A terminated congressional aide who raised ethics concerns has returned to the halls of the Capitol after a six-year absence.
Véronique Pluviose-Fenton has been hired by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) as civil rights counsel for the House Education and the Workforce Committee. The last time Pluviose-Fenton was a congressional aide, in 2009, she was dismissed and later raised ethical concerns over then-House Homeland Security Committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.).
She claimed she was dismissed as the committee's policy director "after complaining to her bosses that a lobbyist made improper requests of staff members," according to Politico. The committee's staff director at the time, Lanier Avant, said Pluviose-Fenton never brought the concerns to him but would not elaborate on her termination.
The Southern Democrat allegedly collected $15,000 in campaign contributions from various credit card companies after a committee hearing on proposed rules that didn't lead to new legislation, The Washington Post reported at the time. The case was never taken up by the House Ethics Committee.
For the past six years, Pluviose-Fenton has served as the principal legislative counsel for the National League of Cities. She started her career as a counsel on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights before joining Rep. Maxine Waters' (D-Calif.) office. Pluviose-Fenton earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
