Democratic Rep Cast Most Of His Votes By ‘Proxy’ While Spending Tens Of Thousands On Travel And Events
- June 30, 2022
Gabe Kaminsky, Daily Caller
Democratic Illinois Rep. Bobby Rush has overwhelmingly voted by “proxy” since the practice was first authorized in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, however, Rush has spent thousands in travel and event expenses on the dime of taxpayers and donors, including on days he voted by proxy, Federal Election Commission (FEC) and House disbursement records show.
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the House approved an emergency health policy allowing members to vote remotely — called “proxy” voting — as “a necessary and immediately feasible low-tech option” for those who cannot be physically present in the chamber. Since the policy was implemented in May 2020, Rush has spent close to $61,000 on travel and events, a Daily Caller News Foundation review of records found.
“Although the House’s authorization for proxy voting was intended for a very narrow purpose, there appear to be few limits on its use,” Michael Chamberlain, director of the ethics watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust, told TheDCNF. “However, strict adherence to the letter of ethics rules is not always sufficient to maintain the public’s trust.