House officials under inquiry

The House Office of Congressional Ethics is looking into whether campaign contributions to Rep. John Campbell (R-Irvine) and seven other congressmen might have influenced their votes on last year’s financial regulatory reform bill.

On Thursday, Brent Hall, Campbell’s spokesman, confirmed that the congressman’s office had received a letter from the Ethics office, which was first mentioned in a report in The Hill, requesting information about campaign contributions.

“We have been approached by the Office of Congressional Ethics along with a number of other House offices for a preliminary review and we are fully cooperative and we look forward to an expedient and favorable resolution,” Hall said.

Campbell, 54, represents the 48th Congressional District, which encompasses Newport Beach. He is running for re-election in November and is being challenged by Irvine City Councilwoman Beth Krom, a Democrat.

The letter from the Ethics office also was sent to Reps. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), Chris Lee (R-N.Y.), Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), Earl Pomeroy (D-N.D.), Tom Price (R-Ga.) and Mel Watt (D-N.C.), according to The Hill, a Washington, D.C. publication specialising in politics, which obtained the letter and broke the story.