FACT Calls for Investigation into Sen. Jon Ossoff for Tying Campaign Donations to Official Senate Actions

Evidence shows Senator Ossoff violated Senate Ethics Rules by linking official actions to a solicitation for campaign contributions   

Washington, D.C.— March 28th, 2025 — Today, the non-partisan ethics watchdog, the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT), filed a complaint requesting the Senate Select Committee on Ethics investigate and take appropriate action against Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia, who appears to have violated Senate Ethics Rules by directly linking official action to a solicitation for campaign contributions.

On March 14th, 2025, Senator Ossoff sent out an email that contained only two subjects: (1) that he planned to vote against a specific bill; and (2) a request for a campaign contribution. The email began with the statement, “I will vote ‘NO’ on the Trump/Musk/Johnson ‘CR.’” Followed by several negative statements about the bill, he then makes a direct request: “If you can afford it, please rush $5 to Jon Ossoff’s re-election campaign today. If you’ve stored your info with ActBlue, we’ll process your contribution instantly.”

While it contained a concrete commitment to vote a specific way on a named piece of legislation, the entirety of the email–in style, tone, formatting, and language–was unquestionably that of a fundraising letter. However, and for good reasons, this combination is strictly forbidden. Senate Ethics Rules prohibit Senators from soliciting campaign contributions based upon any action taken in their official capacity. By linking a promise of official action with campaign contributions a Senator violates a “basic principle” of Senate Ethics that safeguards against conflicts of interest. Moreover, Senate Ethics Rules state that “every Senator always must endeavor to avoid the appearance that the Senator, the Senate, or the governmental process may be influenced by campaign contributions.”

“Voting on legislation is one of the primary jobs of a Senator, which simply cannot be tied to campaign fundraising. The ethics rules forbid certain practices in campaign fundraising, and linking it to official action is one that is simply not allowed–and for good reason. This fundraising tactic dangerously incentivizes Senators to take official action based on their estimation of what will raise the most campaign funds. Senators, who are nearly always raising campaign funds, will be rightly seen as making important official decisions based on what will bring in the most money—not on the merits of an issue,” said Kendra Arnold, Executive Director of FACT.

A full copy of the complaint can be found HERE.

FACT is a nonprofit organization promoting accountability, ethics, and transparency in government and civic arenas. For more on FACT, visit: http://www.factdc.org

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