GOPer gets legal fund donation from same company that sparked ethics probe: report

A legal defense fund set up by a Republican congressman to pay for expenses related to an ethics probe accepted a $5,000 donation from the same company that had caused the investigation to be launched.

Republican Rep. Alex Mooney (WV) is under investigation over allegations he accepted a week-long paid vacation for his family to Aruba from a direct mail company his campaign began paying for services in 2020. The vacation cost about $10,000, with much of the bill allegedly being picked up by the company.

According to The Parkersburg News and Sentinel, Mooney's acceptance of the vacation from HSP Direct is part of an ongoing investigation by the House Ethics Committee. He told the newspaper the cost has now been fully reimbursed.

Investigators think that the $10,000 number may be lower than what was actually spent on the vacation, because it didn't factor in drinks and food for Mooney's family. Mooney repaid $1,637.75 for part of the cost of the flight to Aruba, which was $3,300, according to the report.