MD Dems Question Bartlett’s Employment of Aide Seeking His Seat

Maryland Democrats have filed an ethics complaint against Republican U.S. Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett and State Republican Party Chairman Alex Mooney, claiming a violation of federal election law, The Baltimore Sun reported Tuesday.

Bartlett, a 10-term incumbent from Frederick County is running for the 6th District seat, which now includes Germantown. Democrats are questioning Bartlett’s employment of Mooney, who was reportedly hired as a “community outreach worker,” MarylandReporter.com reported in July.

But a candidate to succeed a congressman can’t be a paid staff member, several news agencies have reported.

Citing House payroll and Federal Election Commission records, The Washington Post, which broke the initial story, reported that Mooney had been working for Bartlett since June, though he filed a statement of candidacy to the run for his boss’s seat — a violation of House ethics rules.

The Post reported Mooney's response since the news broke last week:

"… one day after The Washington Post contacted Bartlett’s office to ask about the issue, Mooney sent a letter to the FEC announcing that, “effective immediately, I am no longer associated with Mooney for Congress. … As such I am no longer a candidate for office in Maryland’s 6th congressional district.”