CREW Responds to Rep. Buyer’s Retirement Announcement
Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) announced he will retire from Congress at the end of this term. Although Rep. Buyer tied his retirement to his wife’s serious illness, earlier this week Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) filed complaints with the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) over Rep. Buyer’s misuse of the Frontier Foundation, which was founded by the congressman. Although Frontier allegedly was formed to provide scholarships to needy Indiana students, the foundation has never awarded so much as a single scholarship. Instead, Frontier has used its money to pay for fundraisers at posh golf resorts, allowing those with business interests before the congressman – and who contribute handsomely to his campaign committee and leadership PAC – to hobnob with him.
Upon learning of Rep. Buyer’s intent to retire, CREW executive director Melanie Sloan stated, “CREW is sorry to learn of Mrs. Buyer’s illness and hopes for her full recovery. The timing of Rep. Buyer’s announcement, however, and the fact that he will remain in Congress for another year, suggests his retirement may well be tied to the OCE and IRS complaints against him and his foundation. Given that Rep. Buyer is still a member of Congress, his announcement should not short circuit an investigation of his conduct.” Sloan continued, “Not only do the particularly egregious facts in this case merit inquiry, it is also important for the OCE to make clear to other members that the House will not tolerate such unethical conduct.”
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) is a non-profit legal watchdog group dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions. For more information, please visit www.citizensforethics.org or contact David Merchant at 202.408.5565 or dmerchant@citizensforethics.org
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