A leading candidate to become Washington, D.C.’s first newly elected delegate to Congress since the early 1990s appears to have violated a federal transparency and conflicts-of-interest law by not revealing his personal finances on time, Dave Levinthal reports.
D.C. City Councilmember Robert White, a Democrat, exceeded a federal deadline for publicly detailing his personal income, debts and any of a variety of assets, from stock and bond holdings to cryptocurrency and rental property. Nor had White requested an extension from Congress in a timely fashion, according to a database maintained by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Federal law and House ethics guidelines require congressional candidates to file a certified financial disclosure with Congress within 30 days of becoming a candidate and raising or spending $5,000 in campaign cash, according to House ethics guidelines and federal law.
White, who announced his bid in late summer, stands to become the first new D.C. delegate to Congress in 36 years, potentially replacing a fellow Democrat, Eleanor Holmes Norton — the House of Representatives’ oldest and one of its longest-serving members — at a moment of significant tumult and turmoil for the capital city.
Asked Friday about the missing documents, White campaign senior adviser Roger Limoges said White “is aware of the federal requirements” and he had “no further comment at this time.” Pressed for additional details, Limoges said White “does plan to file his personal financial disclosure and has requested an extension.” Asked to provide a copy of the filings, Limoges responded Friday that the document “should be available today.” He did not provide a copy when asked, and no documents appeared in the House database on Friday.
But on Monday morning, White’s signed report appeared in the House’s disclosure database. Dated Nov. 7, it indicated that White holds up to $485,000 in mutual funds, retirement accounts and life insurance. He also disclosed that his wife carries up to $100,000 in student loan debt and up to $65,000 in credit card debt. White himself disclosed having between $10,000 and $15,000 worth of credit card debt. (Lawmakers and candidates are only required to disclose the value of assets and liabilities in broad ranges.)
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