Sheldon Whitehouse bashed as ethics complaint claims he backed laws benefiting wife’s environmental group

WASHINGTON, DC: Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat and advocate for more rigid ethics guidelines at the Supreme Court, was hit with an ethics complaint in February for supporting two dozen bills that benefitted his wife's environmental consulting company.

According to a copy of the complaint, which the New York Post obtained on February 21, the conservative government accountability group Judicial Watch requested that the Senate Ethics Committee "immediately investigate" Whitehouse (D-RI), claiming that there was "strong evidence" he "violated ethics conflicts of interest rules."

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse hit with ethics complaint

Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said, "Senator Whitehouse seems to have stepped over the line of standard environmental legislative advocacy and used his Senate office to advance his and his wife’s personal and financial interests."

In addition, the complaint urged ranking member James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) and chairman of the Ethics panel Chris Coons (D-Delaware) to subpoena pertinent persons if an investigation is launched.

The complaint cites contemporaneous reports from local Rhode Island outlets and claims that Whitehouse has been afflicted by ethics questions since his early years in the Senate when he helped an offshore wind company called Deepwater Wind secure a $22 million federal grant. Deepwater Wind had employed Whitehouse's wife as a "permitting consultant".

The news pieces have not been removed despite the senator's denial that the hiring ever took place. Conflict of interest issues have also previously been disregarded by Whitehouse, who has stated that he has no control over whether businesses receive government funding.

Meanwhile, Whitehouse has spearheaded Democratic attempts to undermine the conservative majority on the Supreme Court by promoting ethics reform initiatives and criticizing the impact of conservative 'dark money' on the 2020 confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, who is currently serving as Justice.

Following Barrett's confirmation, Whitehouse remarked during a Senate floor speech, "Unlimited anonymous spending to influence our judiciary undermines the integrity of our judicial system and damages Americans’ confidence that all people receive equal justice under the law."

Currently serving as president of the for-profit consulting company Ocean Wonks, LLC, situated in Newport, Sandra Thornton Whitehouse reportedly earns millions of dollars working with non-profit clients that benefited from her husband's legislative actions.

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse slammed after being hit with ethics complaint

People on the internet slammed Senator Sheldon Whitehouse after he received an ethics complaint for supporting two dozen bills that benefitted his wife's environmental consulting company.

One user on X wrote, "All crooks" while another added, "Who else, particularly who else in government, benefited from the bills he pushed?" One also said, "And nothing will happen. Different standards."

One user also wrote, "Great but they’ll probably turn a blind eye and say nothing to see here," while another stated, "It's a never-ending money grab for these people. They have no shame so there's no moral brake on their constant, unethical theft of taxpayer money."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.