The House ethics committee is looking into whether Reps. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.) violated congressional rules when the Linda Sanchez took some of her sister's employees on her own payroll in late 2006, according to a story in Roll Call Wednesday.
Loretta Sanchez was going to be unable to meet payroll obligations within her budget due to embezzlement by an aide, so her sister Linda moved three of Loretta's employees onto her own payroll.
The aide, Caroline Valdez, pleaded guilty Monday to charges she stole between $5,000 and $10,000 in early 2006. The theft led to Linda Sanchez paying three of Loretta's employees in the final months of 2006. According to LegiStorm's salary records, the three employees appear to be Shane Skinner, Edward Steiner and Andrew Stephenson, all of whom appear on Linda Sanchez' payroll in November or December of 2006.
It is a violation of House rules for a member to use money budgeted to staff salaries to pay for an employee of another member. However, Loretta Sanchez' attorney Stan Brand said the representatives reported the arrangement to the committee at the time.
