Rep. Linda Sanchez ends leadership bid after husband’s indictment
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) on Thursday dropped out of the race to lead the House Democratic Caucus and faced questions about her political future following her husband’s indictment on federal criminal charges.
It’s just the latest scandal to hit Capitol Hill. Two indicted members — Republican Reps. Chris Collins of New York and Duncan Hunter of California — won reelection on Tuesday, despite allegations against them, as did Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), who was acquitted of bribery and corruption charges earlier this year.
James Sullivan, Sanchez’s husband, was charged with misusing federal funds to cover personal expenses. Those alleged improper expenses include two trips with Sanchez to the Kentucky Derby, as well as a trip to Key West, Florida.
Sullivan was one of five people alleged by Justice Department prosecutors to have improperly diverted more than $1 million from a Connecticut energy cooperative that received federal funds, according to a statement from the Justice Department. The FBI had been investigating the allegations for more than two years.
“Earlier today, I learned that my husband is facing charges in Connecticut,” Sanchez said in a statement. “After careful consideration of the time and energy being in leadership demands, I have decided that my focus now needs to be on my son, my family, and my constituents in California.”
Sources close to the 49-year-old Sanchez said she has no thoughts of resigning or retiring from office. However, the allegations against Sullivan directly involve Sanchez, a former ranking member of the House Ethics Committee.
Sullivan is alleged to have improperly charged personal expenses to the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative, a consortium of six municipal electric utilities. These alleged improper expenses included taking Sanchez to the Kentucky Derby in 2013 and 2014. Those trips were first reported by the Norwich Bulletin in early 2017.
In addition, Sullivan expensed a trip for Sanchez to Key West in December 2014, according to the Justice Department, as well as paid for trips back and forth to Washington.
At the time of those trips, Sullivan was serving as chairman of the Norwich Board of Public Utilities Commission, which oversees Norwich Public Utilities and is part of the CMEEC, the Bulletin reported.
The CMEEC was the recipient of $9 million in federal funds between 2010 and 2015, according to Thursday’s indictment, which brought the FBI into the case.
Sanchez’s office said the California Democrat received approval for the Kentucky Derby and Key West trips from the Ethics Committee. The trips were not disclosed on Sanchez’s annual financial disclosure forms.
“Congresswoman Sanchez attended the event in her personal capacity as the spouse of a board member, which is expressly allowed under House rules,” the statement said. “Although she was not required to do so, out of an abundance of caution she did seek the advice of the House Ethics Committee prior to attending, and the committee confirmed that she could attend.”
House ethics rules allow a spouse’s employer to cover the cost of trips that aren’t related to official duties.
Sanchez was first elected to Congress in 2002 after a stint working for labor unions in California. Linda and Loretta Sanchez made history by being the first sisters to serve in Congress together.
Sanchez, who was vice chairwoman of the Democratic Caucus, has been involved in a number of difficult jobs as a lawmaker. Her stint on the Judiciary Committee included the U.S attorney firing scandal during the George W. Bush administration. She also was a member of the Select Committee on Benghazi, investigating the 2012 fatal attack on U.S. government facilities in Libya. And she served for six years as the top Democrat on the Ethics panel, a hard assignment for any member. She currently has a seat on the Ways and Means Committee.
The California Democrat isn’t the first lawmaker to deal with a spouse’s problems with the law. The husband of Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) went to prison in 2006 for five months for his role in a check-kiting scheme. The episode had no impact on Schakowsky’s career.