Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)
WASHINGTON – Chautauqua County’s representative in Congress is in the spotlight again for what some say are ethics violations.
Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) is facing an ethics complaint relating to his law firm. According to the Buffalo News, Reed’s law firm in Corning is still run under his name. That’s a violation of congressional ethics rules, which state law firms cannot bear the name of any politician while that person is in office. At this time, no official ethics investigation has been opened.
According to Reed’s attorney, the Corning Republican didn’t want to lay off employees immediately after his November 2010 election, but wasn’t able to find a buyer for his law firm. He also said that members of the House Ethics Committee were advised of the situation and were satisfied by answers Reed and his attorney provided.
During his weekly conference call on Monday, Reed told reporters his office has been working with the Ethics Committee on divesting his interest in his law firm and medical debt collection business, and in commercial real estate holdings. He is not under investigation and said that ethics rules allow him “a reasonable amount of time’’ to get it completed.
Reed also made headlines last year because of more than three-dozen late tax payments.
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