Carolyn Maloney Under Investigation By House Ethics Committee

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Outgoing U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for unspecified reasons, the panel announced Friday.

The announcement, in the form of a press release, said an investigation into Maloney had been referred in June from the separate Office of Congressional Ethics, a nonpartisan group whose members must vote on whether to pass probes onto the House committee.

The investigation being referred to the committee does not mean that "any violation has occurred," nor indicate anything about what the committee's ultimate judgment will be, according to the press release.

The committee will announce its final "course of action" by Nov. 21, it said.

Maloney, 76, has served New York City in Congress since 1993, representing a district that has mostly centered on her own Upper East Side neighborhood.

This year, however, redistricting forced Maloney into an unexpected Democratic primary clash with fellow Manhattan lawmaker Jerry Nadler, who ultimately defeated her by more than 30 percentage points in the Aug. 23 election.

A spokesperson for Maloney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the investigation. The congresswoman now has less than three months left in her final term.

Friday's announcement was made by U.S. Reps. Susan Wild, a Pennsylvania Democrat who is the Ethics Committee's acting chair, and Michael Guest, a Mississippi Republican who serves as the ranking member.

When members are found to have violated ethics rules, the committee can recommend punishments to the entire House, such as expulsion or censure — the latter of which was applied to Harlem Congressman Charlie Rangel in 2010.

The ethics committee has faced criticism for perceived partisanship in its investigations, though it is currently controlled by Maloney's own Democratic Party.

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