Lance Gooden

WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee announced Monday it is investigating unspecified allegations against Republican Rep. Lance Gooden of Terrell.

The Office of Congressional Conduct referred the matter to the committee June 10.

Gooden indicated the allegations are related to “spending” and he dismissed them as unfounded.

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“These are bogus spending allegations perpetrated by dishonest unelected OCC bureaucrats, and as the fifth Texas GOP ally of the president to endure one of these attacks, I am confident the House Ethics Committee will confirm their baseless nature,” Gooden said in a statement.

He did not specify whether the spending in question was by his official office or his campaign.

The committee provided no details about the allegations, saying it will announce next steps by Nov. 9.

“The committee notes that the mere fact of a referral or an extension, and the mandatory disclosure of such an extension and the name of the subject of the matter, does not itself indicate that any violation has occurred, or reflect any judgment on behalf of the committee,” it said in the announcement.

The Office of Congressional Conduct, previously called the the Office of Congressional Ethics, fields many complaints and refers a small number to the committee for further review.

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Under House rules, the panel can review those complaints confidentially for a period, but is required to issue a public statement if it needs more time.

Several Texas Republicans have been the subject of similar inquiries in recent years:

Rep. Pat Fallon of Frisco faced a referral over tardy financial disclosures of stock trades. The committee sided with Fallon, accepting his explanation he was a new member unfamiliar with the disclosure rules.

Reps. Ronny Jackson of Amarillo and Wesley Hunt of Houston were the subject of investigations into whether each had inappropriately tapped campaign funds for personal use. Both were cleared by the committee, which said it found no evidence the lawmakers intentionally misused campaign money.

Rep. Troy Nehls of Richmond has faced scrutiny over whether he directed campaign money to himself under the guise of rent payments to a company he owned. Nehls has denied any wrongdoing and pledged cooperation with the committee.