TransparencyOversight & ethics enforcement

Office of Congressional Ethics found substantial reason to believe Rep. John Rutherford filed stock transaction reports late (157 late-reported transactions, 2017-2021); House Ethics Committee dismissed the referral, 2022

Confidence: Confirmed · 4 sourcesFlorida · Oct 12, 2026

Subject of this story

John H. Rutherford, U.S. Representative, FL-5

Also named

Oversight

Office of Congressional Ethics

U.S. House Committee on Ethics

What happened

Rep. John Rutherford (R-FL), the incumbent in Florida's 5th District, was the subject of a 2022 Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) referral over late Periodic Transaction Reports (PTRs) under the STOCK Act. The OCE board found substantial reason to believe he failed to file timely reports for various reportable transactions, in violation of federal law and House rules. Its report says he did not file his first PTR until August 20, 2018, despite trades beginning in July 2017; that report disclosed 136 late transactions valued at $631,000 to $3.2 million (the OCE noted several of these may not have been reportable); and his public reports through December 2021 showed 157 late-reported transactions valued at $652,000 to $3.5 million. The OCE also said he paid an $800 ethics fee on November 19, 2021, after its review began, questioned whether counsel's fine calculation was correct, and said it never learned whether additional payments were made. It said he and his chief of staff declined to be interviewed and did not fully cooperate. On August 24, 2022 the House Committee on Ethics voted to dismiss the referral, concluding there was not clear evidence the errors and omissions were knowing or willful and that he was generally unclear on the PTR filing requirements; it said he had made diligent efforts to take appropriate remedial actions. In a March 18, 2022 letter, his counsel acknowledged he "filed several PTR's outside the 30/45 day deadlines," said many were filed within the 30-day grace period, said any fines due had been paid, called the cause "a simple misunderstanding of the requirements and inadvertent human error," and disputed the OCE's characterization of his cooperation.

Sources (4)

House Committee on Ethics: Statement of the Committee on Ethics Regarding Representative John Rutherford (Aug 24, 2022)The Committee voted to dismiss the referral. The Committee concluded that there was not clear evidence that the errors and omissions in Representative Rutherford's PTRs were knowing or willful and that he was generally unclear on the requirements relating to PTR filings.

House Committee on Ethics: Office of Congressional Ethics Report and Findings, Rep. John Rutherford (published May 31, 2022)There is substantial reason to believe that Rep. Rutherford failed to file timely PTRs for various reportable transactions. ... In total, between his swearing in and December 2021, Rep. Rutherford's publicly available PTRs disclose 157 late reported transactions, valued between $652,000 and $3.5 million.

House Committee on Ethics: Statement regarding Representative John Rutherford (May 31, 2022)The Committee received an OCE referral regarding Representative Rutherford on February 28, 2022; the Committee published the OCE's Report and Findings, exhibits, and Representative Rutherford's response.

Rep. Rutherford's response to the Committee on Ethics, letter from counsel Kate Belinski (Mar 18, 2022)Representative Rutherford acknowledges that he filed several PTR's outside the 30/45 day deadlines ... Any fines that were due have been confirmed with Committee staff and have been paid.

Response

John H. Rutherford

Statement given

Contacted and responded — exact wording not on record.

What happened next (0)

No outcome recorded yet.

I saw an update

Take action →