October 12, 2023

Omar Ashmawy
Chief Counsel
Office of Congressional Ethics
U.S. House of Representatives
425 3rd Street, S.W., Suite 1110
Washington, DC 20024

Email: oce@mail.house.gov

RE: Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16)

Dear Mr. Ashmawy,

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to promoting accountability, ethics, and transparency in government and civic arenas.
We request the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) immediately investigate whether
Representative Jamaal Bowman has intentionally violated numerous ethics rules.

Rep. Bowman’s Continued and Intentional Abuse of Official Resources for Political
Purposes. On April 10, 2023, FACT filed a complaint against Rep. Bowman, in which we
detailed how he was using official resources for political purposes.1 Contrary to the law,
Bowman had made numerous posts on his campaign social media account using official
resources, including campaign video recorded in official buildings and re-posting content posted
on his official social media accounts.

While the law is detailed in our prior ethics complaint, it is quite straightforward: A
Member is prohibited from using any official resource for political purposes.2 The law applies in
all circumstances and is repeated throughout the ethics manual in numerous factual scenarios.
Two examples that are relevant is this case are:

1 You can find a copy of the ethics complaint here.

2 31 U.S.C. sec. 1301(a); U.S. House of Reps Comm. on Ethics, House Ethics Manual, at 133 (Dec. 2022 Print)
(official House resources “may not be used for campaign or political purposes”).

www.factdc.org • 1717 K Street NW, Suite 900, Washington, D.C., 20006 • Phone (202) 787-5860
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(1) Members are prohibited from using photographs and video of House floor or
committee proceedings for campaign or political purposes. This includes any
photograph or video footage of official proceedings even if it was reposted from a third-
party source, such as another social media account, website, or news organization.3 To be
clear, this official video cannot be used on campaign social media accounts no matter the
source.4

(2) A Member is prohibited from using any official content on campaign social
media sites. No type of official content may be used, such as photographs taken in
government buildings, official press releases, and content posted on an official social
media account. To be clear, the ethics manual further states: a Member’s campaign
social media account “may not share, like, retweet, etc., a post from an official social
media account.”5 Additionally, a Member is not allowed to link directly to their
congressional social media account on their campaign account.6

Both of these factual examples are explained in detail and make it quite clear that there is
no way to circumvent this law.

Since April, Bowman’s unethical use of government resources has not only continued but
has grown even more egregious. First, he has continued to post official content on his campaign
social media account but he has also attempted to portray his campaign social media account as
an official account. In April, Bowman’s campaign account had the profile name “Jamaal
Bowman Ed.”7 Since that time he has changed his profile name to “Rep. Jamaal Bowman
Ed.D.”8 Thus, Bowman is using his official title and posting official content on his campaign
account. As can be viewed below, the use of his official title portrays government approval of
political content and, along with the use of official House video on this campaign account,
confuses viewers as to whether it is a political or official account.

3 Derivative use of House floor photographs and video is prohibited. In re Lujan, at 13 (citing U.S. House of Rep.
Comm. on Ethics, Memorandum from the Comm. to All Members, Campaign Activity Guidance, Aug. 15. 2014, at
16). As the Ethics Committee has stated, “Members may not re-use an image of a floor proceeding published by a
third-party, if the Member could not use that image in the first instance.” Id.
4 Id.
5Committee on Ethics, Memorandum for All Members, Officers, and Employees on Campaign Activity Guidance, at
15-16 (June 7, 2018).
6There is no disclaimer with the link. See Committee on Ethics, Memorandum for All Members, Officers, and
Employees: Change in Rules Regarding Providing a Hyperlink from Campaign Internet Sites to Official Internet
Sites, at 1 (March 9, 2012) (emphasis omitted) (providing for a narrow exception with approved disclaimer language
only).
7 Twitter, Archived April 22, 2023, Accessed October 10, 2023
8 Twitter, Accessed October 10, 2023
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Moreover, on his campaign account, he has continued to regularly post official content,
such as video of House floor proceedings.9 Bowman’s posts violating federal law and ethics rules
are too numerous to include in this complaint but two examples can been seen below and several
in the attached exhibit. Clearly these posts appear to come from a government account with
government resources—they are not, this is Bowman’s campaign account. These posts clearly
violate federal law and House ethics rules.

Finally, Bowman cannot now legitimately claim he did not understand the law or that he
was not aware of it,10 and his continued violations demonstrate a knowing and willful intent to
violate the law. It is important to note that Bowman is both responsible for knowing the law and
ensuring that both he and his staff abide by it. There is no excuse for his blatant disregard of the
law.

9For example: Twitter, September 14, 2023, Accessed October 10, 2023; Twitter, September 12, 2023, Accessed
October 10, 2023.
10Rep. Bowman’s office was questioned about and was made aware of the filed complaint. Josh Christenson,
‘Squad’ Member Jamaal Bowman Hit with Ethics Complaint Over TikTok Use, New York Post (April 10, 2023),
available at: https://nypost.com/2023/04/10/rep-jamaal-bowman-hit-with-ethics-complaint-over-tiktok-use/.
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The rules at issue in this case are extremely important because they protect the integrity
of official proceedings and protect taxpayer-funded resources from abuse11 Yet, Bowman has
intentionally violated federal law and House ethics rules—violations that are numerous and
readily apparent to the public and that have occurred without repercussion. Of course Bowman’s
actions alone erode citizens’ trust and reflect poorly on the House,12 but this would be further
reinforced if Bowman is not held accountable.

Rep. Bowman Wrongfully Set Off a Fire Alarm. On September 30, 2023, at the same
time his political party was trying to delay a vote, Rep. Bowman pulled a fire alarm that resulted
in the evacuation of the Cannon House Office Building.13 Capitol Police explained that security
video showed Bowman attempted to exit a door, which had “signs with clear language that
explained the door was secured and marked as an emergency exit only.”14 Bowman then pulled
the fire alarm that caused an evacuation of the building.15

Bowman later admitted he pulled the fire alarm, but claimed he did so “mistakenly
thinking it would open the door” and not to delay the vote.16 He simply cannot credibly claim he
doesn’t know the difference between a fire alarm and an automatic door button, and it’s clear he
did not pull the alarm for a legitimate reason. There is no question that he intentionally set off the
fire alarm, regardless of whether his motive for doing so was to delay a vote or to use a door that
was not permitted. For either motive it was an intentional act that violated House Ethics Rules,
and his clear disregard for federal law and ethics rules as shown above must be considered when
assessing his actions here.

The Office of Congressional Ethics is responsible for ensuring each Representative

fulfills the public trust inherent in the office and that they comply with the House’s ethical

11One issue the House Ethics Manual acknowledges is the public perception that incumbents are simply using their
office to run for re-election or to run for a higher office. House Ethics Manual, at 133 (stating the laws and rules
prohibiting use of official resources for political purposes reflect “the basic principle that government funds should
not be spent to help incumbents gain reelection”).
12 Members are required to “conduct themselves at all times in a manner that reflects creditably on the House.” Id. at
1, 12 (citing House Rule 23, clause 1).
13Rep. Bowman Pulled Fire Alarm as Democrats Tried to Delay Vote, Reuters, Oct. 1, 2023, available at: https://
www.reuters.com/world/us/us-rep-bowman-faces-investigation-after-pulling-fire-alarm-capitol-2023-10-01/;
Farnoush Amiri, Rep. Jamaal Bowman Triggered A Fire Alarm In A House Office Building Amid Voting On A
Funding Bill, Sept. 30, 2023, available at: https://apnews.com/article/congress-fire-alarm-jamaal-bowman-house-
bc9c1cca01fa918999621e0f7eb27165.
14United States Capitol Police, USCP Investigating Cannon Building Evacuation, Press Release (Oct. 2, 2023),
available at: https://www.uscp.gov/media-center/press-releases/uscp-investigating-cannon-building-evacuation.
15 Id.

Rep. Bowman Pulled Fire Alarm as Democrats Tried to Delay Vote, Reuters, Oct. 1, 2023, available at: https://
16
www.reuters.com/world/us/us-rep-bowman-faces-investigation-after-pulling-fire-alarm-capitol-2023-10-01/.
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standards. Therefore, we urge the Board to immediately investigate and act upon Representative
Bowman’s use of official resources for campaign purposes and his willful intent to violate
federal law and House ethics rules, along with his actions in setting off a fire alarm.

To the best of my knowledge and ability, all evidence submitted was not obtained in
violation of any law, rule, or regulation. Further, I am aware that the False Statements Act, 18
U.S.C. § 1001, applies to information submitted to the Office of Congressional Ethics.

Sincerely,

/s/Kendra Arnold

Kendra Arnold
Executive Director
Foundation for Accountability & Civic Trust