WASHINGTON _ The House Ethics Committee has extended its investigation into Rep. Thomas Garrett, the panel said in a release Friday.
The Virginia Republican freshman, who is not running for re-election, faces allegations that he used his congressional aides to run personal errands for him and his wife on taxpayer-funded official time. He's also been plagued by questions about whether his alcohol use has affected his work in Congress.
The ethics panel began reviewing the allegations against Garrett on June 8 and received a referral from the Office of Congressional Ethics on Sept. 5.
The committee will announce its course of action on or before Dec. 4, the release stated.
House ethics rules prohibit lawmakers from using staff for anything other than official congressional duties. In recent years, the House ethics panel has ended ongoing investigations into lawmakers who resigned or retired from the chamber once they were out of office.
Garrett announced in May he would not seek a second term to confront his excessive drinking.
