Washington, D.C. – The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics Committee) cleared U.S. Representative Heath Shuler of any wrongdoing or violations of House rules related to his involvement in the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Maintain and Gain program.
After a thorough review, the Ethics Committee found that Shuler’s actions “were not improper in any way and did not violate House Rules,” and has closed the matter without further action, the committee said in a letter released late Wednesday.
“Throughout my personal and professional life I have always held myself to the highest possible ethical standard. I maintained that standard through all my interactions with the TVA relating to Blackberry Cove. I have never and will never attempt to use my office for personal gain and look forward to continuing to work on behalf of the people of Western North Carolina,” Congressman Shuler said.
The Ethics Committee noted in its letter that because of Shuler’s position in Congress, the TVA held Blackberry “to a higher standard for approval” within the Maintain and Gain program in order to avoid the appearance of partiality. The letter also disclosed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation reviewed the facts surrounding the Blackberry application and concluded that no criminal statutes were violated.
Before being elected to Congress in November 2006, Shuler invested in the Cove at Blackberry Ridge, a real estate partnership that owned property near the Watts Bar Reservoir in eastern Tennessee. The partnership, which originally thought it had water-access rights due to maps provided by the TVA, sought and initially received a Maintain and Gain agreement from the TVA that gave the partnership water access rights to build a dock in exchange for other waterfront land the partnership owned.
Shuler's involvement in the matter was first investigated by the TVA Inspector General, who in June found no evidence that Shuler used his position as a Congressman to pressure the TVA. Because it had no jurisdiction over a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, the TVA Inspector General forwarded its report to the Standards Committee for their review.
The Ethics Committee is the third investigative body to confirm that there was no wrongdoing on the part of Congressman Shuler.
The Committee is composed of ten members, five Democrats and five Republicans. The letter clearing Shuler of any wrongdoing was signed by the Committee’s Chair, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and Ranking Member, Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL).
##
