Editing Rob Andrews (section)

=== Alleged misuse of campaign funds ===

On December 2, 2008, the [[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]] (CREW) filed a complaint against Andrews and four other politicians to the [[Federal Election Commission]] (FEC) for allegedly violating the [[Federal Election Campaign Act]] (FECA).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citizensforethics.org/press-release/complaint-against-candidates-for-buying-clothing-with-campaign-funds/|title=CREW Files Complaint Against Candidates For Buying Clothing With Campaign Funds|website=[[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]]|language=en-US|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/local/20081203_Andrews_campaign_s_spending_criticized.html|title=Andrews campaign's spending criticized|first=Sharon|last=Theimer|agency=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=December 3, 2008 |language=en-US|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> In the complaint, CREW stated that Andrews's campaign committee spent $952.04 of campaign funds on clothing, which FECA classified as personal spending.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/storage.citizensforethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/20022430/CREW_FEC_Clothing_Complaint_20081202.pdf|title=Federal Election Commission Complaint|date=December 2, 2008|website=[[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]]|first=Melanie|last=Sloan|author-link=Melanie Sloan|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1208/Handful_of_candidates_spent_campaign_money_on_clothes.html|title=Handful of candidates spent campaign money on clothes|last=Grim|first=Ryan|author-link=Ryan Grim|website=[[Politico]]|date=December 2, 2008 |language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> A spokesman for Andrews responded that the clothing was intended to replace [[lost luggage]] from a flight, and that Andrews deposited $952.04 into his campaign account after the airline reimbursed him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/group-several-got-campaign-funded-clothes/|title=Group: Several Got Campaign-Funded Clothes|date=December 2, 2008|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|via=[[CBS News]]|language=en-US|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> The FEC dismissed the complaint on July 16, 2009, but affirmed in the dismissal that the purchases violated campaign finance laws.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna31951021|title=FEC: No clothes-buying with campaign funds|date=July 16, 2009|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|via=[[MSNBC]]|language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fec.gov/files/legal/murs/current/75287.pdf|title=RE: MUR 6140 – Robert E. Andrews|last=Lebeaux|first=Susan L.|date=July 14, 2009|website=[[Federal Election Commission]]|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref>

''[[The Star-Ledger]]'' reported on November 20, 2011 that Andrews financed a family vacation to [[Edinburgh]], [[Scotland]] and other European destinations with over $9,000 of campaign funds. The report claimed that Andrews "mixed personal and political expenses in an unorthodox way" on multiple occasions. These expenses included a $10,000 [[house party]] celebrating both his career anniversary and his daughter's [[graduation]], a $12,500 donation to the [[Walnut Street Theatre]] – where his daughter performed, and trips to California that overlapped with his daughter's auditions. Andrews and his chief of staff replied that the vacation involved attending an adviser's wedding, the party was primarily for "political associates", the theatre donation was in support of its [[outreach]] program, and his daughter assisted him with fundraising during their trips.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2011/11/south_jersey_congressman_spend.html|title=South Jersey congressman spent $9,000 from campaign funds on donor's wedding|last=Friedman|first=Matt|date=November 20, 2011|website=[[The Star-Ledger]]|language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref>

CREW filed another compliant with the FEC on November 30, 2011 based on ''The Star-Ledger''{{'}}s article.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.citizensforethics.org/legal-filing/crew-files-fec-complaint-against-rob-andrews/|title=CREW Files Second FEC Complaint Against Rep. Rob Andrews|website=[[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]]|language=en-US|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/storage.citizensforethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/20022501/113011%20Andrews%20FEC%20Complaint.pdf|title=Federal Election Commission Complaint|last=Sloan|first=Melanie|author-link=Melanie Sloan|date=November 30, 2011|website=[[Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington]]|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> Andrews described the complaint as "baseless" and stated, "The campaign has fully complied with all laws with respect to the proper expenditure and disclosure of campaign funds. All personal aspects of any expenditures or activities have always been paid in full from our family’s personal funds."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/news/2011/12/dc_watchdog_group_nj_rep_rob_a.html|title=D.C. watchdog group: N.J. Rep. Rob Andrews 'knowingly and willfully' violated law in campaign funds controversy|last=Friedman|first=Matt|date=December 1, 2011|website=[[The Star-Ledger]]|language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> The [[Associated Press]] elaborated on March 28, 2012 that Andrews's 18 trips to California from 2007 to 2012 resulted in over $97,000 of campaign expenses and $260,000 of donations, short of the 3:1 ratio of donations to expenses that is expected from political fundraising trips.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0312/74623.html|title=Campaign funds for personal trips?|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|via=[[Politico]]|date=March 28, 2012|language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref>

The [[United States House Committee on Ethics]] started researching the complaint on July 17, 2012,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0712/78634.html|title=Andrews ethics case advances|last=Bresnahan|first=John|website=[[Politico]]|date=July 17, 2012 |language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> and decided on August 31 that it would proceed with an investigation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/post/report-offers-new-details-in-campaign-fund-ethics-probe-of-rep-rob-andrews/2012/08/31/377d4c9e-f3a2-11e1-892d-bc92fee603a7_blog.html|title=House Ethics Committee continues probing Rob Andrews for improper using of campaign funds|last=O'Keefe|first=Ed|author-link=Ed O'Keefe (journalist)|date=August 31, 2012|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> On March 19, 2013, the Committee declared that a special panel would examine whether Andrews's travel expenses from the Edinburgh and California trips complied with campaign finance laws.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/fba999359e9f4fc59ba0d1db9121273f|title=Ethics committee investigates Reps. Young, Andrews|website=[[Associated Press]]|first=Henry C.|last=Jackson|date=March 19, 2013|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref> Andrews resigned from Congress on February 4, 2014.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/05/us/politics/rob-andrews-to-resign-from-congress.html|title=Amid Ethics Inquiry, South Jersey Democrat Is Giving Up House Seat for a New Job|last=Horowitz|first=Jason|date=February 4, 2014|work=The New York Times|access-date=October 6, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/blogs/capitolinq/Andrews-to-leave-Congress-in-Feb.html|title=Rob Andrews to leave Congress|last=Tamari|first=Jonathan|website=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]|date=February 4, 2014 |language=en-US|access-date=October 6, 2019}}</ref> He said that the campaign finance probe had "no role at all" in his resignation, and that he was departing for a position at the Dilworth Paxson law firm.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/politics/2014/02/us_rep_rob_andrews_says_investigation_played_no_role_in_resignation.html|title=U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews says investigation played 'no role' in resignation|last=Friedman|first=Matt|date=February 4, 2014|website=[[The Star-Ledger]]|language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2014/02/04/n-j-democrat-rob-andrews-expected-to-resign-from-congress/|title=N.J. Democrat Rob Andrews to resign from Congress|first=Ed|last=O'Keefe|author-link=Ed O'Keefe (journalist)|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|language=en|access-date=October 6, 2019|date= February 4, 2014}}</ref> The FEC dismissed the complaint on June 3, 2014 with "[[prosecutorial discretion]]", noting that Andrews reimbursed his campaign for the Edinburgh trip before he received the complaint, and that any violations in the California trips were "relatively small".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nj.com/politics/2014/06/rob_andrews_let_off_the_hook_by_federal_agency_over_use_of_campaign_funds_for_family_trip_to_scotlan.html|title=Complaint against Rob Andrews for alleged misuse of campaign funds is dismissed|last=Friedman|first=Matt|date=June 3, 2014|website=[[The Star-Ledger]]|language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2014/06/03/andrews-cleared/9920605/|title=FEC rejects complaint against Andrews|last=Walsh|first=Jim|website=[[Courier-Post]]|language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fec.gov/|title=MUR #6511|website=[[Federal Election Commission]]|language=en|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/storage.citizensforethics.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/07202017/andrews-fec-decision.pdf|title=Re: MUR 6511 – Rep. Robert E. Andrews|last=Shonkwiler|first=Mark|date=May 28, 2014|website=[[Federal Election Commission]]|access-date=October 7, 2019}}</ref>

In February 2014, Andrews resigned from his position in the middle of his term, while being investigated by the [[United States House Committee on Ethics]] for alleged violations related to his use of campaign funds for personal expenses. Andrews stated it was to take a job with a law firm in Philadelphia.<ref>{{Cite news|title=N.J. Democrat Rob Andrews to resign from Congress|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2014/02/04/n-j-democrat-rob-andrews-expected-to-resign-from-congress/|access-date=2021-12-22|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> The complaint was dismissed in June 2014.