House Ethics Committee dismissed a referral over Rep. Pat Fallon's late disclosure of 122 stock transactions in 2021, after the Office of Congressional Ethics found substantial reason to believe he filed late; the Committee found no clear evidence the lapses were knowing or willful, 2022
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The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) Board voted 5-0 on Feb. 18, 2022 to refer Rep. Pat Fallon (R-Texas) to the House Ethics Committee, finding substantial reason to believe he failed to file timely Periodic Transaction Reports under the STOCK Act. OCE stated its findings do not determine whether a violation occurred. It found that between January and December 2021 he failed to timely disclose 122 transactions valued between $9 million and $21 million; that he paid late-filing fees of $200 and $400 (checks dated Aug. 15, 2021); that some late disclosures continued through December 2021; and that he produced limited documents and declined an OCE interview, so OCE could not determine whether the late filings were knowing and willful. A Fallon spokesperson said in June 2021 that he 'was unfamiliar with how frequently members of Congress are required to file financial disclosures' and that he filed a disclosure upon learning of the requirement; his attorney told OCE the lapse was 'an entirely inadvertent oversight by a brand-new Member of Congress' and that he had put a monthly review system in place. The Ethics Committee extended its review on April 18, 2022 and, on July 29, 2022, unanimously voted to dismiss the referral, concluding there was not clear evidence the errors and omissions were 'knowing or willful', that the Members involved were 'generally unclear on the requirements relating to PTR filings', and that Fallon had made diligent efforts at remedial action and continued compliance. The Committee's statement announced no sanction; the $200 and $400 late fees are described in the OCE report, which noted it could not determine whether any fine was paid on a later December 2021 late filing.
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Contacted and made an on-record admission — exact wording not on record.
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No outcome recorded yet.