WASHINGTON _ The House Ethics Committee announced Wednesday it would extend its review of an inquiry regarding whether Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., paid a longtime aide more than $50,000 over a four-month period in which the staffer might not have conducted official business.
A report by the Office of Congressional Ethics, where the inquiry originated and which was released by the committee, details Conyers' decision to place his then-chief of staff Cynthia Martin on leave without pay after she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor on March 30, 2016.
Conyers' response, in the form of a letter by his attorneys that was also made public Wednesday, sought to explain the process by which the Michigan Democrat came to the eventual decision to terminate Martin. This happened, the letter states, despite the plea, which involved "receiving stolen property through funds that had been mistakenly transferred into her bank account" being "entirely unrelated to her official duties."
The OCE said it had evidence Martin had been paid part of her annual salary of $160,000 between April 20, 2016, and Aug. 25, 2016, but could not find evidence that she was performing official duties.
Conyers, the dean of the House, filed paperwork that placed Martin on leave without pay for a three-month period then amended that to two weeks, which would have ended April 19, 2016.
OCE found no further paperwork was filed but Martin was still being paid by the House through August before Conyers again placed her on leave without pay before terminating her employment in October.
The report states OCE attempted to contact Martin in Conyers' office in late June but were told she no longer worked in the office.
Conyers' attorneys said Martin was placed back on the payroll in order to receive "severance and accrued annual leave." His lawyer argued Conyers complied with House rules because it allows members broad authority to set the terms and conditions of employment in their offices.
"Given that there is no reason to believe Mr. Conyers paid Ms. Martin for anything other than the performance of official duties, prohibition on payments for accrued vacation or lump-sum severance, and no question that Conyers acted reasonably by seeking professional advice in the House, the committee should disturb the conscientious handling of a sensitive personnel matter," Conyers' lawyers wrote.
