?interest-only personal loan? in 2007. He had not previously reported the funds, which he noted in another amendment to his financial disclosures in 2010 that he has repaid in full.

Full post as published by Sunlight Foundation on January 31, 2011 (boomark / email).