Congressional investigators found “substantial reason to believe” Texas Republican Rep. Lance Gooden used taxpayer dollars for personal luxury travel and may have misreported his campaign spending.
The nonpartisan Office of Congressional Conduct’s findings, made public Monday in a report, identified a pattern of “extravagant expenditures” by Gooden that appear to be outside his official duties. The report also highlights that Gooden sought more in reimbursements — $140,000 in 2025 alone — than any other House member.
Gooden is the latest in a line of House members facing ethics allegations this year, with several forced to resign. Midterm polling showed voters citing corruption in Washington as a key reason for souring on the Republican party, although Democratic lawmakers have also faced allegations.
The OCC report was referred to the House Ethics Committee, which is the entity that can discipline members. The Ethics Committee’s investigation remains ongoing.
Gooden in a statement called the report “bogus,” criticized the OCC and called for the House Administration Committee to investigate the office.
“There’s a reason the Senate doesn’t have an OCC—because of insane, bogus referrals like this one,” Gooden said in a statement. “The Ethics Committee will expose this witch hunt, and I’m calling on House Administration to launch an oversight investigation into the OCC’s target selection and record of failed inquiries.”
The OCC declined comment.
Gooden also provided a response to OCC from his lawyers.
The OCC said in its report that Gooden and several members of his team did not cooperate with the inquiry.
Gooden, the OCC report says, received over $72,000 in lodging reimbursements from taxpayer money that shows a pattern of brief stays at luxury hotels between $700 and $4,000 per stay. The lawmaker also received more than $58,000 in airfare reimbursements in 2025 — almost exclusively for business or first-class — using taxpayer money.
The report pointed to instances where official travel was booked using the Chase Travel account of Gooden’s wife. House rules prohibit lawmakers and their relatives from benefiting from the Members’ Representational Allowance, which is a taxpayer funded budget for each House member’s office.
“Using a relative’s account allows for the accumulation of private rewards and benefits from official funds, which is prohibited by House rules,” the report said.
The OCC also found “several discrepancies” in Federal Election Commission reports submitted by Gooden’s campaign for credit card and travel-related reimbursements from 2025 to 2026.
